Nets trade Andrei Kirilenko to Sixers
The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to send veteran small forward Andrei Kirilenko, a 2020 second-round draft pick and cash to the Philadelphia 76ers for second-year forward Brandon Davies, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Paste BN Sports.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet finalized. The deal, which will save the formerly-free-spending Nets approximately $12 million and is likely to be finalized on Thursday, is also expected to give the Sixers the right to swap 2018 second-round picks with Brooklyn. There will also likely be another player going Philadelphia's way as well, though it's unclear just yet who that will be.
The 33-year-old Kirilenko is making $3.3 million this season in what is the final year of his contract, but several reports have indicated that he is likely to be waived by the Sixers. After starting the season 0-17 and threatening to set the worst such mark in NBA history (which is 0-18), Philadelphia has won two of its past three games.
Kirilenko had played in just seven games for the Nets this season, as he fell out of favor with first-year coach Lionel Hollins. His last game action came on Nov. 13.
Davies went undrafted out of BYU, but signed with the Sixers in Oct. 2013 and has averaged 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 19 minutes in 20 games this season. For the Nets, however, this move had more to do with cutting payroll than it did making a roster addition.
Despite the exorbitant ways of owner Mikhail Prokhorov, an internal memo sent to NBA teams in June revealed that the basketball side of Brooklyn's business was projected to lose approximately $144 million for the 2013-14 season.
The memo, which was first reported by Grantland and confirmed by Paste BN Sports, was a window into their world that helps explain moves like the Kirilenko trade. Because the Nets' payroll was approximately $17 million over the league's luxury tax threshold (at approximately $93 million in all), Kirilenko's $3.3 million salary cost Brooklyn nearly four times its actual cost because of the penalties. Yahoo! Sports first reported that the agreement was being finalized.