Happy trading season to all who celebrate! When will the Brooklyn Nets jump in?

The first trade of the NBA season — and the first since Knicks-Timberwolves blockbuster on first day of October training camp — is upon us; The Heat and Pacers have agreed to a deal involving Thomas Bryant and draft picks, the Miami Herald reports…

The trade cannot become official until Sunday, when Bryant and 79 other NBA players signed in the offseason can be traded for the first time. Expect more rumors between now and Sunday. Anyone want to get the Brooklyn Nets involved? Depends on who you talk to. Some sources suggest Brooklyn will move quickly, but others point to Sean Marks’ history of patience.

However, the rumor mill is active. It seems a number of reporters want to grab a piece of Woj’s mantle in this first trade season without the new director of men’s basketball at St. Bonaventure.

Jake Fischer, an experienced trader who has teamed up with Marc Stein’s The Steinlinereported two days ago that the Nets are ready to go.

Washington, Utah and Brooklyn, league sources say, are the primary teams that have been established throughout the league as clear sellers.

“When you call them, they’re willing to make a deal right now,” said one rival executive.

But league sources tell ND that making deals could be difficult because Brooklyn only wants expiring deals along with draft capital. “They will be difficult to deal with,” said one source. “since they will only take back expiring (contracts.)” Another, while noting that it is the narrative, added, “I think they will take two-year money if the draft, if the draft assets are rich enough .”

On Friday, the most active rumors involved the Nets and Golden State Warriorsbut experts couldn’t even agree on who is the most likely veteran to move!

Evan Sidery says the net Warriors braintrust wants most is Cam Johnson…

But while that got fans tongues wagging, it should be noted that the Forbes reporter attached two important caveats to his reporting, saying that it only “seems” that Johnson is a Warrior target and that Brooklyn “probably” would demand Kuminga in return. Kuminga, a 6’7″ 22-year-old wing who grew up in New Jersey, will be a restricted free agent in July. He wants $35 million a year, which made even the thrifty Warriors blanch. It seems likely that the Nets would have a similar reaction, $60+ million in cap space or not.

Brett Siegel of Clutch Points says no, it’s not Cam Johnson, but Dennis Schroder who has the most interest in Golden State…

Shams Charania says the Warriors are indeed interested in all three, stating this week…

The Nets have received trade interest and opened exploratory talks about forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Dennis Schroder, sources said.

Shams also suggested that Schroder, who makes $13.0 million on an expiring deal, could fit in a trade for guard De’Anthony Melton, who makes $12.8 million but is out for the season after ACL surgery” along with draft incentives” … not further defined. (A league source familiar with the Nets situation also dissed it. “Whatever Shams put out is nothing new.”)

There’s even disagreement among local reporters about what draft assets the Nets want in return … and whether they can actually get them. Mike Scotto suggests, citing “league leaders,” that neither Schroder nor DFS will get the Nets anything but “multiple second rounders” and that Johnson “might be able to pick up a future first-round pick in return, if the Nets trade him before the deadline.”

Brian Lewis and Ian Begley disagree. The Post’s Lewis says the Nets want a first-plus draft asset for Schroder, and SNY’s Begley agrees, reporting that it “will take ‘at least’ a first-round pick to acquire Dennis Schroder.”

It agrees with one report by Fischer that “the early tender price from the Nets for either veteran swingman Dorian Finney-Smith or point guard Dennis Schröder: At least one first-round pick.”

Will Marks & co. stick to getting first rounders in exchange for one or both, and how long will he wait? Marks’ story is one of patience. When Kevin Durant demanded a trade in the summer of 2022, the Nets GM rejected a number of offers. Specifically, the Suns under their former owner Robert Sarver refused to include Mikal Bridges in a KD trade that summer. In February, after Durant again said he wanted out, new Suns owner Mat Ishbia was willing to dump Bridges as well as Jae Crowder, etc. in.

Similarly, Marks passed on a Knick offer — as well as multiple offers from the Rockets — for Bridges at the deadline. According to multiple sources, the Knicks later made an offer that the Nets couldn’t refuse, and Brooklyn decided to pursue a deal, resulting in the franchise-altering deals announced on June 25.

There are other problems ahead such as Fred Katz wrote in The Athletic Saturday. In a lengthy review of the major rumors ahead of Sunday’s trade season opener, Katz wrote of Cam Johnson’s incentives, like Keith Smith and Bobby Marks before him, reporting that they pose a level of difficulty for the Nets, assuming they face any hurry. in moving him.

Katz even suggests a CamJ trade, which on its face might make sense for the Warriors and Nets … but thanks to the new CBA, the devil is in the details.

The Golden State Warriors, who are hard-nosed at the first apron and sit just $533,000 below it, would make basketball sense for Johnson. The salaries of the injured De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and one of their young, minimum guys (eg Gui Santos) add up to $219,000 more than what Johnson is making, meaning the Warriors should be able to trading those three plus draft capital to make it worth Brooklyn’s time.

But these unlikely incentives kill the deal. The Warriors were to add another $2.7 million to the deal. It could mean including a significant other that they won’t give up. That could mean adding two more end players, but that would make this potential trade a five-for-one, which isn’t realistic considering Brooklyn would have to cut four players.

Furthermore, Katz notes that the Nets are close to the luxury tax line — $2 million or “less than a veteran’s minimum contract” — and “under no circumstances could (they) justify going into that.” The sanctions would be too onerous and extend over the course of reconstruction and beyond.

And so we wait without any good indication of what the Nets will do or when. It’s actually just speculation until someone not named Woj breaks the news.