Last summer, the Brooklyn Nets gave restricted free agent Allen Crabbe a four-year, $75M offer sheet, but were rebuffed when the Portland Trail Blazers decided to match.
One year later, the Nets will get their man because the Blazers traded Crabbe to Brooklyn for Andrew Nicholson, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Portland plans to waive Nicholson.
Portland has traded Allen Crabbe to Brooklyn for Andrew Nicholson, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2017
Portland will waive and stretch Nicholson's contract, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2017
According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, the Trail Blazers will take a $2.8M cap hit for the next seven years as a result of waiving Nicholson and stretching his contract.
$2.8M cap hit on the Andrew Nicholson contract for the next 7 years. https://t.co/ItXojipXMq
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 25, 2017
This is impressive maneuvering by the Nets, who at last season's deadline sent Bojan Bogdanovic to the Washington Wizards for Nicholson and a first-round pick, which they used last month on Jarrett Allen, a 6-foot-10 big man from Texas. By flipping Nicholson for Crabbe, the Nets essentially turned Bogdanovic, a veteran with an expiring contract, for Crabbe and Allen. It's not a move that will win a title, but shows front office savvy and indicates Brooklyn is moving in the right direction.
