The only sure things in life are death, taxes and the Nets taking on salary dumps.
Brooklyn rented out part of the league’s biggest cache of cap space, pulling off a three-way deal with the Clippers and Raptors that landed them cash and a 2032 Toronto second-rounder to take on Ochai Agbaji.
The trade, first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post, also saw Chris Paul dealt to Toronto. But the venerable point guard reportedly won’t be required to report to the team, according to ESPN, and could still discuss other deals over the next day.
The trade deadline is 3 p.m. on Thursday.
The Nets add more draft assets, and even got cash to cover Agbaji’s salary. He’s making $6.4 million this season, and will be an unrestricted free agent.
The shooting guard is a former college teammate of Nets wing Jalen Wilson at Kansas, and was the Most Outstanding Player on the 2022 national title team.
Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks has used cap space in the past, and has now taken five this year. He got Denver’s 2032 first-rounder (to take Michael Porter Jr.), a first this past June (to take Terance Mann), and a 2032 Miami second (to take Haywood Highsmith) and essentially got a look at the since-waived Kobe Bufkin for $100,000. Now Agbaji is the latest.
But he might not be the last.
They can absorb Agbaji into their league-high $15.3 million in cap space and still have $8.9 million. But if the Nets exhaust the rest of their cap space to take more expensive players, then they could still use their $8.8 million Room Mid-level Exception to absorb Agbaji, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron.
