NBA trade rumors: Marcus Thornton trade to Nets making progress

The Nets and Kings are moving closer to a deal, which would see Marcus Thornton head to Brooklyn.

The Nets and Kings are reportedly making continued progress on a trade that would see Jason Terry and Reggie Evans head to Sacramento in exchange for guard Marcus Thornton, according to Sam Amick of USA Today Sports.

News of the potential deal broke on Tuesday afternoon when Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the two teams were discussing the trade. Per Wojnarowski's report, the parameters of the deal involve a Thornton for Terry and Evans swap, although the length of the talks indicate that other pieces might be involved.

Thornton is making $8 million this season and is also owed $8.5 million in the 2014-15 campaign before his contract comes off the books. The 26-year-old guard is averaging just 8.3 points per game on 38% shooting from the floor, although for his career, Thornton has averaged 13.5 points per contest and a 43.2% field goal percentage. Back in 2010-11, the five-year guard was a fixture in the Kings lineup, averaging 34.9 minutes a night and 18.7 points per game before seeing his minutes decrease over the last couple of seasons.

Terry and Evans are set to earn a combined $7.4 million this year, meaning the trade would save the Nets over $3 million in luxury tax, while also opening up another roster spot. The contracts for both Terry and Evans expire after the season, making neither too much of a financial burden for the Kings.

With the Nets currently sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference (but only four games out of third place), the team is clearly trying to improve, though shedding some money from their luxury tax bill is also a concern. The Kings are simply looking to dump Thornton's contract and add two veteran players who will fit in as rotation pieces for the rest of the season, while also opening up cap space for this offseason and beyond.