With the recent success of the Brooklyn Nets, fans are beginning to debate whether or not role players Spencer Dinwiddie, Royce O’Neale, & Dorian Finney-Smith should be on the team post trade deadline. Many are arguing that because the team is winning more games than previously expected, the Nets should maintain this core and push for a playoff spot. This sentiment is further supported by the Nets not having their 2024 1st round pick, currently belonging to the Houston Rockets from the first James Harden trade made back in 2021.
While these are all valid points, the general issue with this mentality is that it is sacrificing the long term vision for short term gain. Last season, Nets had this exact same mentality post trade deadline, prioritizing the playtime of veterans Seth Curry & Joe Harris over Cam Thomas. As a result, the Nets made the playoffs, however they were swept out of the 1st round by the Sixers. To make matters worse, the Nets lost out on an opportunity to draft in the 2023 lottery and stunted the growth of Cam Thomas, who is currently showing All-Star potential.
Financially, it is near impossible to extend Dinwiddie & O’Neale, while re-signing young core players such as Nic Claxton, Lonnie Walker, & Trendon Watford while staying under the luxury tax. Now, the Nets could offload Simmons’ contract at the deadline, however that would require attaching draft capital, likely at least a 1st round pick.
Given the age of some of these veterans, it is risky to extend them into their 30s, at any moment they can have a decline in their production, making their salaries negative assets if extended. If the Nets were to trade Dinwiddie, O’Neale, & Finney-Smith, the Nets could potentially get a haul of 1st round picks, expiring contracts, and possibly a young player. This would allow them to gather assets for a potential start trade down the line, while maintaining cap flexibility. According to an article based on a report from Brian Lewis of the NY Post, Nets were offered 2 1st round picks in exchange for Finney-Smith.
There are consequences to doing this, it would mean the Nets in the short term lose some high quality role players and increase their likelihood of missing the playoffs, however the long term benefits of making these trades would allow the Nets to jump back into contention if another superstar were to ask for a trade in the next few years. Trading these players would also open up opportunities for young players, such as Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson, & Noah Clowney.
Regardless of what happens, the goal of the Nets is to win a championship, while these decisions will hurt the Nets in the short term, if the Nets intend to compete for a title in the future, they need to have a vision for what is best for the team long term.
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