Three Nets veterans that didn’t precisely match their rebuilding timeline drew various levels of curiosity at this season’s commerce deadline.
Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale have been dealt away in February.
Dorian Finney-Smith might observe them out the door this offseason.
Whereas Finney-Smith is a gradual locker room presence and a strong defensive participant, he’s additionally the oldest participant on the roster at 31 and could be precious to a contender. That makes him a luxurious the retooling Nets may not be able to maintain. For a staff that went simply 32-50, he’s an asset they’ll unwell afford not to money in on.
There’s a feeling across the league that Finney-Smith might be traded over the summer time. The notion that a number of Nets received’t be again — and that he’s prime amongst them — is a scenario that Finney-Smith is effectively conscious of.
It’s a enterprise a part of the game that he’s acquainted with, and at peace with.
“Yeah, it’s a part of it,” Finney-Smith mentioned final month. “We didn’t carry out in addition to we thought; and most instances, groups make adjustments. That is the NBA, they’re attempting to get higher, so that they’re gonna do what’s finest for the group. I don’t assume [in all my] years within the league I had the identical staff two years in a row. Even in the event you win, groups nonetheless make strikes, so I can solely think about how this summer time’s gonna be.
“However we bought numerous younger guys. I do know we’ve bought guys which are 21 and beneath, so that they know most certainly they ain’t going nowhere. However it’s been a pleasure. Everyone on this locker room likes one another. Simply speaking to those guys, they only say they by no means had a bunch of men that sit round and speak as a lot as we do, as a result of like I mentioned, we have now an amazing locker room. It simply didn’t translate to the court docket in addition to we needed it to.”
Brooklyn rejected a proposal of two first-round draft picks for Finney-Smith earlier than final season’s deadline, a highly-placed supply confirmed to The Put up. Their presents for the ahead have been decrease this season, however basic supervisor Sean Marks as soon as once more opted to carry onto him, whereas dealing O’Neale to Phoenix and Dinwiddie to Toronto for Dennis Schröder in a degree guard swap.
Finney-Smith is the final man standing of that earlier veteran trio. However there’s a sentiment amongst a number of league executives that spoke with The Put up that might change.
“It’s been numerous ups and downs,” Finney-Smith admitted. “It’s the NBA; nothing’s actually promised you within the league, so we’ve bought to attempt to respect all of the experiences that you’ve got and simply attempt to discover a pleasure within the sport and attempt to get misplaced in that and never the enterprise of it.”
Priced to maneuver
The enterprise entails funds. Finney-Smith is ready to make $14.9 million subsequent season and has a participant choice for $15.4 million the next yr, a strong contract that’s considered in league circles as simply movable.
The nine-year swing ahead had already been competing with veteran Cam Johnson for enjoying time, and the latter simply began a hefty (bloated?) contract. New coach Jordi Fernandez’s assumed youth motion and the necessity to discover taking part in time for 2023 first-rounder Noah Clowney — who emerged late on this rookie season as a defensive companion for heart Nic Claxton — can also be a consideration.
As Finney-Smith alluded to, the enterprise additionally entails change.
The Put up had already reported the Bucks, Kings, Mavericks, Suns and Thunder as having proven curiosity earlier this season. Forbes famous this week that all the above might circle again because the draft approaches, in addition to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies and L.A. Lakers.
This yr’s NBA Draft shall be break up over two days, the primary spherical on June 26 at Barclays Heart and the second spherical held the subsequent day in Manhattan.
With Brooklyn lacking the postseason for the primary time since 2017-18, Finney-Smith makes extra sense for a contender. The Nets aren’t one.
“Personally, clearly I needed to make the playoffs. It’s been some time since I didn’t make the playoffs, so slightly disillusioned with that,” Finney-Smith mentioned. “However I’m simply prepared for the offseason, as a result of I began the yr off taking part in effectively, however I had an up-and-down season personally. In order that’s all I can work on is myself. I’ve bought to do higher, too.”
Room for enchancment
This season Finney-Smith averaged 8.5 factors and 4.7 rebounds on .421/.348/.717 taking pictures splits. It was one thing of a bounce-back from his poor second half final season after arriving from Dallas within the Kyrie Irving deal; but it surely nonetheless paled compared to the prior two 3-and-D archetype years he put up in Dallas.
Finney-Smith had averaged 9.8 factors and a career-high 5.4 rebounds on .472/.394/.756 taking pictures in 2020-21 for the Mavericks, and his encore was a career-high 11.0 factors and 4.7 boards on .471/.395/.675 splits en path to the Western Convention Finals the subsequent season. He goals to return to that type of taking pictures subsequent season, approaching 40 p.c from 3-point vary.
“Now that I’ve been taking pictures the ball effectively for some time now, I’ve bought to get my photographs off lots faster than I normally have,” Finney-Smith mentioned. “I’m taking pictures extra above-the-break 3s. So I simply need to clearly do higher taking part in out of close-outs, placing the ball on the bottom.
“You understand, I really feel like I’ve been attending to the entrance of the rim lots this yr, even making the drop-off move to [Claxton] or no matter huge is in there. Simply proceed to work on my sport. I really feel like I’ve been driving the ball much more this yr than I normally have, and [can] get slightly bit extra constant on my taking pictures.”
It stays to be seen if he can get again his previous consistency — and if he’ll do it in a Brooklyn uniform.
