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On an expiring contract, a Spencer Dinwiddie trade makes sense for the Nets.
Brooklyn will have plenty of trade deadline targets in mind, and Dinwiddie’s salary could unlock some potential deals. Possible trade partners may be interested in acquiring Dinwiddie’s Bird Rights ahead of his free agency. Others will be happy to take a future second or two off Brooklyn’s hands regardless of their interest in Dinwiddie.
Dinwiddie trade: Nets trade deadline options
Injuries do not take players out of trade deadline rumors. Dinwiddie is the perfect example. His $11.4 million salary, with a $12.3 million player option for next season, is ideal for salary matching purposes. Teams will be keen on those Bird Rights, too. Dinwiddie was an in-demand player prior to his ACL injury – he’s proven himself as a more than useful point guard to create and score.
His skillset is superfluous alongside James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, though. Brooklyn can make better use of that money at the deadline. This Nets roster is loaded already, but Sean Marks will be on the look out for anyone who can help them.
Here are three possible trades including Dinwiddie’s salary.
1. Norm Powell
Eastern Conference rivals will be quaking in their boots at the prospect of Norman Powell on the Nets. Powell could be on the move at the trade deadline, though, and his salary is easy to reach for Brooklyn.
The question here is whether the Nets have enough. Other teams will surely be happy to give up a protected first for Powell. Brooklyn can’t do that, and it’s unclear if the Raptors would be interested in even four second round picks for Powell. He has, after all, scored almost 20 points per game this season on awesome efficiency. Toronto isn’t going to just dump him for the sake of it.
This is very much the dream scenario for Brooklyn. Having Powell off the bench would add yet more firepower, and he’s far from a liability defensively.
2. Jeremy Lamb
With several sizeable salaries next season, the Pacers have some decisions to make at the deadline. One option is to shed money by trading Jeremy Lamb.
Healthy again, Lamb is having the best three-point shooting season of his career. Brooklyn, of course, isn’t desperate for more shooting, but they could see Lamb as a helpful player to acquire given his $10.5 million salary next season.
With cap space non-existent for a long time in Brooklyn, any player who could be around beyond this season is a bonus. There’s no such guarantee with Powell. Lamb would provide shooting off the bench and give further depth on the wings behind Joe Harris and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
This is a more realistic proposal than Powell. Indiana would be happy to get off Lamb’s money, probably only for a second-round pick, yet the Nets may have higher ambitions if they trade Dinwiddie.
3. Rudy Gay
Tyler Johnson and Dinwiddie’s salaries could get the Nets into the low-teens. This would open up a new wave of trade targets.
A lot of players in that price range are going to be too costly for the pick-less Nets, but Rudy Gay might be available for a second or two. With the Spurs reportedly listening to offers on DeMar DeRozan, could they be tempted to deal Gay?
Gay is shooting almost 40% from beyond the arc this season. At 6’8, he brings more size. Brooklyn has fortified their frontcourt depth of late, but adding Gay to the mix might be too good an opportunity to turn down.
San Antonio is in no rush to deal the veteran forward. Gay is unlikely to be the Nets’ top priority. This is a longshot, but an interesting landing spot as a player with over 16,000 NBA points to his name reaches the twilight of his career.
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