Nets fans were expecting general manager Sean Marks to reach for a star guard like Dejounte Murray or D’Angelo Russell ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. The team took a more conservative approach instead, first shipping off a seemingly disgruntled Spencer Dinwiddie to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Dennis Schröder and Thaddeus Young, league sources confirmed to the Daily News.
Young won’t stay on the Nets’ roster since the team intends to waive the veteran.
Dinwiddie began his second NBA stint with the Nets last season after the Dallas Mavericks traded him, Dorian Finney-Smith and future picks to Brooklyn as part of the Kyrie Irving deal. The 30-year-old started 48 games this season, averaging 12.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists on abysmal 39.1/32.0/78.1 splits.
Some drew conclusions throughout this season that Dinwiddie did not want to be a Net, citing different examples of poor body language and, at times, uninspired play. If Brooklyn was unable to trade Dinwiddie by the deadline, there was a rumor floating around social media on Wednesday night that he would be bought out. However, Dinwiddie debunked those rumors himself, saying that they were not true.
And while Dinwiddie was in the social media spotlight, he also said he has “never been a quitter” and everyone within the Nets’ locker room wanted to win.
The Athletic reported that Dinwiddie will be waived by Toronto to avoid paying a $1.5 million bonus in his contract for games played, so the buyout market is ultimately where he landed.
Dinwiddie will be replaced in Brooklyn’s rotation by Schröder, an 11-year NBA veteran who was the MVP of the FIBA World Cup last summer as Germany went undefeated and won gold. He has one year left on his current deal worth $13 million. He started 33 games for the Raptors this season, averaging 13.7 points and 6.1 assists on 44.2/35.0/85.2 splits.
Young, 35, was on an $8 million expiring deal and was slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He was traded to Toronto two seasons ago and has also had stints in Philadelphia, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Indiana, Chicago and San Antonio. The 6-8 forward has appeared in just 23 games this season.
Shortly after the Dinwiddie-Schröder swap was announced, The News confirmed forward Royce O’Neale would be heading to the Phoenix Suns as part of a three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
O’Neale, who was traded from the Utah Jazz to Brooklyn last season, averaged 7.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists across 49 games this season, primarily as a reserve.
The full details of the trade are still murky, but as the Nets now look to open up roster spots with the Suns reportedly sending out three players on minimum salaries, Harry Giles III was the first casualty.
Giles, who returned to the NBA this season after missing the previous two, has been waived by Brooklyn. He appeared in just 16 games this season and has not been playing meaningful minutes in recent weeks, even with Finney-Smith and Day’Ron Sharpe injured.
