Jared Dudley did plenty of recruiting this offseason, even if it wasn't for his own team. The veteran forward spent a few weeks in limbo, questioning where he would land, and wound up doing most of his recruiting for the Brooklyn Nets, even if he didn't re-sign with the team.
The Boston College standout was already prepping his own coaches for the arrival of the trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, even if he landed on a different coast:
“I was talking to the Nets coaches. I was talking to DeAndre Jordan, selling him on Brooklyn even though I didn’t know if I was having to go,” Dudley told Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. “I knew the whole KD, DeAndre and Kyrie (Irving) was all like a little triple-package deal and so I was happy. I kind of helped prepare the coaches and training staff a little bit for those guys.”
Dudley doesn't regret recruiting for the wrong team, glad to give back to a franchise that once put its faith in him:
“I chose the Lakers instead, but I think this is an exciting time. I’m happy for Brooklyn,” said Dudley. “They deserve it. They worked their butt off. They did. They managed the organization right. And that’s true with D’Angelo. He worked his ass off and led our team to the playoffs; he deserves the max.”
Everyone is getting paid, including Jared Dudley, who will now have a chance to contend for a title in what's likely to be one of his last few seasons in the league.
