Jared Dudley seems to be enjoying his role in providing veteran leadership for the young Phoenix Suns. But he almost found himself with an Eastern Conference team a couple of years ago.
Dudley ultimately signed with the Suns in the summer of 2016 — his second stint in Phoenix — but he recently admitted, in a subtweet, that he almost agreed to join the Brooklyn Nets.
Never called the Nets trash! 😂 I almost went there instead of phx.. It was close https://t.co/2RTnEfUplz
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) January 10, 2018
Now in his 11th season in the league, Dudley is not expected to play a big role for the Suns anymore. He was brought in to be one of their veteran locker room leaders. His role now is to aide in the development of their young core, led by Devin Booker, Marquese Chriss, T.J. Warren, and Josh Jackson, among others.
In only 12.8 minutes of action through 16 games so far this regular season, Dudley is producing 3.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest which are still welcome contributions for the Suns' cause, considering the initial expectations out of the veteran.
Had Dudley signed with the Nets instead, he would have had the same role for them as a leader off the court. But it’s also possible that he could have been seeing more floor time for them this year, especially with the injuries their shooting guards and small forwards have suffered so far this season.
The Nets may have been a good fit for him as well. However, Jared Dudley may not want things to happen differently as he appears happy to be back with the team where he played his best basketball as a professional.
