The Brooklyn Nets secured an impressive win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, but followed that up by improbably allowing 22 unanswered points to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon. The Nets blew a 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter, got outscored in the fourth 41-15, and wound up losing the game by a final score of 125-114.
That's a continuation of how things have gone for the Nets over the last couple of months. Brooklyn began the season on a strong note. Through a quarter of the season, they were 12-9 with a +3.6 net rating that ranked tenth in the NBA at the time. But things have gone terribly haywire since then. In their next 21 games, the Nets have gone 5-16 and have a net rating of -6.6. Only the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, and Charlotte Hornets have a worse net rating in that stretch.
This losing stretch could have a big impact on what the Nets do at the trade deadline. The Nets have been floated as a destination for some of the bigger names with the treasure trove of picks they've accumulated from the Suns and Mavericks for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but with them being 17-25 on the season and currently in tenth place in the East, it seems more prudent for them to sell. Luckily, they do have players teams are interested in as potential trade deadline upgrades for their roster. Two players on the Nets stand out as guys they should move before the 2024 trade deadline.
Dorian Finney-Smith
Dorian Finney-Smith was acquired by the Nets at the trade deadline last season when he came to Brooklyn as part of the Kyrie Irving trade. Finney-Smith has lived up to his billing as a three-and-d guy for the Nets since getting there, especially this season. Finney-Smith has shot a career-high 38.6% from three this season and is perenially a stout defender against the apex predator wings the NBA has to offer.
The Nets don't *have* to trade Finney-Smith, however; he still has two years left on his contract assuming he opts into his $15.3 million player option for the 2025-26 season. But Finney-Smith has plenty of value around the league because contending teams cannot ever have enough guys like Finney-Smith who can aptly defend the opposing team's best players without needing to send waves of help. The Nets may not be able to land a first-round pick for Finney-Smith, but a couple of seconds (or more) could be worth their while as they continue to accumulate assets for the future. He's a name worth monitoring.
Royce O'Neale
It's more likely that the Nets trade Royce O'Neale than they trade Finney-Smith. O'Neale and Finney-Smith are the same style of player but O'Neale has more of a track record as a shooter than Finney-Smith does. O'Neale has shot 38% from three for his career, while Finney-Smith is at 36%. Finney-Smith has a better rep as a defender, but O'Neale holds his own there as well.
The difference comes with their contracts. Finney-Smith still has a couple of years left on his deal, while O'Neale's contract expires after this season. O'Neale also makes a little less than Finney-Smith ($9.5 million), which makes a trade a bit easier and more feasible financially. With the Nets not being contenders, it would make sense for them to get anything they can for O'Neale before he becomes a free agent and leaves for nothing. Maybe that's just a second-round pick, though they probably can get multiple. Whatever it is, he seems like a prime candidate to get traded as it would make more sense for the Nets to trade him as opposed to losing him for nothing.
Follow Us
Subscribe