Being traded is nothing new for Dennis Schröder, and the veteran guard tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that his approach to the game doesn’t change no matter where he plays. When the Raptors shipped Schröder to the Nets on Thursday, it marked his fifth team in the last three seasons. Brooklyn is in the same situation as Toronto, battling for a spot in the play-in tournament, and Schröder said he’ll do everything he can to help.
“It don’t matter what the circumstances are. I just want to win, and having that mentality of doing it as a team,” he said. “Having a leader out there and just talking to teammates, even if it’s a bad situation. I’m always trying to be straightforward with guys and I want people to be the same way with me. If they see anything, what I can do better, just call it out, and then we go from there. That’s how I’ve been my whole career, and it’s just for great intentions, just for winning basketball, and that’s what I try to bring in.”
Landing Schröder (along with Thaddeus Young, who has since been waived) in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie is a surprisingly good return for the Nets, Lewis adds, considering that Dinwiddie had been unhappy in Brooklyn and could have been considered a distressed asset. The Nets were able to add an experienced lead guard who can help with this year’s postseason push and is under contract for $13MM next season.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets took a “half-measure” approach to the trade deadline, opting for smaller deals instead of seeking to maximize the return for Mikal Bridges or Nic Claxton, observes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. The moves indicate that the organization values a chance to reach the playoffs this season and is committed to building around Bridges in the future, Sanchez adds.
- General manager Sean Marks explained that Thursday’s deals were made with a focus on what else the team may be able to do this summer and beyond, per Collin Helwig of Nets Daily. “I think we go into these days always thinking about future flexibility, try to maintain some level of sustainability when we’re looking at how does the team look this year,” Marks said. “How’s it gonna look in six months’ time from now? How’s it gonna look in three, four years? We’re looking way down the road and at what’s fitting with our timetable, fitting with the group that we’re envisioning that we will come back with this next offseason, and we’ll bring back as Nets in a year or two from here. I think we feel pretty good about it by adding the players that we obviously added and bringing those guys in, but at the same time you’re keeping some those draft assets as well. And again, that future flexibility.”
- With the Nets left shorthanded after the deadline deals, rookie Jalen Wilson made his first career start on Thursday and played nearly 40 minutes, Helwig adds in a separate story. “I give him an extreme amount of credit for using his minutes wisely and putting it in my mind that somehow, some way, I got to put him on the floor,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do as a player, to put that in the coach’s mind.” Helwig views Wilson as a strong candidate to have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal before the end of the season.
Outside of Ben Simmons returning to All-Star form what is the hope for this franchise’s recent future? They don’t have a 1st this yr if I’m not mistaken. Claxton is cool but they’re def lacking down low. Their top 2 scorers (Cam/Mikal) are both talented but not the type of guys you can rely on in the playoffs to carry your offense (unless Cam takes another leap next yr). Maybe they give Calipari a 2nd chance this summer & he brings in KAT or something
Why would KAT want to be traded to a team after he’s finally experienced winning in his career? I think they need to figure out their PG situation. MB and Claxton are strong pieces but they need a guard who can facilitate and score. I think they’re in between a rebuild and contention. Maybe they go after Fultz this off-season? Maybe they go and get another scorer? It’s a lot of questions this off-season for this team.
I think it would be moreso a thing of if Minnesota goes out early again they would have to look at moving KAT. Defense & Ant Edwards are their calling cards, maybe they consider a deal like Ben Simmons & a pick or 2 for KAT to replenish what they lost in the Rudy deal & to just further give the reins to Ant. Naz Reid can do a lot of what KAT does tbh & for abt a third of the cap hit. Brooklyn would try another Jersey guy, idk tbh the Nets don’t have much of a path to greatness anytime soon from what I can see. KAT/Mikal/CamT is an intriguing trio esp if Cam can become an all-star level scorer.. adding Markelle Fultz to a team with Ben Simmons prob isn’t the best idea as Philly found out a few yrs back
I don’t see Minnesota moving KAT. I think Brooklyn needs to identify some of the stars in the league rather than trying to assemble the infinity stones like previously. NYK showed you that you don’t need to hit a home run in FA and you can build a contender with getting the right scheme of players and building the culture within.
Targets I would look next year: Josh Giddey, Davion Mitchell, and maybe even kick tires on one of the guards from Portland?
Yeah Brooklyn are in abit of a tough spot.
I really really hope Ben can return but I just don’t see it happening anytime soon and you can’t build with him. I like the Schroder move, I like Cam Thomas but he also has big holes to his game too. Without their own draft pick it’s hard to see how they get better without bing things up. I guess you have to try get lucky bringing someone in and then takes a massive leap in a bigger role.
I’d look into Jalen Green. Think he could possibly help be a go to option of offence with Bridges and Cam providing more spacing that what he’s currently got in Houston.
Another player Zach LaVine could definitely be there number 1 option on offence and lead the attack for them but you’d have to part with Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas at a minimum and hope Chicago value that.
As for free agents I’d look into Markelle Fultz, he showed goods signs of progression in Orlando from his Philly days. Never going to live up to that number 1 pick status but could turn into a good starter nonetheless. Even Josh Giddey I’d look into him, big tall and strong. Can direct the offence around and hold his own defensively.
Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas for Zach LaVine
Markell Fultz for DFS via a sign and trade
Then fill out with some FA’s:
JaVale McGee (good mates with Mikal and Cam from their time in Phoenix)
Precious Achiwura (trains with Brickley based in NY, doing well with Randle out, would add size and strength)
Max Christie (good invest and worth developing)
Gives you
Fultz LaVine Bridges Johnson Claxton
Schroder Christie Whitehead/KBD Precious McGee
Fultz is a FA, Brooklyn wouldn’t need to make that deal involving a S&T. They can sign him outright this July.
BKN’s balance sheet of future assets isn’t bad at all.
No FRP this year hurts, mostly because it figures to be in the lottery. Still, it’s considered a weaker draft, and they like their 2 FRPs last year, and have a boatload of FRPs from 2025-2029, including 3 more unprotected PHX picks, and 1 unprotected DAL pick.
No cap space this summer, but in 2025 they figure to have well over 50 mm to do a reset. That assumes they re-sign Claxton, which they need to do, and avoid any other large multi-year deals. They’ll still have their set of big 2 way wings age 30 and under on team friendly contracts. Along with Claxton, and the cap space, it shouldn’t be hard to put together a good younger team with playoff upside. Maybe they can even fit 2k’er legend Cam Thomas into the equation. Simmons, they’ve probably given up on as a player, and will treat as an expiring deal next year.