Spencer Dinwiddie Blasts Nets In Podcast Appearance
Spencer Dinwiddie doesn’t have many fond memories of his days with the Nets, especially his most recent go-round, writes Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily. In an appearance on the Run Your Race podcast hosted by former teammate Theo Pinson, Dinwiddie said the time he spent in Brooklyn left him “extremely scarred.”
The 31-year-old guard, who now plays for the Mavericks, recalled being acquired by the Nets at the 2023 trade deadline. He walked into a difficult situation after the team had just parted with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and needed a veteran presence to hold the young players together. Fans were turning against the organization and there was a feeling that more of its prominent players were on their way out.
“You asked me to do a very specific task, and I did it,” Dinwiddie said. “‘We need to stay in the playoffs. You need to help feature our trade pieces.’ ‘Okay, I will do what you ask of me.’ And then the reward that they gave me was, ‘we’re going to kick you out the door.’”
Dinwiddie was referring to being shipped to Toronto at the 2024 deadline after a tumultuous year in which he became a target of fan anger and reportedly clashed with coach Jacque Vaughn. Dinwiddie believes people in the Nets organization added to the negative reputation he developed during his time with the Wizards.
“To go back to a team that you spent like five years at, had a lot of success at, basically lead the league in assists because they asked you to help feature their trade pieces and whatnot,” Dinwiddie said, “and then basically kicked out the door — and for them to re-bring up the ‘cancer’ label because of what happened in [Washington] D.C., if another team doubles down on that, it effectively kills your career.”
The Raptors waived Dinwiddie immediately after the trade, but he was only out of the league for a couple of days before signing with the Lakers. After playing a bench role for the rest of the season in L.A., he moved on to Dallas this summer and is earning rotation minutes with the defending Western Conference champions.
Kaplan points out that the Nets gave Dinwiddie his first NBA opportunity when they signed him off Chicago’s G League affiliate in 2016. He became a fixture during a rebuilding process and remained with the team until the summer of 2021 when he agreed to a sign-and-trade that sent him to Washington as part of a five-team deal.
Dinwiddie covers some other ground during the podcast, including the surprising 2019 playoff run when he says, “We didn’t know the business enough to know that we were supposed to be bad” and the 2021 team with Durant, Irving and James Harden that Dinwiddie believes could have won a title if not for injuries.
However, Dinwiddie also believes that the Nets spread negative gossip about him around the league, even though Kaplan notes that the team never made any negative public statements. Kaplan adds that Nets officials refused to respond to Dinwiddie’s podcast comments.
“There was already things that were taking place while I was in Brooklyn the first time that you rise above, you get past, you’re learning the NBA, you’re a kid, you chalk it up as a learning experience,” Dinwiddie said. “But now you’re on the other side of that, and all the apologies and things for everything that happened the first time … I said, ‘Guys, listen, you remember what happened the first time. It was it was rocky the first time. Just, you know, please. Please, don’t, don’t do that.’”
New York Notes: Towns, Achiuwa, Claxton, Fernandez
Karl-Anthony Towns was outstanding in his return to Minnesota Thursday night, and the Knicks look like the clear winners of the trade that shook up the NBA just before the start of training camp, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Towns, one of the top players in Timberwolves history, was sent to New York in a three-team deal to get the Wolves out from under his pricey contract. He didn’t have anything negative to say about the franchise as he played in Minnesota for the first time since the trade, but his play spoke loudly as he racked up 32 points, 20 rebounds and six assists while shooting 10-of-12 from the field.
“I was here nine years. That’s a long time. I called this place home,” Towns said. “To be back here, to be able to sleep in my house one more time, it was really a nostalgic feeling.”
While Towns is making a strong case to be an All-Star starter, the trade hasn’t worked out nearly as well for the Wolves, Bondy adds. Julius Randle came out hot on Thursday with 15 points and three assists in the first quarter while directing numerous comments at the Knicks’ bench. However, he was mostly ineffective after OG Anunoby began guarding him and left without speaking to reporters. Donte DiVincenzo had 15 points in 25 minutes, but much of that came during garbage time as New York held a huge lead for most of the night.
“The game wasn’t just another game,” Towns said. “If anyone tells you otherwise that’s a lie.”
There’s more on the two New York teams:
- Josh Hart missed the game for personal reasons, marking the first time all season that the Knicks have been without one of their starting wings, according to Bondy. Precious Achiuwa made his first start of the season and delivered 13 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. Jericho Sims returned to the rotation and had six points in 18 minutes.
- Nets center Nic Claxton admits he needs to stay in control after being ejected Thursday for the third time this season, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Claxton got tossed when he threw the ball into the stands after being intentionally fouled by Kelly Olynyk on a drive to the basket. He appeared to be frustrated over a non-call on the previous possession. “I just had a mental lapse, and I just launched the ball in the crowd,” Claxton told reporters after the game. “And I can’t let my emotions get to that point. I got to be there for my team.”
- The Nets rallied for a win at Toronto that boosts their playoff chances but likely hurts their position in the lottery, Lewis adds. Coach Jordi Fernandez was happy that his players kept battling, as he wants their focus to be on remaining competitive rather than next year’s draft. “There was adversity, for many different reasons, but nobody dropped their shoulders, and they kept playing,” Fernandez said. “Winning a game like this, it’s important for us.”
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 12/17/2024
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Nets got enough in exchange for Dennis Schröder, Myles Turner's future in Indiana, the Bulls' price for Nikola Vucevic, the Knicks' options with Mitchell Robinson and more!
Pacific Notes: Beal, Durant, LeBron, Lakers, Huerter
Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic both returned Friday night, but the Suns may have a new injury concern, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bradley Beal was a late scratch for the game at Utah with swelling in his right knee. Coach Mike Budenholzer said he was added to the injury report after the knee issue began to develop between Thursday night and Friday morning. Beal was able to take part in a shootaround on Saturday, but he’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Portland.
“We’ve been in that situation already this season,” Devin Booker said of Beal’s absence. “It’s obviously a different game plan. You can’t replace what he does on the court, but everyone has to give a little bit more.”
Durant was able to play 34 minutes and compiled 30 points and eight assists after sitting out three games due to a sprained left ankle. He told reporters that the ankle felt “great” after the game as the team improved to 12-2 with him in the lineup.
“Of course his scoring, the iso plays, but his off the ball defensively,” Ryan Dunn said of what Durant brings to the team. “His leadership role as well. Just trying to motivate everybody to keep going.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers have provided some clarity regarding LeBron James‘ absence, saying it’s for “left foot injury management,” according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. James hasn’t played since Dec. 6 and has been away from the team for “personal reasons.” He has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s home game against Memphis.
- The Lakers are searching for answers for their sputtering offense after scoring just 87 points in Friday’s loss to Minnesota, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Price notes that the team has failed to score 110 points in eight of its last 10 games after reaching that mark 12 times in the first 15 contests. “Got to score,” Anthony Davis said. “Getting good looks. We haven’t been shooting the ball from three well. Just got to make shots. We’re getting great looks. We’re generating open threes, generating open looks for our guys. We just got to be confident enough to make them.”
- Kings guard Kevin Huerter suffered a minor AC joint sprain to his surgically repaired left shoulder Thursday night, relays Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The injury occurred on a foul by New Orleans center Yves Missi midway through the third quarter. Huerter is considered day-to-day, and his status for Monday’s game against Denver is uncertain. Huerter underwent surgery in March after dislocating the shoulder.
Atlantic Notes: George, Oubre, Cui, Knicks
Paul George‘s first season with the Sixers has been a disappointment so far, and not just because of the team’s 7-16 record, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Adding George in free agency was the team’s major move of the summer, but he has struggled to find his role in the offense since returning from an early-season injury. Joel Embiid‘s sinus fracture may force George to take on more of the scoring, but the Sixers have to find a way to get everyone involved when he, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are on the court together.
“I think just moving a little more, just finding my way of moving,” George responded when asked about improving his production. “Running the floor a little bit better. I think we got to allow each other to create space. So I have to cut to the nail sometimes to allow Tyrese to play in the open court, then I got to do it. But I think for sure, just more clarity for myself.”
Pompey states that George was virtually a “bystander” for much of Friday’s loss to Indiana, finishing the first half with just three points on three shots. Coach Nick Nurse acknowledged the need to get George more involved, but he said the Pacers’ aggressive defense disrupted his team’s normal attack.
“We weren’t very good in the first half,” Nurse said. “Some of the up-court pressure took us out of better execution, right? We really got to look at that and get better. It’s just full-court man-to-man, pick-up pressure. It’s not like it’s a trapping thing. It’s just you still got to be able to ball down the first and get into our stuff and execute stuff.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Although the Sixers are still in 12th place in the East, Kelly Oubre believes they have solved some of their early-season issues, Pompey adds in a separate story. “We’ve been taking strides in the right direction,” Oubre said after the team had its two-game winning streak snapped. “I think tonight was a little step back. But at the end of the day, we cannot define or determine us because we are getting better. Our last ten games have been really good for us. We just have to learn from this one. I wouldn’t say forget it or wash it at all because, obviously, we have enough of those losses that we can do that with, but every game is more and more important. We need to win these. So continue to stay confident and get back to who we are, figure that out, and keep getting better off of that.”
- The Nets will waive rookie wing Yongxi Cui to open up a two-way spot for Reece Beekman, who’s being acquired from the Warriors in the Dennis Schröder trade, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Cui will miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee.
- The Knicks‘ trade options will be limited this season because they’re about $500K away from their second-apron hard cap, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper considers Mitchell Robinson to be the team’s most valuable trade piece, as the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns may have made Robinson expendable.
Rockets Notes: NBA Cup, Udoka, Harden, Green
The Rockets were back on the national stage for the first time in several seasons with Saturday’s matchup against Oklahoma City in the NBA Cup semifinals, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston has become competitive again after four years of rebuilding, sitting in third place in the West at 17-9. Players were looking forward to the chance to compete in a high-stakes atmosphere, but the 111-96 loss indicates there’s still more work to be done.
“There’s always room to grow and get better,” said Fred VanVleet, one of the few members of the roster with a history of playing in big games. “You would like to learn by winning all the time and everything to be great, but that’s not reality. I think it’s a valuable experience being here with the stage and the way the NBA has kind of set up this game and this weekend. It has that playoff-style atmosphere, intensity.”
The Rockets and Thunder boast two of the NBA’s top defenses, which were both on display during an intense first half that ended with Houston holding a 42-41 lead. The Rockets couldn’t find enough shooting to keep up in the second half as several of their stars failed to produce. VanVleet and Jalen Green combined to shoot 8-of-29 from the field and 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. Alperen Sengun finished with 13 points after making just two of his first 10 shots as OKC packed the paint and dared Houston to shoot from the outside.
“It’s a playoff atmosphere, and everybody is playing to move on obviously,” coach Ime Udoka said. “So, you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game. Obviously when you look at the stats, look down the stat sheet, I would say Amen (Thompson) and Tari (Eason) really brought their ‘A’ game off the bench. Other than that, we really struggled, from the starters. You have to play better in certain situations like this.”
There’s more on the Rockets:
- Sam Amick of The Athletic looks at the culture change Udoka has brought to Houston, including a “no friends on the floor” philosophy that has made the Rockets one of the NBA’s most combative teams. Udoka’s direct approach with his players has been very effective in creating an identity. “For a young team, it’s amazing because it just sets a good … foundation for guys to grow and get better,” VanVleet said. “But I would say he earns that right too. … He’s not just motherf—ing guys for no reason. He earns that relationship and that trust as a leader every day leading the group, leading the coaches, leading the franchise.”
- One of the first major decisions the Rockets faced after hiring Udoka was whether to pursue free agent James Harden, who had expressed an interest in returning to Houston, Amick adds. Harden and his representatives met with Udoka in the summer of 2023, but it was determined that his best move was to sign elsewhere. “My main thing for us was, ‘What fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?’” Udoka said. “But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), ‘You’re at the stage where you want to win, and we’re not there yet.’ And it wasn’t just James. I had five, six veteran guys who went to championship-level teams who wanted to come (that summer), and I said the same thing to all of them.”
- Green spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the evolution of his game and how Udoka has challenged him to become more than just a scorer.
Bucks Notes: NBA Cup, Portis, Giannis, Lillard
The Bucks were motivated by last year’s failure as they headed into Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinals, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Favored to reach the title game in the league’s first in-season tournament last December, Milwaukee was surprised by an upstart Indiana team, and the players were determined not to let that happen again.
“We probably looked a little sharper this time around,” said Damian Lillard, who contributed 25 points and seven assists in Saturday’s win over Atlanta. “This time we came into it remembering our last experience. We came correct. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy playing against a good team, but we prepared, and it just felt familiar.”
Milwaukee appears to have fully turned around its season following a disastrous 2-8 start that led to speculation that major changes might be ahead. Saturday’s win was their third in a row, and their 14-11 record has them just two games out of third place in the East. According to Collier, coach Doc Rivers has been telling his team for weeks that it is capable of winning the NBA Cup.
“It’s a competition, man, and you want your team to be competitive,” Rivers said. “You want them to accept the challenge, that’s all I’ve been talking about. … That’s what I’m proud of for our guys.”
There’s more on the Bucks:
- Last year’s defeat helped seal the fate of first-year coach Adrian Griffin, who was ultimately fired at mid-season, notes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Bobby Portis delivered a fiery post-game speech that challenged his teammates and Griffin to become more focused and stop letting winnable games slip away. Portis recalled those remarks after Saturday’s game. “It went viral, man. It was everywhere,” he said. “But everything I do is for the good. I’ve been a leader my whole life. Just because you make it to the NBA and there’s guys (on your team) who are top 75 on your team doesn’t stop you from being a leader. The message was, ‘We need to get better at late-game execution. We need to get better down the stretch. We need to know what the f–k we’re doing down the stretch, have guys in the right spots, so we can get a good shot. The last five, six minutes is winning time.’”
- Giannis Antetokounmpo slipped out of the MVP conversation amid the team’s slow start, Amick adds, but the star forward offered more evidence on Saturday that he’s a serious candidate to pick up his third award. Antetokounmpo may be in the midst of his best season, Amick states, and he delivered 32 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the win over Atlanta, capping the performance with a spectacular block of Clint Capela late in the fourth quarter (Twitter video link).
- Antetokounmpo talked to Amick about his partnership with Lillard, which seems to be running much more smoothly in their second season together. Lillard has improved his shooting from the field and from three-point range, and he looks more like the dangerous scorer he was in Portland. “It takes time,” Antetokounmpo said. “You know, I feel like a lot of people had such high expectations from us on day one to be the best duo to ever play this game. But it takes time. Now it’s our second year playing together. We are more comfortable with one another, know one another’s spots better. And as you see, our chemistry has been getting way, way better. Down the stretch … we feel very, very comfortable we can both get to our spots and be more effective when we play that two-man game this year.”
Nets Notes: Schröder, Defense, Milton, Fernandez
The Nets’ impending trade of Dennis Schröder to Golden State could be the first step in tearing down the roster and focusing more on next year’s draft than this season’s win-loss record, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
There was an expectation that Brooklyn would be one of this season’s top tanking teams after regaining control of its 2025 and 2026 first-round picks in an offseason deal with Houston. There were concerns the Nets might be getting away from that strategy after a surprisingly strong start that has them in the midst of the East playoff race at 10-15, but the Schröder deal will likely accelerate a move down the standings.
Lewis points out that the loss of Schröder leaves the often-injured Ben Simmons as the only experienced point guard on the roster. De’Anthony Melton, who’s being acquired from the Warriors, is out for the season with a torn ACL, and the other options are shooting guards Keon Johnson and Shake Milton.
Schröder has been an important part of the Nets’ early-season success, averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists in 23 games. His performance, combined with affordable $13MM contract, made him an attractive trade target and minimized the chances that he would finish the season in Brooklyn. Before news of the deal leaked, Schröder talked to Lewis about being the subject of trade rumors.
“I’ve been in the league 12 years and people have talked about my name in trade talks for 12 years,” he said. “I’ve [only] been traded twice, so [gossip] is going to happen. They use it as an event where they can promote who is on the block. I don’t really care. But I’ve bought into this system right now because they pay my checks, and I’m doing my job every single day, and I’m always professional about it, always going to make the most out of it. Get 1 percent better every day. And whatever happens, happens. I understand it’s a business, but no worries here.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Defensive issues might have held down the Nets’ ceiling even if they had kept the roster together, Lewis states in a separate story. The team hasn’t improved its defense despite getting healthier, and it currently ranks last in opponent’s field goal defense and effective field goal percentage while being in the bottom five in other categories. “All the big bodies were in [Friday] and we still did a terrible job of protecting the rim. So it’s just something we got to figure out. We’ve all got to be on the same page,” Nic Claxton said. “I need to do a better job of protecting the rim. My blocks are down this year. But it’s on everyone, just being on the same page with our defense. Our defense isn’t good.”
- Milton is grateful to be playing regularly after logging just 27 total minutes after the Knicks signed him in March, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Cam Thomas‘ hamstring injury has created an opening for Milton, who’s playing nearly 25 minutes per night over the past nine games.
- More roster changes could be coming before the trade deadline, possibly involving Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, but head coach Jordi Fernandez isn’t focused on that, Reilly adds in another piece. “We love our group, I love my group, so I keep working with them every day going into the game like they are our group and they will be our group,” he said after Thursday’s practice. “Whatever happens, that I cannot control. I cannot be talking about it or worrying about it because that’s not, like you said, it’s not my job.”
Hawks Notes: NBA Cup, Johnson, Young, Daniels
Poor shooting late in Saturday’s game ended the Hawks‘ surprising run to the NBA Cup semifinals, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta had numerous chances in the fourth quarter with Milwaukee leading by a possession or two, but only managed to go 1-for-7 from the field in the final five minutes. The result was an eight-point loss that sends the Bucks to the finals, but coach Quin Snyder was happy with his team’s effort throughout the tournament.
“I think the story line for me is just how we compete, and that our consistency in that area is the most important thing that I think we have to do to continue to try to build an identity,” Snyder said. “And this was an opportunity this whole tournament, to play in some situations and some games against really good teams, and try to do that. And you find out about yourself. You find out when you’re in a game like this, you’re able to look back and say, we need to do this better. And we did this pretty well.”
Trae Young went on a scoring binge in the third quarter, posting 14 of his 35 points to make the game close. Despite the offensive heroics, Williams states that Young was most proud of his defense, as he repeatedly contested shots whenever Milwaukee tried to target him.
“The defensive end is going to get us where we really want to go, especially when where I want to go,” he said.
There’s more on the Hawks:
- Jalen Johnson‘s on-court growth is obvious — as he’s followed last season’s breakout by putting up even better numbers — but he has become a team leader as well, Williams adds in a separate story. Even though Johnson is only 22 and in his fourth NBA season, he has become one of the longest-tenured players on the team and he’s willing to speak up in huddles and provide tips to younger teammates. “I think we’re all a pretty tight-knit group,” he said. “We’re all relatively around the same age. That kind of helps, especially locker room-wise and team chemistry-wise. I think we’re doing a great job of just holding each other accountable. Nobody’s afraid to say anything to each other. We’re all open to constructive criticism. That’s sometimes tough. Everybody has an ego in their own way. We’ve done a great job of just listening to one another, and I think that’s what’s going to help us win at the end of the day.”
- Bucks head coach Doc Rivers sees improved chemistry in Atlanta, particularly involving Young, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The star guard has been accused throughout his career of being a poor teammate and a weak defender, but he seems to be outgrowing that reputation. “He’s earned the trust of his players,” Rivers said. “This team likes playing with him. That’s obvious. I couldn’t say that in the past, but now they love playing with him.”
- Dyson Daniels had no idea he was a candidate to be traded when he got a message from Pelicans general manager Bryson Graham that he had been sent to Atlanta, Jake Fischer writes in a Substack column. Although Daniels was surprised by the news, which was delivered while he was in Australia preparing for the Summer Olympics, the move to the Hawks seemed to unlock his game, putting him in the conversation for Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year. “I wasn’t happy with how I played my first two years in New Orleans,” he said. “I was playing tense. I wasn’t happy with how I was providing for the team. I was fueled by that. I wanted to get back to being myself and playing free.”
Warriors Notes: Schröder, Trade Talks, Kerr, Green, Curry, Wiggins
The Warriors expect their trade with the Nets to be finalized in time for Dennis Schröder to begin practicing with the team early next week and make his debut Thursday night in Memphis, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
The deal will reportedly send Schröder and a second-round draft pick to Golden State in exchange for the expiring contract of De’Anthony Melton, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, along with two-way player Reece Beekman and three second-round selections. It can’t be completed until Sunday when Melton becomes trade-eligible.
The two teams have been in sporadic trade talks for weeks, Slater adds. He confirms reports that the discussions at one point included a larger deal involving Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, but those negotiations fell apart. He hears that Golden State preferred a simple trade for Schröder, giving them much-needed scoring help without sacrificing any of their young talent. Schröder was the only player who had been discussed in the last few days, Slater adds.
Schröder, 31, is a veteran guard who brings plenty of playoff and international experience. He will run the offense whenever Stephen Curry is resting, but the Warriors also envision having them on the court together, according to Slater. Coach Steve Kerr has been running 11- and 12-man rotations for much of the season, but Slater points out that Schröder’s arrival is likely to mean reduced roles for Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and others.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Kerr, Curry and Draymond Green were all advocates for acquiring Schröder because they’ve faced his German team so often in international competitions, states Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link). The trade won’t prevent the Warriors from “big-game hunting,” according to Charania, who adds that the team remains “active in the hunt for a star player.” He also points out that Golden State can aggregate Schröder’s contract in another deal before the February 6 deadline if necessary. The Warriors have been prominently mentioned in Jimmy Butler trade rumors, but other desirable targets could become available.
- The Warriors weren’t happy about being knocked out of the NBA Cup with a controversial loss Wednesday at Houston, but it did give them a break in the schedule, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. They’ll have three days off following Sunday’s game against Dallas, which gives them the rare chance to concentrate on practice and film sessions. “I think it’s really beneficial for us to get some more practice time. During the NBA season it’s really hard to get really good practices in,” Kevon Looney said. “We get to work on all the execution things. The small things that we keep talking about on film. We can actually go out on the practice court and work on the kinks.”
- Curry and Andrew Wiggins are both listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest, Slater tweets. Curry is experiencing inflammation in his neck area, and Wiggins is dealing with adductor tightness.