The trading news for the Nets may not have been as impactful as the previous season, as they traded away both of their former star players in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but have made some trades that can help the team in the second half of the season.
The Nets had traded away their point guard in Spencer Dinwiddie and forward Royce O’Neale in return for players and trade picks. Dinwiddie averaged 12.2 points, six assists and 3.3 rebounds this season, while shooting 39% from the field. O’Neale averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7% from the field.
The Nets had acquired Dennis Schroder and Thaddeus Young from the Toronto Raptors. Schroder averaged 13.7 points, 6.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game, while also shooting at a very high 44.2% from the field. This was a great pickup for them, who had a struggling Dinwiddie on their squad. Schroder already made a big impact on the team in his debut, where he recorded 12 assists and 15 points off the bench, helping out in a blowout win over the Spurs.
Sending O’Neale out to Phoenix landed them with Kenta Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin and three future second-round picks. The Nets acquired additional assets as it was a three-way trade between the Nets, Suns, and Grizzlies. They had also acquired the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic.
While losing O’Neale was a big loss for the Nets on the court, they capitalized on his expiring $9.5 million deal by acquiring future picks which can benefit them in the long run.
According to Sports Illustrated, the Nets saved over $5 million this season and $111 million under the tax threshold. How these trades all translate on the court will remain to be seen, but it seems to be working beneficially in their favor after the performance by Schroder on Saturday.
