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Zach Buckley's proposal: Nets' potential trade with Warriors for Finney-Smith
The Brooklyn Nets delivered plenty of swings in the past trade deadline. As they adapted both the buyer and seller mode, they were able to convert Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale into significant returns in the form of Dennis Schroder, Keita Bates-Diop and three future second-round picks.
While they seemed to be satisfied with the last-minute transactions they made from these, Brooklyn might have wished to land another deal right now at the expense of Dorian Finney-Smith as noted by the Bleacher Report.
DFS to Dubs for young, rebuild assets
In an interesting piece written by Zach Buckley of B/R, he proposes that the Nets would’ve traded DFS to the Golden State Warriors for Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and a 2026 first-round pick (top-10-protected).
As it is, Buckley stated that this deal will ultimately redirect the Nets from contending to rebuilding, and the preparation for their future can be ignited by acquiring a young and rotation-ready piece in Moody, a project guard like Santos and a first-round asset that can be flipped for soon use.
“Shifting focus forward, then, should be the objective. This deal would take the team toward that direction. Between Moody, the No. 14 pick in 2021, and that future first-rounder, Brooklyn would have a real chance to leave this trade with at least two keepers. Plus, there's a possibility that Santos, a 21-year-old rookie, develops into at least a depth piece. (Payton's involvement here would be to merely make the money work.)”
Focus on future
While they’ll miss Finney-Smith’s 8.8 points and 4.8 boards averages together with his 3-and-D versatile production, Buckley argued that it would be much better if the Nets capitalize on the veteran’s value considering their tough spot as a fringe Play-In team. Although their picks are in the possession of the Rockets, Zach pointed out that Brooklyn’s focus should be on building their future.
“The Nets would miss Finney-Smith this season, but they haven't even nailed down a play-in tournament invite with him, so that feels like a small concession to make to gain multiple assets. While Brooklyn wouldn't benefit from dipping down the standings, since its first-round pick belongs to the Houston Rockets, it'd still be better off prioritizing tomorrow over today.”
