Brooklyn Nets Receive: G JJ Redick, NOP 2022 1st Round Pick, UTA 2022 2nd Round Pick (via NOP)

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: G Spencer Dinwiddie, ATL 2021 2nd Round Pick

Three games into the season, Spencer Dinwiddie went down with a partially torn ACL and is now out for the rest of the season. As a result, the Nets are paying him $11.4M this season to essentially be “dead weight” on a championship caliber roster. 

Dinwiddie is a fantastic role player and was one of Brooklyn’s top players last season with KD and Irving out, but for a team competing for a championship, this $11.4M could be utilized elsewhere to aid them in their playoff push. While he is in the final years of his career, JJ Redick is still a tremendous threat from the perimeter and could be just the player the Nets need to push themselves over the edge in terms of offensive firepower. 

The only question is whether or not the Pelicans want a player like Spencer Dinwiddie, especially since he cannot help contribute to their playoff push this year and they would have to give up a first-round pick in the process for him. 

New Orleans is currently on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff picture and in the  second-half of the season, they are really going to have to work hard if they are to make the playoffs. Zion and Ingram cannot carry this team alone, which is why they could look to make a move elsewhere to bring in a third, high-level talent to help them win this year. 

RELATED: NBA Trade Rumors: Pelicans have gauged trade interest Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, JJ Redick

However, this move to acquire Spencer Dinwiddie could set them up for a lot of success moving forward. Lonzo Ball is in the final year of his contract and with his future up-in-the-air in New Orleans, as well as the future of veteran guard Eric Bledsoe, Spencer Dinwiddie could be a perfect fit for the Pelicans moving forward. 

This is a really tough decision for the Pelicans to make, especially since a playoff berth is potentially on the line here, but at the end of the day, even if they make the playoffs in the West, they will likely be defeated by a higher seed in the first-round. As a result, it could be beneficial for them to look to the future before trying to win now. 

There are definitely some advantages to making this trade for both teams, so let’s take a closer look as to why this trade makes sense for both the Brooklyn Nets and the New Orleans Pelicans.