Brooklyn Nets Receive: G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Davis Bertans, 2024 FIrst-Round Pick (DAL)
Dallas Mavericks Receive: G/F Ben Simmons
What’s that, Brooklyn Nets fan? You’re not moved by Tim Hardaway Jr.? Can we interest you in Davis Bertans?
Hardaway Jr. is probably the better player, but he’s also coming off of a major injury. Bertans is one of the more reliable floor-spacing bigs in the NBA. This deal still improves the Nets relative to a Ben Simmons who doesn’t play.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks add another playmaker. They’re undeniably taking a risk here. Forfeiting a first-round pick for a player who may never take the floor is particularly worrying. Still, it’s a fairly minimal cost for a version of Simmons who’s healthy and ready to play.
The Brooklyn Nets are in a tough spot. They’ve got a recent number one overall pick who is either unwilling or unable to play basketball.
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They are without their own first-round pick for the foreseeable future: there is no incentive to lose. They need to get value out of Simmons, one way or another.
It may end up being that an underwhelming package is the most they can hope for.
