The NBA is a copycat league. Trends come and go. If one team is finding an advantage, other teams will want to have the same advantage. In recent years, 3-and-D wings have been all the rage, including Doran Finney-Smith.
To be sure, having a platoon of 3-and-D wings is an advantage. These players are multipliers – they can play with each other, and they can play with superstars. With that in mind, some have suggested that an NBA team can’t have too many 3-and-D wings.
The Brooklyn Nets are about to put that theory to the test. Between Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Royce O’Neale, and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Nets have an excess of this archetype. In time, they could look to move one of them for a more offensive-minded player. Could they flip Finney-Smith for a more offensive-minded player like Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks?
The Trade Proposal
Brooklyn Nets Receive: G/F Bogdan Bogdanovic
Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F/C Day’Ron Sharpe
We said 3-and-D wings were multipliers. We said they can play alongside superstars. That’s true. On the other hand, if you don’t have the superstar, you can’t rely on 3-and-D wings alone.
After all, when we talk about 3-and-D wings, we’re usually talking about players that can’t create their own opportunities. These are play finishers. Nobody would call Paul George a 3-and-D wing: he’s a shot creator who doubles as a 3-and-D wing. With that in mind, is Mikal Bridges a 3-and-D wing?
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets & Atlanta Hawks Updates
It’s hard to say. Bridges did flash some potential for creating shots after joining the Nets last year. On the other hand, he didn’t look like a first option on a contending NBA team. In time, the Nets will have to figure out what they have in Bridges. Would this deal help?
Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
The Nets are a difficult team to read. They’ve got a lot of talent, but it’s an odd assortment of players. They don’t own their own draft capital for the foreseeable future, but they do have plenty of draft capital. This team could go in any number of directions.
We suspect they’ll see what they’ve got with their current core in 2023-24. The Nets have the draft capital to trade for a superstar, but they may want to hold out for the right one. So, if the Nets are going to enter this season with win-now aspirations, they’ll need to tinker with their current roster.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets & Atlanta Hawks Updates
This feels like a good chance. Bogdanovic isn’t a superstar, but he can create his own shot. Meanwhile, Finney-Smith is expendable. All told, this is about diversifying their rotation for the Nets. What does it do for the Hawks?
Why The Atlanta Hawks Do The Deal
Meanwhile, the Hawks are almost the exact inverse of the Nets. They’ve got their star playmakers. Trae Young is one of the best in the NBA, and Dejounte Murray can make plays for himself and others too. On the other hand, they could use some 3-and-D wings.
DeAndre Hunter is solid, but he’s not enough. Perhaps that’s why the Hawks have been linked to plenty of defensive-minded wings throughout the offseason. Here, we’ve got them landing one without giving up the assets they’d have to in order to land a player like, for example, OG Anunoby.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets & Atlanta Hawks Updates
Why is Finney-Smith going to be cheaper? Well, his shot comes and goes. He’s not as reliable of a floor spacer as other 3-and-D wings. Still, he’s a solid, versatile defender who will help this team’s rotation. After all, you can’t have too many 3-and-D wings.
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