As a rule, you should prioritize quality over quantity. With that said, NBA teams need to prioritize both. A rebuilding team should prioritize both quality and quantity.
After all, having a large quantity of young players gives you more bites at the apple. Sure, the end goal is to find quality players. With that said, having a large volume of young players makes it more likely that you’ll find those guys.
Take the Oklahoma City Thunder. Some of their young players don’t look like they’re fitting in. That’s fine – the Thunder have found their core. Still, players like Josh Giddey seem to be on the way out. Could they send him to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith?
NBA Trade Proposal
Brooklyn Nets Receive: G/F Josh Giddey, G/F Ousmane Dieng
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: F Dorian Finney-Smith
You may assemble a large quantity of young players. Eventually, you’ll likely need to consolidate your assets. Otherwise, your salary sheet is likely to get complicated.
Look at the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already on a max contract. His next deal will be a supermax. By then, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams will be on rookie max deals. This is already getting complicated.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Let’s pretend Giddey and Dieng were on pace. Would the Thunder be able to afford them? Wouldn’t they need to save some cap room for role players? Should they trade them both for a role player now?
Why The Oklahoma City Thunder Do The Deal
If Giddey were to work out, he’d likely be a ball-dominant playmaker. That’s not what the Thunder need. Between their star trio, the Thunder have enough offensive creation.
On the other hand, they could use a big 3-and-D wing. Finney-Smith meets that criteria. By plugging him into a scheme that’s anchored by Holmgren, the Thunder should have elite point-preventing potential.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Meanwhile, Finney-Smith is on a team-friendly deal that will expire by the time Holmgren and Williams need new deals. Finney-Smith could help the Thunder make a title run next season – should the Nets part with him?
Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
By contrast, the Nets won’t rebuild through young players. They can’t. The Nets owe their first-round picks to the Houston Rockets through to 2027.
So, they’ll need to eventually trade for a star. With that in mind, they could trade Finney-Smith for a first-round pick. At the same time, a pair of young players with star potential could be just as useful if they’re trying to trade for a superstar.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
in the meantime, they could use Giddey. Granted, his poor shooting makes it difficult for him to create in half-court sets. Still, Giddey’s floor vision is something that’s missing in Brooklyn. He’s a quality player in that regard.
