Getty Kelly Oubre drives the ball in a game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA trade deadline came and went on March 25 without the Brooklyn Nets pulling the trigger on any trades. It wasn’t for a lack of effort on general manager Sean Marks’ part, though.
As it turns out, the Nets were ready to exchange players with one team last week.
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Nets Wanted Kelly Oubre
New York Times reporter Marc Stein reported on Tuesday that the Nets offered Spencer Dinwiddie to the Golden State Warriors for Kelly Oubre, the 25-year-old forward who is averaging 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds this season and is known for his excellent defense.
“Among the options they [the Brooklyn Nets] explored, I’m told, was sending Dinwiddie to Golden State for Kelly Oubre,” Stein wrote. “Golden State rejected those overtures because it is still desperate to make the playoffs.
“While numerous Oubre trade scenarios came up, Golden State was not going to trade him for someone who couldn’t help the team in the short term.”
Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers said as much during his appearance on KNBR’s “Murph & Mac” show on Monday.
“Fans can’t know — it’s not their fault. But there wasn’t an opportunity that would have made us better than having Kelly Oubre,” Myers said, via NBC Sports. “That’s the bottom line.
“Kelly Oubre gave us the best chance to win. And certainly we do want to win this year. There was no opportunity to win more than we would with him.”
Dinwiddie, 27, suffered a partially torn ACL in December and is a longshot to be available to play for the Nets again this season, though he hasn’t ruled himself out. He has $12.3 million player option for next season, but he’s reportedly expected to opt out and become a free agent.
Still, upon realizing he would not be traded by the Nets by the deadline, Dinwiddie reacted appropriately on Twitter.
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Nets Cash In on Buyout Market
Though they didn’t make any trades by the deadline, the Nets have been plenty active in the buyout market. Signing big names like Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, who have 13 All-Star Game appearances between them, have made the Nets the odds-on favorites in the Eastern Conference. It’s also created a narrative around the team, one that pits them as the villains of the NBA this season.
Brooklyn coach Steve Nash isn’t paying attention to that.
“I don’t hear it,” Nash said, via SNY. “I live in my Nets bubble, so I don’t know what anyone said about us, to be honest with you. I have no clue. I don’t know what to tell you. We traded for James Harden. We gave up some really good young players and draft picks — tons of them. We got two guys in the buyout market that are big names and have had great careers and are still able to contribute. It’s not like we did anything illegal. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do — not try to add to our roster and just sit pat? That’s the idea of this league, is to try to put together the best team that you can put together.”
“That stuff is not something that I really partake in. I’m kind of busy with the nuts and bolts here”
Steve Nash discusses the villain moniker the Nets have been given
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