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The Brooklyn Nets shook up the NBA world when they acquired James Harden from the Houston Rockets for a hefty haul in January. Many wondered with all the talent on the roster how well Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Harden would mesh.
The Nets are sitting pretty at second place in the Eastern Conference, so the talent is meshing just fine. This summer the Nets could be potential suitors for yet another All-Star via the free-agent market.
Victor Oladipo To Test Free Agency
On Sunday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo recently declined a two-year extension that was offered to him by the team.
“Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo recently turned down a two-year, $45.2M contract extension, most the franchise is eligible to offer him now,” Woj tweeted on Sunday.
“No surprise Oladipo would pass on a two-year extension, nor that the Rockets would offer him the deal now. Oladipo wants a long-term deal, which Houston — and others — can offer after the season,” Woj said.
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Nets Have To Make a Decision About Spencer Dinwiddie
With Oladipo declining to re-sign with the Rockets before entering free agency one dark horse destination for the two-time All-Star could be the Brooklyn Nets, especially with their injured star Spencer Dinwiddie starting to come up in trade talks as the March 25 trade deadline approaches.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Detroit Pistons have shown interest in trading for the Nets’ star.
When Dinwiddie becomes a free agent at the end of the season it will free up over $11 million in cap space. Before his injury, Dinwiddie was months away from becoming eligible for a four-year $61.6 million extension. Suffering a partially torn ACL at the beginning of the season changed all of that.
Despite the injury, Dinwiddie has worked tirelessly to recover from the injury and still has not ruled out the possibility of returning this season to help the Brooklyn Nets capture their first title.
Before the injury, Dinwiddie was averaging 6.7 points per game on 37.5% shooting from the field in three games.
Oladipo Has Had Disappointing Season
As for Oladipo, the Houston Rockets guard has not been performing at the level many had hoped when he was traded from the Indiana Pacers. The 28-year-old is averaging 19 points per game on a career-low 39% from the field and Houston has a losing record of 5-8 when he steps on the court. Despite Oladipo’s disappointing start as a Rocket, Houston’s front office was willing to take a chance on the two-time All-Star and offered him the extension.
Per Woj’s report, the reason Oladipo declined was that he wanted to sign a max contract this summer which of course would mean more money. There is a flip side to that. As an elite player who has played for losing teams for most of his career, Oladipo may want to go to a team that is competing for a championship.
While Dinwiddie’s 2020-21 campaign was disappointing, him not ruling himself out for the season is a lot more valuable for any stat. In an era of load management, Dinwiddie is working tirelessly to return from one of the most gruesome injuries in sports. That shows just how committed Spence is to this Nets team and is something Brooklyn’s front office should consider when he hits free agency.
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