Getty Ben Simmons (L) and Royce O'Neale of the Brooklyn Nets attend a game between the Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022 NBA Summer League
Amid the drama surrounding the surprise trade request of their franchise star, Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks may have made one of the best trades of the NBA offseason when he landed Royce O’Neale from the Utah Jazz. O’Neale averaged 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 38.9% from beyond the arc last season. After being traded by Utah in July, the newly acquired sharpshooter said he was ready to contribute in any way the team needed him to.
“[I’ll help] anyway I can. Just try to be the guy I’ve been doing, not be anyone I’m not. But I know what got me here and what’s going to keep me being here, so just learning any way I can and doing what I got to do offensively and defensively,” O’Neale said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
But O’Neale’s contribution for Brooklyn could increase more than originally thought. A new report from Brian Lewis of the New York Post suggests that he could fill the final starting spot for the Nets. A role initially designated for sharpshooter Joe Harris.
“The Nets’ fifth and final starting spot is almost assuredly going to come down to a choice between Royce O’Neale and Joe Harris — an offseason addition or the longest-tenured Net,” Lewis writes via the New York Post.
“And with the holdover nursing a sore foot that could keep him out of this preseason road swing, the newcomer could get an early head start toward claiming the job.”
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Steve Nash Calls Royce O’Neale ‘Great Addition’
At four years, $36 million, O’Neale gets paid significantly less by the Nets, compared to Harris’ four years, $75 million. But Harris’ availability over the last year and some change has been sporadic, to put it nicely. He only played 14 games last season after two ankle surgeries put him on the shelf.
O’Neale can provide the Nets with something that Harris can’t at this moment. That being consistency. Harris was expected to be available for the season opener, but a sore foot held him out of Brooklyn’s last preseason matchup against the Miami Heat. And although he expects to travel with the team for their final two games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, there is no guarantee that he will play.
Harris’ absence cracks the door open a little wider for O’Neale to slide into the final starting spot. Nets head coach Steve Nash says he will be a great addition to Brooklyn’s roster.
“Royce, he’ll be a great addition for us. Incredible IQ, feel for the game, both sides of the ball,” Nash told reporters via the New York Post. “He’s going to tie the room together on many occasions.”
Kyrie Sends High Praise to Royce O’Neale
Harris can scorch the nets, as he proved in his last full season, shooting 46.4% from beyond the arc in 2021. But O’Neale is also a threat from long range, as he shot 38.9% from deep last season. In addition, O’Neale is a much better defender than Harris, as he can affect most shots with his 6-foot-9 wingspan.
During this era of Nets basketball, Brooklyn has not had the luxury of a 3&D wing that can be a dual threat on offense and defense. O’Neale could be the answer to that problem. He has already received high praise from Nets star Kyrie Irving.
“He brings his intangibles to our team really well. We can utilize him on that wing to be a defensive stopper — which we know he is — but also add some dimension on offense being a space-out shooter,” Irving said via the New York Post.
“He moves well, plays the game well, being in that Utah system for a long period of time. Moving the ball is something drilled in their head. He fits well.”
With NBA opening night just over a week away, it will be interesting to see who earns the Nets’ last starting spot