Dennis Schröder

New York Notes: Schröder, Hurley, Knicks’ Targets, Lowry, Morris, Irving

June 11th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder would like to stay put for a change.

After playing his first five seasons with Atlanta, Schröder has worn six different uniforms since the 2018/19 season. Schröder has one year left on his contract at $13MM but he could be packaged by the Nets in a trade. He hopes that won’t happen, NetsDaily.com relays via an interview with Germany outlet Braunschweig Zeitung.

“Brooklyn is a really cool, great organization, quite family-oriented,” he said. “I’d definitely like to stick around for the long haul — My agent and I feel like the Nets liked how I contributed. I’ve brought in more defense, teamwork and displayed leadership, but if someone as exceptional as Giannis Antetokounmpo or another superstar wants to join Brooklyn, the Nets could make deals to acquire that player … and that’s why nothing is certain in the NBA.”

There’s no evidence that the Bucks superstar wants to be dealt, but Schröder’s $13MM expiring contract could be a useful salary-matching piece in a major trade.

We have more from the New York teams:

Dan Hurley spurned the Lakers but he could eventually accept an NBA job closer to home, East Coast-based Adam Zagoria tweets. According to Zagoria, there’s plenty of speculation that the UConn coach will one day coach the Knicks or Nets.
The Knicks could have access to the $12.9MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5.2MM taxpayer exception, depending on how things shake out over the next few weeks. What players might they look at? The Athletic’s Fred Katz explores that topic, listing 10 potential targets such as Kyle Anderson, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. He also notes that Kyle Lowry was on the Knicks’ radar after his buyout with the Hornets last winter before the 38-year-old guard signed with Philadelphia.
Markieff Morris was part of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks last season. The Mavericks forward said Irving wanted out of Brooklyn for a simple reason — he wanted to get paid, and the Nets weren’t willing to give him the sort of deal he wanted. “It was time for his contract extension, the two sides didn’t meet up, business got involved, and that’s what happened. That’s how it goes,” Morris told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I think Kyrie was averaging about 27 [points per game] at the time. I think we won 18 out of 20 and all of a sudden the business got involved. That’s how it goes sometimes. A guy of Kyrie’s stature, I wouldn’t be standing for that either. Get me up out of there.”

International Notes: Germany, Italy, FAs, Carmelo, NBL, J. Parker

June 4th, 2024 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

The German national team, winner of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, has officially announced a 16-man preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics, as Eurohoops relays.

The 16-man group features all 12 players who were part of the World Cup roster, including veteran NBAers like Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, and Daniel Theis. Four additional players will also be competing for spots on the 12-man Olympic squad: Oscar Da Silva (Barcelona), Leon Kratzer (Paris), Louis Olinde (ALBA Berlin), and Nick Weiler-Babb (Bayern Munich).

Meanwhile, the Italian national team has announced a far more expansive preliminary roster, identifying 30 players who will be in the mix for spots on the 12-man squad that will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico this summer.

As previously reported, Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio won’t be part of Italy’s 2024 roster since he’s recovering from toe surgery. However, as Eurohoops notes, the 30-man group features a handful of names that will be familiar to NBA fans, including Bucks forward Danilo Gallinari and former NBA players such as Nico Mannion and Nicolo Melli.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the international basketball world:

Could Gallinari or Furkan Korkmaz end up signing with a European team when their NBA contracts expire this summer? Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops identifies 10 NBA free agents, including Gallinari and Korkmaz, who are potential candidates to make their way overseas in the coming weeks or months.
Carmelo Anthony has been named the Global Ambassador for the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program, Australia’s top basketball league announced on Monday in a press release. Like TNT analyst Kenny Smith, who was named the head of the Next Stars initiative back in April, Anthony will also join the ownership group of an NBL expansion team. The 10-time NBA All-Star spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his decision to get involved with the NBL and his goal of eventually owning a stake in an NBA franchise.
Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker, who last played in the NBA in January 2022 and spent the 2023/24 season with FC Barcelona, teared up when asked in a media session about his first year playing outside of the U.S. (Twitter video link via BasketNews). As Marc Mundet relays (via Twitter), the former NBA forward explained later why he became overcome with emotion. “It was all happiness,” Parker said. “It was gratitude for this organization for giving me an opportunity. … Because of this place, I found my love for the game again. I wasn’t sure if I would play basketball again, but because of FC Barcelona, the fans, my teammates, my coaches, my friends here, I’ve found that love again and that passion.”

Nets Notes: Schröder, Simmons, Clowney, Walker, Tsai

April 12th, 2024 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets will have a decision to make a point guard this offseason, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Ben Simmons and Dennis Schröder, both of whom have been starters this season when healthy, will be entering the final year of their respective contracts. And while Simmons’ $40MM cap hit may ensure he remains in Brooklyn, it has been Schröder who has taken on a leadership role since being acquired at the trade deadline.

“He was a leader right when he got in,” interim head coach Kevin Ollie said. “He brings a championship mentality. … He just has a natural ability to lead, ability to win. You know winners when you see them. They hold everybody accountable, but they make themselves full of accountability, too. That’s what he did first and foremost.”

Schröder has been the healthier of the two players, making more appearances since being dealt to the Nets in February (29) than Simmons made all season (15) before undergoing back surgery last month. That track record of good health, along with his $13MM expiring contract, would make him easier to trade this summer than Simmons, who is still on a max deal. But Schröder has expressed a desire to stick with the Nets, as Lewis relays.

“I always want to be stationed somewhere where people show me appreciation,” he said on Wednesday. “And I felt that from the first day — people reaching out to my family, to my wife, to my mom. That shows, OK, they really [want me]. And the playing style, as well, I like. They trust me, in what I am capable of. … I know the business side of it as well. So, I’m not taking anything emotional or personal. I know how it is. But at the end of the day, of course I want to stay here.”

Here’s more out of Brooklyn:

Nets center Noah Clowney continues to make a positive impression in his late-season audition for a larger role next season, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Making his second career start on Wednesday, the rookie big man racked up a career-high seven blocks to go with 10 points and seven rebounds in a win over Toronto. Ollie lauded the Nets’ G League coaching staff in Long Island for preparing Clowney to contribute at the NBA level. “I think they just did a great job coaching him, putting him in situations down there so when we got him he was already set,” Ollie said. “He knew exactly what we wanted to do, how he can perform, and he came in ready.”
Even with the Nets battling a series of injuries, Lonnie Walker has been a DNP-CD in two of the team’s past four games, according to Collin Helwig of NetsDaily, who believes Walker’s inconsistent role throughout the season signals that the two sides will go their separate ways when the veteran swingman becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.
NetsDaily passes along some notable quotes from a recent Joe Tsai podcast appearance in which the Nets’ owner discussed how he got involved in the NBA, his impressions of the league’s economics, and why it’s “absolutely fun” to control an NBA franchise.

New York Notes: DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Thomas, Nets’ Team Meeting

March 18th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Donte DiVincenzo always feels like he has something to prove when he faces the Kings, and Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t want that to dominate his shooting guard’s thoughts heading into Saturday’s game, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. DiVincenzo played for Sacramento at the end of the 2021/22 season, but his time with the organization ended when the Kings withdrew his qualifying offer a few days into free agency. Thibodeau talked with DiVincenzo before the game to make sure that wouldn’t affect his decision-making.

“Not like anything crazy. Just something quick,” DiVincenzo said. “Just a reminder, don’t get too locked in — because everyone knows you want to try so hard to beat your former team, stick it to them. But at the end of the day, when I’m at my best I’m focused on this locker room and making the right plays.”

Bondy notes that DiVincenzo will have a much friendlier reunion tonight with the Warriors, who helped him reestablish his market value last season. He spent one year with Golden State before landing a four-year, $46.9MM deal with the Knicks, and he still communicates with many of his ex-teammates.

“I watch a lot of their games because they’re on the West Coast, so we play our game and they’re usually on afterwards,” DiVincenzo said. “Keep in touch with a lot of those guys. That’s pretty much it. It’s just a personal relationship rather than — there’s no like extra motivation or anything like that.”

There’s more on the NBA’s New York teams:

The Knicks‘ stifling defense will get a significant test against the Warriors, Bondy states in a separate story. Helped by the return of OG Anunoby and a league-wide decision to permit more contact, New York has held teams to 94 or fewer points in five straight games. The Knicks will have to get by tonight without Anunoby, who will miss the game due to “injury management” for his right elbow, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.
High-scoring guard Cam Thomas wasn’t on the court for a crucial possession when the Nets needed a basket late in Sunday’s loss at San Antonio, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. During a timeout prior to the play, interim coach Kevin Ollie replaced Dennis Smith Jr. with Cameron Johnson, who misfired on a three-point attempt. “I guess they thought that was the best lineup to get a three off. So, you know, it was a good look. He just missed it…” Thomas said. “I mean, it is what it is. I mean if he made it, we wouldn’t be here right now talking about if I was in the game or not. But you know, it is what it is. You can’t get it back; you just gotta move on to the next game.”
The Nets held a players-only meeting after Saturday’s loss in Indiana, but they couldn’t hold onto a late lead against the Spurs, Lewis adds in another piece. “We’ve just got to close out the last couple, six minutes better,” said Dennis Schroder, who Lewis hears was one of the leading voices at the meeting.

Pacific Notes: D-Lo, Schröder, Curry, Kings, Hyland, Harden

March 15th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Rory Maher

While D’Angelo Russell had some good moments for the Lakers in last year’s playoffs, he also struggled mightily in the Western Conference Finals against the eventual champion Nuggets, leading to him being benched in Game 4 in favor of Dennis Schröder, a superior defender who had a preexisting relationship with head coach Darvin Ham. Russell, on the other hand, was acquired in a trade last February, meaning he’d only known Ham for a few months.

Russell claims he was “the scapegoat” for that series, which saw Denver sweep Los Angeles, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“(Schröder’s) relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin,” Russell said. “When I was struggling, I would’ve been able to come to the coach and say, ‘Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it.

“And we got swept and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.”

As McMenamin writes, Russell initially wasn’t enthusiastic about re-signing with L.A. as a free agent last summer, apparently in part due to the presence of Schröder. But on the first day of free agency, the Lakers wound up signing Gabe Vincent and Schröder signed with Toronto (he has since been traded to Brooklyn). Russell inked a two-year deal with the Lakers the following day.

The Lakers and Russell reached a compromise on that contract — he got a player option for 2024/25, but he also waived his ability to veto a trade.

Russell was featured prominently in trade rumors for months leading up to last month’s deadline, McMenamin notes, but the Lakers wound up keeping him because he’s been playing so well of late — since January 13, a span of 27 games (36.1 MPG), the 28-year-old is averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.4 APG and 3.2 RPG with a highly efficient .472/.452/.840 shooting line.

If he maintains that level of play in the postseason, Russell could very well decline his $18.7MM player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent again in 2024.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

For his part, former Lakers guard Schröder said he was confused by Russell’s comments, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I don’t understand it,” the German veteran said. “But at the end of the day, it just shows off immaturity. You’re not really mature if you’re just keeping somebody’s name in his mouth and just running it. I don’t understand.” Ham also responded to Russell’s comments from McMenamin’s article, saying their relationship “is in a great place,” as Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays in a Twitter thread. “We have great conversations,” Ham said. “Great text exchanges after games. During the game our in-game conversations. … It’s tough. That’s why the phrase is called ‘building a relationship.’”
The Warriors expect star guard Stephen Curry to return to action on Saturday vs. the Lakers, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Curry, who has missed the past three games with a right ankle sprain, said “that’s the plan” when asked if he was going to suit up tomorrow, per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda (Twitter link).
Kings guard Keon Ellis was in the starting lineup the past two games, and his defense on Damian Lillard and Russell was critical in both victories, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Sacramento knows it needs to continue to play strong defense to have a shot at advancing out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, Patterson adds.
The Kings are now 6-0 when Ellis starts. Will he continue to start going forward? Head coach Mike Brown sounded pretty skeptical about that possibility, per James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter video link). However, Brown said the second-year guard could finish games at times, similar to Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Malik Monk.
With James Harden out with a shoulder injury, Clippers guard Bones Hyland made the most of his opportunity in Thursday’s victory over the Bulls, observes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Hyland, who was often left open due to the attention paid to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, recorded 17 points (on 6-of-9 shooting), 11 assists, five rebounds and four steals in 32 minutes. Harden will miss his second straight game on Friday, though head coach Tyronn Lue said the former MVP is “feeling better,” tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.

And-Ones: Stackhouse, Schröder, 2024 Mock, Mayo, Adams

March 14th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse, a former NBA player and assistant coach, is not expected to return as the Commodores’ head coach, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein (Twitter link).

According to fellow college insider Jeff Goodman (Twitter link), Stackhouse’s buyout for Vanderbilt was “extremely high.” As Goodman points out, Vanderbilt signed Stackhouse to a contract extension after the team played its way to the NIT quarterfinals last season.

Stackhouse finishes his coaching career at Vanderbilt with a 70-92 record in five seasons with zero NCAA Tournament appearances. Before being hired Vanderbilt, Stackhouse was an assistant coach for the Raptors in the 2015/16 season and the Raptors 905’s head coach from 2016-18. He was also an assistant for the Grizzlies in the ’18/19 season. He has been linked to NBA head coaching jobs in the past.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Nets point guard Dennis Schröder, 30, isn’t planning to stop playing professional basketball anytime soon, according to Eurohoops.net. Schröder sees himself playing for at least another decade and eventually returning to play in Germany at the tail end of his career. The same goes for his stint with the German national team, according to Eurohoops. “I have the feeling that I want to stay there for a long time, like Dirk Nowitzki back then,” Schröder said. “I can realistically assess if and how I can still help the team.”
With conference tournament play underway, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman provided his latest 2024 NBA mock draft. Alexandre Sarr to the Wizards, Zaccharie Risacher to the Pistons and Reed Sheppard to the Spurs are his top three projected picks. Indiana’s Kel’el Ware and UConn’s Stephon Castle are some of the biggest risers, while potential top pick Nikola Topic falls to seventh to the Spurs in Wasserman’s mock.
Former NBA players O.J. Mayo and Jaylen Adams are signing in China with the Liaoning Flying Leopards, according to Sportando. Mayo had been previously playing in Egypt, while Adams just wrapped up the NBL season in Australia. Mayo, the third overall pick in 2008, played eight NBA seasons (2008-16), averaging 13.8 points. Adams has two seasons of NBA experience, playing with Atlanta (2018/19) and Milwaukee (’20/21), averaging 2.7 points in his career.

Atlantic Notes: Hield, Randle, Robinson, Anunoby, Schröder

March 13th, 2024 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

After starting his first 13 games with the Sixers, Buddy Hield has come off the bench in back-to-back contests in New York on Sunday and Tuesday. As Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) writes, Hield told reporters after Sunday’s game that he has no complaints about the adjustment to his role.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be permanent or not, but sometimes change is good,” Hield said. “… All these guys have started or come off the bench, so it’s not like a big problem. … We’re NBA players, and we figure out how to adjust.”

As Hield alluded to, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse has been experimenting with different starting lineups for much of the season. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris are the only three players on the roster who have started every game they’ve appeared in this season, and Embiid is currently on the shelf with a knee injury. In total, 18 different Philadelphia players – including 13 who are currently on the roster – have started at least one game in 2023/24.

Hield has averaged over 25 minutes per contest in his first two games off the bench, playing well in a 16-point outing on Sunday and struggling a little with his shot in a 4-of-11 performance on Tuesday. He expressed confidence on Sunday that he’ll continue to be productive even if he’s part of the second unit.

“It’s not about starting all the time,” Hield said. “As long as I go out there and get quality minutes to help this team win, that’s all that matters. I’m going to play my role.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau provided minor injury updates on Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) on Tuesday, telling reporters – including Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter links) – that Randle is working in “controlled” contact situations, while Robinson is running, jumping, and making “really good, steady progress.” Thibodeau didn’t offer a timeline for Randle to move on to 5-on-5 work.
While the Knicks continue to wait on Randle and Robinson, forward OG Anunoby (elbow) played on Tuesday for the first time since January 27 and provided a reminder of his importance to the team, says Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks outscored Philadelphia by 28 points in Anunoby’s 29 minutes and his teammates benefited on both ends of the court from his presence on the floor, Bondy notes.
Since joining the Nets at last month’s trade deadline, Dennis Schröder has averaged 14.6 points and 5.9 assists in 14 games and has improved the club’s ball movement, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Count center Nic Claxton among those who have been impressed by Schröder’s impact. “He really just, he treats the game right,” Claxton said on Tuesday. “He’s a true competitor, and he holds everybody accountable. He’s a winner. He has really good work habits, he works on his body a lot. … It’s tough being thrown in at the middle of the season, but it’s all starting to come together.”

Nets Notes: Vaughn, Bridges, Wilson, Schröder

February 19th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets fired Jacque Vaughn this morning, a quick turnaround for a coach who signed a four-year contract at around $5MM per year last year, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, as Fischer writes, Vaughn wasn’t initially the team’s preferred candidate — that was now-Rockets coach Ime Udoka. Players losing confidence in Vaughn and the Nets losing 18 of their previous 24 games spelled the end of his tenure in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn plans to pursue stars to pair with two-way wing Mikal Bridges, for whom the franchise has repeatedly turned down trade packages of first-round picks. Fischer notes that Damian Lillard had interest in teaming with Bridges last offseason, which is as an indication that other star players could follow suit in the future. With current players upset by the structure of the offense, per Fischer, the Nets felt it was best to stay as appealing as possible to outside free agents.

According to both Fischer and SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter video link), there’s rising speculation that general manager Sean Marks could soon be out the door. While Fischer acknowledges Marks’ high standing with Nets governors Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, both note Vaughn is the third coach hired and fired by Marks.

Even though he wasn’t their first option last year, the Nets gave Vaughn the luxury of filling out most of his staff, something that is becoming less common. Kevin Ollie will be given the chance to make an impression as the interim head coach, though Fischer names Mike Budenholzer and James Borrego as potential options for the permanent job after this season.

We have more from the Nets:

Vaughn issued a statement to ESPN after he was dismissed this morning, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). “To Joe Tsai, Clara Wu-Tsai, Ollie Weisberg, Sam Zussman, Sean Marks and front office, Nets coaches, staff, players, BSE family and the entire Brooklyn borough: It was a pleasure being your Head Coach,” Vaughn’s statement reads. “I hope each individual I interacted with felt respected and valued. Just know I gave you everything I had every single day. Onto the next chapter. Amor Fati.“
Jalen Wilson, on a two-way contract with Brooklyn, made his first big in-game impression on the Nets when he recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds while getting to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Dec. 27 loss to Milwaukee, The New York Post’s Andrew Crane writes. Wilson’s role has been steadily increasing as of late, and he’s played the final six minutes of the fourth quarter in each of the Nets’ past four games. Moving Royce O’Neale at the deadline opened up some minutes for the 6’8″ power forward, and he’s averaging 7.8 points in 25.8 minutes over his past five games while shooting 69.2% on his threes.
The Nets acquired veteran point guard Dennis Schröder at the deadline from the Raptors and he’s immediately taking on a big role for his new team. Though his scoring average is down, Schröder is playing 25.3 minutes in his first three games with the team, including one start. In a subscriber-only story, Brian Lewis of the New York Post breaks down what Brooklyn is hoping to get from the vet and what the club can do for him.

Nets Notes: Schroder, Bates-Diop, Smith Jr., Future

February 11th, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder had a splashy Nets debut on Saturday. The veteran point guard racked up 15 points and 12 assists in a 20-point win over San Antonio after he was acquired in a trade with the Raptors.

“He was able to show his ability to be a point guard on the floor,” coach Jacque Vaughn said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Whether that was getting plays from me on the fly, organizing and getting our group into good sets, and just the overall feel of understanding the flow of the game, what’s needed. You saw his ability to have a toughness about him, whether that was guarding [Victor Wembanyama] or guarding other perimeter guys.”

We have more on the Nets:

Forward Keita Bates-Diop saw four minutes of action on his Nets debut on Saturday, Lewis notes in a separate story. He was acquired from the Suns in the Royce O’Neale trade. “Keita brings high IQ, intellect guy that’s still getting better. We’ll be able to see how he can impact on both ends of the floor,” Vaughn said. “We got a chance to play against him the first time in Phoenix, so knowing he’s been able to fit into systems and be able to space the floor but also be a traditional big, just because he does have a high IQ.”
Dennis Smith Jr. got a scare on deadline day when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted he would be going to Toronto in a trade. That tweet was quickly corrected but Smith’s phone blew up with messages afterward, James Herbert of CBS Sports writes. Smith didn’t want to be on the move. “I ain’t even get no pregame nap that day. You know what I’m saying? I ain’t even take no nap. I was sick,” Smith said. “I went outside, took a little walk, just tried to decompress real quick. But it was crazy. It was crazy.” Nets assistant GM Andy Birdsong called Smith to assure him he was staying put.
In the aftermath of the Nets’ moves, Lewis took a deep dive on what the future approach might be. They have seven tradable first-round picks to find another high-impact player to pair up with Mikal Bridges and should be in position to re-sign Nic Claxton while also having the mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception at their disposal this offseason.

Nets Notes: Schröder, Bridges, Marks, Wilson

February 10th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Being traded is nothing new for Dennis Schröder, and the veteran guard tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that his approach to the game doesn’t change no matter where he plays. When the Raptors shipped Schröder to the Nets on Thursday, it marked his fifth team in the last three seasons. Brooklyn is in the same situation as Toronto, battling for a spot in the play-in tournament, and Schröder said he’ll do everything he can to help.

“It don’t matter what the circumstances are. I just want to win, and having that mentality of doing it as a team,” he said. “Having a leader out there and just talking to teammates, even if it’s a bad situation. I’m always trying to be straightforward with guys and I want people to be the same way with me. If they see anything, what I can do better, just call it out, and then we go from there. That’s how I’ve been my whole career, and it’s just for great intentions, just for winning basketball, and that’s what I try to bring in.”

Landing Schröder (along with Thaddeus Young, who has since been waived) in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie is a surprisingly good return for the Nets, Lewis adds, considering that Dinwiddie had been unhappy in Brooklyn and could have been considered a distressed asset. The Nets were able to add an experienced lead guard who can help with this year’s postseason push and is under contract for $13MM next season.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

The Nets took a “half-measure” approach to the trade deadline, opting for smaller deals instead of seeking to maximize the return for Mikal Bridges or Nic Claxton, observes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. The moves indicate that the organization values a chance to reach the playoffs this season and is committed to building around Bridges in the future, Sanchez adds.
General manager Sean Marks explained that Thursday’s deals were made with a focus on what else the team may be able to do this summer and beyond, per Collin Helwig of Nets Daily. “I think we go into these days always thinking about future flexibility, try to maintain some level of sustainability when we’re looking at how does the team look this year,” Marks said. “How’s it gonna look in six months’ time from now? How’s it gonna look in three, four years? We’re looking way down the road and at what’s fitting with our timetable, fitting with the group that we’re envisioning that we will come back with this next offseason, and we’ll bring back as Nets in a year or two from here. I think we feel pretty good about it by adding the players that we obviously added and bringing those guys in, but at the same time you’re keeping some those draft assets as well. And again, that future flexibility.”
With the Nets left shorthanded after the deadline deals, rookie Jalen Wilson made his first career start on Thursday and played nearly 40 minutes, Helwig adds in a separate story. “I give him an extreme amount of credit for using his minutes wisely and putting it in my mind that somehow, some way, I got to put him on the floor,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do as a player, to put that in the coach’s mind.” Helwig views Wilson as a strong candidate to have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal before the end of the season.

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