Lewis: Brooklyn Nets expect new bids for Dorian Finney-Smith after rejecting previous ones
Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images
Has Dorian Finney-Smith played his last game for the Brooklyn Nets. There’s a lot of indications that indeed he has. There was video of Dorian Finney-Smith working out this week, but not in Brooklyn, not in Brooklyn Nets gear and not posted by the Brooklyn Nets. DFS was on his own and according to Brian Lewis Saturday, that may make a lot of sense for the 31-year-old. His days in Brooklyn are probably over for the team’s oldest player at 31, writes Lewis not because he’s done but because the Nets have two young players in Noah Clowney, 19, and Day’Ron Sharpe, just turned 22 who are the team’s future down in the blocks ... and because he can bring back more development assets..
Finney-Smith talked about the changing of the guard himself just before season ended with 32 wins and 50 losses, their worst record since 2017-18 and the first time since then they didn’t make the post-season.
“Yeah, it’s part of it,” Finney-Smith said of the business of basketball. “We didn’t perform as well as we thought; and most times, teams make changes. This is the NBA, they’re trying to get better, so they’re gonna do what’s best for the organization. I don’t think [in all my] years in the league I had the same team two years in a row. Even if you win, teams still make moves, so I can only imagine how this summer’s gonna be.”
He also referenced Clowney and Sharpe’s rise and said his time in Brooklyn, despite the losses, was a positive one.
“But we got a lot of young guys. I know we’ve got guys that are 21 and under, so they know most likely they ain’t going nowhere. But it’s been a joy. Everybody in this locker room likes each other. Just talking to these guys, they just say they never had a group of guys that sit around and talk as much as we do, because like I said, we have a great locker room. It just didn’t translate to the court as well as we wanted it to.”
Both young players need the minutes and the Nets have make to a decision on extending Sharpe either this summer or next. Moreover, he and Cam Johnson alternating at the 4 didn’t work well. So DFS, acquired in the Kyrie Irving trade, will likely move but where and for what? Lewis believes there will be offers from a number of contending teams as there has been since February 2023 trade.
Indeed, Lewis notes that the Nets have had offers of multiple firsts for Finney-Smith in the past but declined them.
Brooklyn rejected an offer of two first-round draft picks for Finney-Smith before last season’s deadline, a highly-placed source confirmed to The Post. Their offers for the forward were lower this season, but general manager Sean Marks once again opted to hold onto him, while dealing O’Neale to Phoenix and Dinwiddie to Toronto for Dennis Schröder in a point guard swap.
Lewis didn’t provide details on who made the offer to Sean Marks & co. or whether the picks were protected and if so, how were they protected. So, he writes the Nets feel confident that the defensive-minded Finney-Smith will draw similar offers this year, perhaps at the Draft when Marks normally does most of his business, having made trades, including some franchise altering, is six of the eight years he’s been in charge.
The Post had already reported the Bucks, Kings, Mavericks, Suns and Thunder as having shown interest earlier this season. Forbes noted this week that all of the above could circle back as the draft approaches, as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies and L.A. Lakers.
This year’s NBA Draft will be split over two days, the first round on June 26 at Barclays Center and the second round held the next day in Manhattan.
Finney-Smith’s numbers did decline last season over 2022-23 which he split between Dallas and Brooklyn, particularly from beyond the arc, but his talents as a defender as well as his locker room presence should make him a target. Moreover, his contract is not so onerous, Finney-Smith is set to make $14.9 million next season and has a player option for $15.4 million the following year, as Lewis notes.
The Nets don’t appear to be putting much emphasis on having greybeard types — aka veterans — on the bench or on Jordi Fernandez’s coaching staff. Other than DFS, the oldest player on the Nets roster, which finished the season as the league’s seventh youngest, is Cam Johnson who just turned 28. Mikal Bridges and Ben Simmons turn 28 in the summer. And there’s no Mike D’Antoni or Steve Clifford-type on the nine-man coaching staff either as there was when newbie Steve Nash took over. Juwan Howard is 51 but most of his experience has been in the NCAA. Both Fernandez and his top assistant, Steve Hetzel are in their early 40’s.
Indeed, the Nets interest — even desire — to move Dorian Finney-Smith and the composition of the coaching staff — not to mention Joe Tsai’s recent comments — are just more evidence that development will be a big priority this season, maybe even bigger than a lot of fans expect.
Why Dorian Finney-Smith makes more sense playing elsewhere than playing in Brooklyn ($) - Brian Lewis - New York Post Sports+
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings