The Brooklyn Nets were busy during trade deadline day, dealing away Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale. At first, the reports for the Dinwiddie trade involved Dennis Smith Jr., which surprised everyone because it looked like DSJ was a vital part of the long-term plan in Brooklyn.
Thankfully, Smith was not part of the trade, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had a typo for his tweet, especially since the deal involved Dennis Schroder, which added to the confusion. Smith cleared up the situation with his agent immediately after but was a stressful couple of minutes for the guard out of NC State when he saw the notification.
“I got Woj tweets as alerts on my phone as soon as he tweeted them on deadline day. I’m on Facetime, and I see my name pop up, and I’m like, ‘Hell nah!' Dennis Smith Jr. traded to the Raptors,” Dennis told his story in the post-game presser after the Spurs game. “My phone blowing up. I ain’t even get a pregame nap that day. I was sick.”
NBA players get shellshocked by trade reports too
Sometimes, NBA players only find out they got traded when they see a report on social media. DSJ panicked for a bit because the report might be accurate, but thankfully, there was a confirmation from the agent.
It was a funny story from Dennis, but it also showcases the reality of the NBA. There have been countless examples of players getting traded without any warning. Most NBA players admit it’s just business, but that should not invalidate their feelings after getting traded.
Dennis is vital for the Nets’ future
With this trade, general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jacque Vaughn are committed to Smith. The uber-athletic guard came to Brooklyn after getting recruited by star player Mikal Bridges in 2023.
He has a minimum one-year contract, which should get extended in the offseason. The Nets will make a big mistake if they don’t re-sign Smith because he has accepted a premium backup role with the Nets.
When the team gets fully healthy, having someone like Dennis as the primary defensive stopper will help the Nets win multiple games. However, DSJ can still sign elsewhere when he gets offers. Brooklyn has to pounce on the opportunity because losing Smith will be a big blow to the team.
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