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NETS TRADE DARRELL ARTHUR FOR JARED DUDLEY, SECOND ROUNDER

By Net Income

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Golden State Warriors v Phoenix Suns Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Nets on Friday traded newly acquired Darrell Arthur to Phoenix for Jared Dudley and a protected second round pick in 2021. The Nets did not have a second rounder that year.

Although early reports suggested Dudley might be bought out, by day’s end, it appeared that Dudley will play for the Nets this season, perhaps filling the void at stretch 4.

Adrian Wojnarowski was the first with the news.

By mid-afternoon, the Nets and Suns had confirmed the deal was complete. The Net took on some additional salary in the deal, as Woj noted, putting them over the cap even before they re-sign Joe Harris and sign Ed Davis, two moves that have been put off as Sean Marks works the salary cap issues. Once those deals are signed, the Nets will have 15 players under contract.

First word that the Dudley wasn’t going for a buyout cam not long after the new broke. The 12-year veteran told a Phoenix reporter that while Nets had mentioned the possibility of a buyout, he’s “not a fan” of buyouts.

Then, in a follow-up story on the trade, Woj suggested there might be a place on the Nets for Dudley.

“The Nets have a need for Dudley’s shooting ability as a stretch four position and could stay with them for the season,” Woj wrote.

In an interview with Bodrow, Dudley said the trade was not a surprise since the Suns had tried to get him to agree to a buyout. He also said he was “excited” to play for the Nets this season.

”I’m excited about going out and showing I can still play,” said Dudley, telling Bordow that he’s lost at least 10 pounds this off-season, which had been an issue for the Suns. “I’m looking to bounce back. People will see I’m the healthiest and in the best shape I’ve been in for years.

”I still have some basketball years left in me. That’s why this isn’t hard for me. I love Phoenix, I love Devin Booker and Robert Sarver and what the organization did for me but there was zero chance I was going to get to play. I was going to get 65 to 70 DNPs.”

The 6’7” Dudley is 33, which would make him the oldest player on the Nets. He played 48 games last season, averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds, paying in 14.3 minutes per game. He shot 35 percent from deep and has a career average of 39.6 percent, one of the top marks in the NBA. Arthur, acquired in last week’s salary dump for Isaiah Whitehead, played even fewer minutes last season, a grand total of 141 minutes in 19 games, averaging 2.8 points. He will be bought out by the Suns.

In an interview last December, Dudley saw his role on the Suns primarily as a mentor.

“I think that through my knowledge and wisdom that I’ve helped [the young players] out and that is something that I can continue to do,” Dudley said. “I mean every NBA team is getting younger by the year and teams are looking for vets to help out.”

Dudley, a prolific tweeter, thanked the Suns ownership and management for “the best seven years of my life” and telling Suns fans, “I truly love you guys and the city. Phx is home!”

The big takeaway for the Nets, however, was yet another second rounder. The Suns pick is lightly protected, 31 through 35. No word whether it will roll over if it doesn’t convey in 2021.

Prior to the trade deadline, the Nets did not have second round picks in 2019, 2020 or 2021. They now have a Knicks unprotected pick in 2019; a Nuggets unprotected pick and a Blazers heavily protected pick in 2020 and now a protected Suns pick in 2021. In the Lin deal, they agreed to trade a 2025 second to the Hawks as well as swapping picks in 2023.

The trade was greeted with high marks, again, from NBA pundits, with Kevin Pelton of ESPN giving the Nets an A for the trade and Phoenix a B-.

Pelton likes that the Nets were able to get a second rounder at a bargain price, about $2.1 million, the difference between the two players’ salaries.

“Getting a second-round pick for that amount is a decent deal all by itself,” Pelton wrote. “On top of that, Brooklyn has a better chance of getting some value on the floor from Dudley if the Nets decide to keep him.”

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