S&T: Could Spencer Dinwiddie be headed to Wizards after Russell Westbrook blockbuster?

The NBA Draft 2021 is in the books and free agency is up next. Officially negotiations can start Monday at 6:00 p.m. ET, but as we’ve seen, that’s often the date when the big decisions get announced.

Although Sean Marks and the Nets were focused on the Draft, taking five players Thursday night, there was talk as well about one of their most coveted free agents, Spencer Dinwiddie.

The blockbuster Draft Night trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Lakers in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Montrez Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the Lakers No. 22 pick (Isaiah Jackson — dealt to Pacers) in Thursday draft could have other future implications for Dinwiddie.

According to Quentin Mayo who writes about the Wizards for BetMGM and others, both Kuzma and Harrell could move a little north to Brooklyn in a possible Dinwiddie sign-and-trade to Washington.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Friday morning that the Nets declined an offer from the Wizards — Harrell and Kuzma alone — to bring Dinwiddie to Washington. Brooklyn is eyeing more in return for their free-agent guard. Charania added that the Heat, Knicks and Raptors as teams interested in Dinwiddie, outside of the Nets.

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Although nothing materialized, Sean Marks commented on the latest Dinwiddie departure rumor. Marks held his cards close to his chest but provided high praise to the second-longest tenured Net, who only played three games last season after suffering a partially torn ACL. Dinwiddie didn’t return to the team and rehabbed in Los Angeles for the remainder of the regular season. He remains in his hometown is continuing to do so today. His only public appearance was at a Clippers-Suns game at Staples Center.

“It’s difficult to discuss the hypotheticals. It sounds like you know more about the upcoming trades and so forth than I do,” said Marks jokingly when asked about the Dinwiddie trade rumors. “But we’ve been focused on the draft right now.”

“Spencer obviously being a pending free agent, we’ll have to wait for the right time to talk to him and talk to his agents and his people, and we’ll figure out what’s best for both Spencer and the Nets. If there’s something to be done where he’s returning, terrific. If there’s not and he’s moving on, look, we wish Spencer all the best. He’s been nothing but a pro his entire time here and to be quite frank, he deserves the right to be a free agent,” Marks added, ever diplomatic.

Although Dinwiddie will become a free agent after declining his $12.3 million player option, the guard has publically said he is willing to return to Brooklyn and re-sign … if the Nets can present a five-year, $125 million contract. Marks wouldn’t put a number on his market value, but noted how Dinwiddie is “likely in line for generational money and he deserves it.”

“Well, I think that gets back to the work that Spencer has put in. I can’t tell you what his market is going to be. I can hypothetically have a stab at it but the good thing for him is he’s likely in line for generational money and he deserves it,” Marks said. “He’s put in a lot of work and we obviously are very happy for anybody that’s done that, and deservedly so.”

Could something happen in the coming days? Stay tuned.

Brooklyn will also have to make decisions on Blake Griffin and Jeff Green — two coveted veteran players who are set to become unrestricted free agents come August. Marks said he’d love to bring back both Griffin and Green despite selecting Day’Ron Sharpe — a 6’11”, 265 pound forward with the 29th overall pick and Kessler Edwards — a 6’8”, 200 pound forward from Pepperdine — with the 44th overall pick.

“Those guys have done an amazing job for us and would love to bring them back. Love them to be around,” said Marks on Griffin and Green. “I think that’s something we’ll just have to see how everything settles next week when we’re able to really get in front of everybody and see where it settles. But for what those two brought to our organization, not only on the court, what you guys didn’t see behind the scenes, both the consummate pros, amazing in the locker room, and a pleasure to be around.

“I can’t speak high enough of either Blake or Jeff, not only what hopefully their time was great but our time with them and what we learned from them as well,” Marks added.

There are other free agency decisions yet to be made, starting with restricted free agent Bruce Brown and including the futures of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Tyler Johnson and Mike James who in an interview two days ago in L.A. spoke about helping Brooklyn’s championship ambitions “if I’m still there.”

• Russell Westbrook deal could lead Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie to Wizards - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• Nets have work cut out for them to retain their free agents - Kristian Winfield - New York Daily News
• NBA intel: Spencer Dinwiddie, Terrence Ross, Cam Reddish and Jaden McDaniels - Mike Scotto - Hoopshype