Nets Rumors: Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O’Neale

The Brooklyn Nets have fallen on hard times in the past month or two, losing 17 of 21. That’s no way to go through a season.

So it appears general manager Sean Marks will do what most GMs do at this time of year and see how this team can be rebuilt and/or improve.

One thing he’s not willing to do is trade forward Mikal Bridges, even though the Houston Rockets asked, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Nets said no deal. In fact, Bridges may be the only player on the team who is untouchable (along with forward Cam Johnson, though perhaps not as much as Bridges.)

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are among the many teams who have been linked to guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Hard to see any of those players moving the needle for a very mediocre LA team, but hey, you never know. And the Lakers aren’t the only ones interested.

In other Nets news, rival executives who’ve spoken with HoopsHype believe Brooklyn could potentially garner multiple second-round picks in exchange for Royce O’Neale,” Scotto wrote. “Those same executives believe Brooklyn could garner a first-round pick and a rotation player for Dorian Finney-Smith should the Nets move the coveted veterans.”

• Dinwiddie is the Brooklyn player most likely to be traded before the Feb. 8 deadline, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been “floated” as a possibility for the Nets, Windhorst added.
• The Nets are likely to evaluate how guard Ben Simmons fits now that he’s back in the rotation before making another move, Scotto reported. It doesn’t appear Simmons is a trade candidate. It’s more that the Nets want to see how the team responds to Simmons’ return.