Michael Scotto and Bobby Marks talk about The Trade deadline.

**Scotto:** The Nets have been a little too quiet. They’re a team that I would say knows what they are right now. They are open for business and certainly taking calls. They’ve got a glut of wings, **Dorian Finney-Smith**, **Royce O’Neale**. It’s interesting because I feel like if they keep O’Neale, you almost wonder if they’re going to try to make a run at **Donovan Mitchell** because they’re very close friends. Finney-smith is a great player on an affordable contract. He’s a guy who could fit literally on every team, but on a championship contender or high-caliber playoff team, he’d be great. They would want the equivalent of two first-round picks for him, I’m told.

You touched on Dinwiddie. Before the season, Dinwiddie became eligible to do an extension. From what I’m told, they had brief exploratory short-term talks, whether it would’ve been a one-year or a two-year extension. Dinwiddie wanted a longer deal.

You mentioned that it seems like it’s the end of the road for Dinwiddie here for him in round two with the Nets. I would tend to agree. When he attacks downhill, he makes them a better team. He certainly wants to be a part of a team’s core (long-term). We did [**a podcast earlier in the year,**](https://hoopshype.com/lists/nets-spencer-dinwiddie-ben-simmons-cam-thomas-cam-johnson-kevin-durant-james-harden-free-agency/) and he made it clear that if he left, he’d leave the team in better hands, and he’d still be a Nets fan. It sounded like a guy who knew that, eventually, he’d probably be gone. When he talks about the core, he mentions everybody else and not himself.

As for **Ben Simmons**, you can’t count on him at all. I know all summer he was hyped up like **Don King** that he’s going to come back. Physically, he hasn’t been able to do it. When you talk of him as a former three-time All-Star, the keyword is “former.” You can’t view him like that right now because he can’t get on the court.

**Marks:** If Simmons was a free agent this offseason, he’d get the minimum because he’s not reliable. That’s just the reality of it. What team out there, unless you’re going to sign him and put an injury protection clause in there that protects every part of his body, what team would go out there? I thought he was pretty good in the games he played this year, but since 2020-21, he hasn’t played.

**Scotto:** He’s rebounded and passed the ball well. He’s been an above-average defender, not the All-Defensive Team player on defense. I saw the games. He didn’t drive to the rim in the half court. He doesn’t want to go to the foul line. You can’t have that at 6-foot-10. I don’t know if it’s a confidence thing or what it is, but when that’s not happening, that’s a problem.

The Nets also have to pay **Nic Claxton**. They’re making it seem like they’re preparing to pay him. Claxton told me [**he wants to re-sign in Brooklyn**](https://hoopshype.com/lists/nic-claxton-hopes-to-re-sign-with-brooklyn-i-love-it-here/) when we did our interview. I have him somewhere in the $20-25 million range.

**Marks:** He’s probably at what Poeltl got somewhere around four years, $80 million with Toronto. I like Claxton better than Poeltl. They’re just in a weird spot because Houston controls their draft picks for the next four years. Normally, you’d want to have your own pick, tear it down, build around Bridges, and go from there, but there’s no incentive to do that. On the other end, you do have all these expiring contracts and we talked about Dinwiddie, so who’s your point guard next year?

**Scotto:** I’ve got one more for you, Bobby, because he’s a hot topic, **Cam Thomas**. He’s one of the most polarizing players in the league. Before he got moved to the bench, he was the leading scorer for the Nets. He’s improved. He’s gotten to the rim more and drawn fouls. His shot selection improved, even though I won’t say it’s always the best. What are your thoughts on him and potential plans for him with the Nets?

**Marks:** I think he’s gotten better and gets to the free throw line a lot more than he did a year ago, and I think that’s a sign of a guy who’s not just relying on jumpers. You hear he’s an empty stats guy that can put up 29 points and you’ll lose consistently. Thomas for me is a sixth man right now, and could be a high-level sixth man. **Jordan Clarkson** was a sixth man for a long time and is really good. I think it’s going to be interesting. He’s extension-eligible this offseason because he’ll be going into year four. What do you do with him? I understand the fan base in Brooklyn because the fan base has prioritized him and he’s like one of their own children. When you get drafted by that organization and you develop with moments of really good play, it’s like he’s one of theirs and so is Claxton. Is Thomas fine with being a sixth man?

**Scotto:** Other guys around the league will tell me on a championship-caliber team, which is what every team aspires to be one day, Thomas could be a **Lou Williams** or **Jamal Crawford** type of guy.

by Brooklyn917