It’s a huge loss for Brooklyn considering Dinwiddie is the team’s starting shooting guard with Caris LeVert coming off the bench. But now LeVert will likely be moving into that starter's role, and head coach Steve Nash's coveted depth will be tested early this season. The Nets could always look into the trade market for help, too.
Dinwiddie has a 2021 player option of $12.3 million left on his three-year, $34.36 million deal he signed back in 2019. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2022.
That deal, though, was below market for what Dinwiddie has produced over the past few years. If Dinwiddie were to opt out -- per sources, people around him believed he would garner a big contract before the start of next season -- the Nets might have to pay a significant luxury tax to re-sign him.
Dinwiddie was considered by several Western Conference teams in the 2020 offseason to be a top trade target, as SNY reported. Some teams believed Brooklyn was open to moving Dinwiddie in the 2020 offseason for the right return, sources say. But Nash and GM Sean Marks publicly refuted the idea that he was available for trade, showing everyone the importance of keeping him in a Brooklyn uniform.
However, it is worth noting that the infamous James Harden-to-Brooklyn rumors will likely take a big hit because Dinwiddie was a centerpiece in potential trade packages.
Waived a few times earlier in his career, Dinwiddie really found his niche with the Nets when he was signed during the 2016-17 season. He was an integral piece in the team’s rebuild up until now, becoming a scoring threat off the bench during that stretch.
After averaging 16.8 points primarily off the bench in the 2018-19 season, Dinwiddie graduated to a starting role last season and he flourished. He averaged 20.6 points on 42 percent shooting over 31.2 minutes per game.
