On Sunday, the Nets traded point guard Dennis Schröder, arguably their best player this season, and a 2025 second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors for guard De’Anthony Melton, guard Reece Beekman and three unprotected second-round draft picks in 2026, 2028 and 2029. Schröder was leading Brooklyn with 18.4 points and 6.6 assists in 23 games.
Melton suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee on November 12 against the Dallas Mavericks, underwent surgery and is out of the remainder of the season. Schröder, in his first full season with the Nets after being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Raptors last February, has been one of the best point guards in the NBA this season.
In dealing the 31-year-old Schröder, who was born in Germany to a Gambian mother and German father, the Nets have signaled they are focused on rebuilding for the future as they will have significant cap space next summer and an abundance of first round picks over the next two drafts. “I think it needs to be addressed that we are going to miss Dennis the person, on and off the court,” Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said on Sunday after the trade. “I think what he did for us in the locker room, his leadership, he exemplifies the Brooklyn grit that we talk about, so missing him is difficult. But these are the decisions you have to make when your ultimate goal is long-term sustainable success.” In their first game Monday night without Schröder, Brooklyn was run out of the Barclays Center by the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-101. The Cavs left the borough with the NBA’s best record at 23-4 while the Nets fell to 10-16, 11th in Eastern Conference, and have lost six of their last seven games heading into tonight’s road matchup versus the Raptors.
Former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, in his first season in the same position with Cleveland, had the Cavaliers up by as much as 37 points. Caris LeVert, who played with the Nets from 2016-2021, had 19 points in 19 minutes. Brooklyn’s 2017 first-round draft pick, center Jarrett Allen, who was traded by the Nets to the Cavs in January 2021 in a four-team that landed Brooklyn James Harden, scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds. “We started the game well and then we got punched in the face and then we didn’t have the togetherness, the fight to get back and keep punching and it is extremely disappointing because whoever wears our jersey will fight more than that and if not, you will not be part of this club whether you start,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said.
“We were not selfless and for sure we didn’t support each other so with that being said, it’s, it is very simple.” Schröder was a major part of the Nets being unexpectedly competitive this season. Because the team is expected to continue to make moves looking beyond this season, look for forward Dorian Finney-Smith to be the next one gone. Look for more losses to mount, as well, especially without Brooklyn’s leading scorer (24.7), Cam Thomas, who has missed nine games and remains out with a left hamstring strain. The Nets return home to host the Utah Jazz on Saturday and will face the Heat in Miami on Monday.