Brooklyn Nets: Jared Dudley has value as a role player

The Brooklyn Nets acquired Jared Dudley and a 2021 2nd-round pick for Darrell Arthur. Now that the trade is official, what does Dudley bring to the Nets?

The Brooklyn Nets acquired forward Jared Dudley from the Phoenix Suns on Friday, also acquiring a top-35 protected 2021 second-round pick and sending Darrell Arthur to the Suns.

Once the trade was announced, it seemed like the Nets would buy out Dudley once the trade was finalized. Later in the day, however, it began to appear Dudley will play for Brooklyn next season and fill that stretch 4 position. Dudley will also wear No. 6 for the Brooklyn Nets.

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Overall, the trade fit both teams and there is no clear winner. The Phoenix Suns saved some salary by trading Dudley and the Brooklyn Nets gain a 2021 second-round pick which is protected to No. 35 overall. Before the trade, Brooklyn did not have a second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

At the moment, it seems like Brooklyn will keep Dudley around for the 2018-19 season after buy-out talks seem to be done.

Pros of keeping Jared Dudley

The Brooklyn Nets needed to fill the stretch 4 position heading into the 2018-19 season. Dudley is a good fit for that role. He can shoot the ball from behind the arc at a high level. Dudley can shoot a catch-and-shoot 3 well and with confidence.

Last season, Dudley shot 36.3 percent from behind the arc and is a 39.6 percent career 3-point shooter.

To go along with his strong 3-point shooting, Dudley has a great mid-range game. He can put the ball on the floor and finish through contact. When driving, Dudley looks for contact and end the play with three points. He can also shoot very well from mid-range.

Dudley can shoot from all mid-range areas, contested or not. He is a career 46.7 percent shooter overall.

Besides his strong shooting, Dudley has great awareness on the offensive end. He knows when to shoot the ball and when to make that extra pass. He is a great passer, especially close to the basket. The forward can drop the ball off while driving or make great cut passes for easy points.

He is a solid defender who can play multiple positions. At 6-foot-7, Dudley can play the 4 or even the 5 for Brooklyn, which is a strong benefit. He has a great IQ when it comes to defensive play. Dudley is not known for being a block or steal threat, but is a great off-the-ball defender.

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His play on both ends of the floor fits the style of play Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson prefers. Atkinson likes to play small-ball offense. Dudley, who is known for being a stretch 4, can fit this style of offense on and off the ball.

He has also played small-ball offense with Phoenix the past couple of seasons.

One of the biggest impacts Dudley will make for the Brooklyn Nets is leadership and toughness. Dudley is an 11-year veteran who has been on several teams. He has been on winning teams, rebuilding teams and mid-level teams.

Bringing in a player of that experience to a young Brooklyn Nets team that has its eyes on making a playoff spot is a huge plus. He knows what it takes to reach that level and can be a great mentor for Brooklyn’s young frontcourt. Dudley (33) is now the oldest player on the Brooklyn Nets roster.

The veteran forward also brings a needed toughness to this young roster. Dudley is known for sticking up for his teammates and is not afraid to get himself in the middle of high-tension moments.

Brooklyn had already added Kenneth Faried, who has a similar mind set, and now has Dudley as well.

Cons of keeping Jared Dudley

Now, there are not many cons to keeping Jared Dudley for Brooklyn. He is a solid veteran player who will fit in with Brooklyn very well. The biggest con of keeping Dudley is his price tag.

He will be owed $9.53 million next season, making him the fourth most-expensive Net, according to Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights.

He is pricey for a player of his caliber and will carry a cap hold of $14.3 million into the 2019 offseason. With the Nets looking to maximize cap space next summer, Dudley is likely to be a Net only for next season.

At the time of the trade, it looked like general manager Sean Marks was planning on buying out Dudley but those talks have simmered down. According to Scott Bordow of azcentral.com, Dudley is not a fan of buyouts and plans on being a Brooklyn Net next season.

Just got off the phone with Jared Dudley. He said Nets have mentioned a buyout but right now he feels like he's going to play for Brooklyn. Said he's not a fan of buyouts
— scott bordow (@sbordow) July 20, 2018

While talking to Bordow, Dudley mentioned his thoughts on playing for the Brooklyn Nets next season, pointing out he’s lost at least 10 pounds this summer. Weight had been an issue with Dudley for the Suns last season.

"I’m excited about going out and showing I can still play, I’m looking to bounce back. People will see I’m the healthiest and in the best shape I’ve been in for years.I still have some basketball years left in me. That’s why this isn’t hard for me. I love Phoenix, I love Devin Booker and Robert Sarver and what the organization did for me but there was zero chance I was going to get to play. I was going to get 65 to 70 DNPs."

With that being said, it is likely Dudley will be a Brooklyn Net for the 2018-19 season. Overall, this trade for Brooklyn was beneficial. They not only got their stretch 4 man, but they got a second-round pick for 2021.

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It will be interesting to see how much playing time Dudley will see with Brooklyn. Last season, Dudley averaged 14.3 minutes per game, playing a total of 48 games for the Phoenix Suns.