Brooklyn Nets grades: Theo Pinson earns full roster spot late

Future outlook

The immediate future for Theo Pinson is murky, as he could become a restricted free agent come July 1 if the Brooklyn Nets tender the $1.73 qualifying offer required to do so.

Otherwise, Pinson will hit the open market and could have some value as a potential rotational piece who can defend 1-3 and has some upside as an emerging 3-point threat and a 3-and-D candidate.

That last piece is a huge difference from Pinson’s outlook entering the NBA Draft this time last year and it’s a credit to the work he put in after finishing his collegiate career at North Carolina that Pinson has put himself in this position.

He is a player the Nets would probably like to have back to keep in their player development system, but it is unlikely Brooklyn would match an offer for much more than the veteran’s minimum, possibly with a partial guarantee and a non-guaranteed second year.

Pinson will have to get more sure with the basketball if he’s going to stick at the NBA level — teams aren’t enamored of turnover-prone 3-and-D guys.

He may not get an opportunity to play in Las Vegas this summer because of his free agent status.

Final Grade

Pinson stayed healthy and available all season and earned kudos for his play in limited spurts as well as his ability to be part of the team from the end of the bench as one of the ringleaders in Brooklyn’s celebrated celebration squad.

Given he had almost no expectations entering the season as an undrafted player and turned out to be an All-G-League performer as well as a legitimate contributor at times at the NBA level, Pinson grades out to a solid B for the season.

His offseason checklist should include continuing to refine his deep stroke and to get stronger and more decisive with the basketball in his hands in order to cut down on the silly turnovers he was prone to at both levels this season.

Pinson is a player with a chance to create a solid career as a role player, but he has to keep improving in order to earn that opportunity. A realistic goal for next season would be deep reserve or bottom of the rotation status at the NBA level.