Meet the Brooklyn Nets’ top recruiter, Spencer Dinwiddie

Spencer Dinwiddie recently spoke out in a podcast with The Athletic’s Shams Charania about how he had a helping hand in the Brooklyn Nets’ recruitment of Kyrie Irving.

Obviously, this wasn’t a one-man show, the framework and system in place from the Brooklyn Nets allured superstar talents such as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving—but Spencer Dinwiddie did play a role, albeit small.

Dinwiddie, a friend of Irving, talked with the moderately disgruntled star “loosely” about what the summer of 2019 might have in store back in December of last year.

It was well documented throughout what was a very disappointing season for the Boston Celtics that Kyrie Irving might depart in free agency in the summer. We now know which team Irving ultimately decided on, but this was something that was envisioned quite some time ago.

Irving subtly mentioned this to Dinwiddie in their conversation back in December, “New York might be real fun next year”.

Not knowing at the time if Irving was referring to his organization or the Knicks, Dinwiddie expressed to him what Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson are capable of and how the fit would benefit both parties. The culture and system surrounding the Nets were also points of emphasis, their fun system and how Marks has a family-first oriented mindset.

From the top-down the Nets are a well-oiled machine—Dinwiddie did his best to inform Irving of that in his recruitment efforts.

Did it help that the team had the available space to add in a close friend and a fellow superstar in Kevin Durant? Absolutely. Durant and Irving actually took less money so they could bring in another friend, DeAndre Jordan. What are friends for?

Did it also help that Irving grew up in New Jersey and was a Nets fan in his childhood years? Of course, but those weren’t solely the factors in his decision. Had it not been for what Marks was able to accomplish in reversing the team’s fortunes post-Billy King era—this would’ve never been in play.

But, hey, give Dinwiddie a clap for his recruitment efforts, they played a role. The Nets are going to be a really intriguing team next season even without Kevin Durant. Let’s see how a reinvigorated Kyrie Irving can lead this roster.