Shams: Nets acquire Royce O’Neal for 2023 1st & TPE

[Paradise]

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What the ****? Did this happen before KD requested a trade!?

[Born_Ready]

here we go…..

[Paradise]

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[Shark]

Very awkward. Just gave up a valuable asset for what should have been a glue guy on a contending team.

[NetsWorld]

Very awkward. Just gave up a valuable asset for what should have been a glue guy on a contending team.

We don't know the details of who is coming back in return. Simmons and Irving are not players that are on a rebuilding team.

[Born_Ready]

3 years to the day KD comes and leaves.

[Paradise]

Very awkward. Just gave up a valuable asset for what should have been a glue guy on a contending team.

We don't know the details of who is coming back in return. Simmons and Irving are not players that are on a rebuilding team.

No guarantee we are rebuilding we can recoup enough talent to still be a win now team. It’s either a massive haul of picks and players or a superstar in return.

[NetsWorld]

Very awkward. Just gave up a valuable asset for what should have been a glue guy on a contending team.

We don't know the details of who is coming back in return. Simmons and Irving are not players that are on a rebuilding team.

No guarantee we are rebuilding we can recoup enough talent to still be a win now team. It’s either a massive haul of picks and players or a superstar in return.

To clarify my comment, I meant the Nets still have Simmons/Kyrie and with that duo, they are probably going to get back a star in return for Durant at the very least.

[Paradise]

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[3pt_chucker]

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I like the trade regardless of the KD departure.

[Papi_swav]

lol so we give up an asset then KD decides he wants to leave after all this time. These guys just love ruining franchises it's really sad. Very selfish

[vincecarter4pres]

I don’t know, this is weird timing. I get we're going to try and stay competitive through the rebuild and Royce can play 2 or maybe 3 positions, but we don't even know who we're getting back for KD and Kyrie at this point.

[Karate Diop]

He's 29... You have to think this was agreed to with the thought KD was staying and there was then no time to back out when the bomb dropped...

At least that's what I keep telling myself to make it make sense

[SeanieWard]

He's 29... You have to think this was agreed to with the thought KD was staying and there was then no time to back out when the bomb dropped...

At least that's what I keep telling myself to make it make sense

Agreed. That was my thought as well

I don't think this trade happens if Nets knew KD was going to ask out. I think they had already agreed to do a deal, KD asks to leave and then the trade was announced shortly afterwards

Not a huge fan of trading a 1st round draft pick for a guy that you get similar contributions for much cheaper. But he is a contributor on most if not all teams in the league and a heavy rotation guy that can shoot and play some defense. Every team needs 3 and D players but not super excited about this one right about now but that may change

[ecuhus1981]

I like Royce, he was one of my key targets this offseason with our Dinwiddie TPE. But we overpaid pretty significantly IMO, and we're doing Utah a favor with cap relief by keeping them out of the luxury tax. Marks should know better from a leverage standpoint. We just got Ainge'd again.

[Netaman]

im a little skeptical of the price but he rates well in all the war/raptor metrics. he and simmons seem like the start of a much upgraded perimeter d.

if they add bridges and ayton too that's as. much of an identity shift as you can make in 1 offseason.

[DoItALL9]

He could be on the move again by the deadline

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[Netaman]

good article on him from utah - also maybe a clue in here re who marks may covet in the kd sweepstakes.

O’Neale’s utility on the defensive side of the ball is not only by far the best on the team - his adaptability on that end of the floor rates him as one of the most versatile defenders in the league today. Per crafted nba, his “versatility” rating is 76 (0-100 scale), comparable with players like Robert Covington (71), Draymond Green (75), and Mikal Bridges (77).

It’s one thing to be tasked with guarding four different positions regularly. It’s another thing to grab that assignment and spike it into the ground like Gronk at the Super Bowl.

O’Neale currently ranks in the top 20 in a number of advanced metrics, including Defensive Win Shares (10th, 3rd among non-bigs behind only LeBron and Giannis), Box Score RAPTOR (T-11th, T-2nd among non-bigs, minimum 600 minutes played), Defensive Box Plus-Minus (17th, T-7th among non-bigs), and Defensive Real Plus-Minus (20th overall, 9th among wings). And he’s done all of this without accumulating many counting stats on the defensive end (such as steals and blocks).

Without steals and blocks, how is Royce grading out so well in these areas? Take a look at his field goal differential numbers below, and that should give you some idea. (Note: FG differential or “diff%” is an estimate of a defender’s impact on a shot attempt. Negative numbers are better here.)

O’Neale is posting negative field goal differentials in every. single. category. It doesn’t matter where on the court O’Neale is guarding the shooter, he’s going to disrupt the shot attempt.

Although he’s listed as a SF/PF, he clocks in at just 6’4” (6’9” wingspan) and 226 pounds. In forward matchups he’s at a disadvantage of either a few inches or 10-20 pounds (or both!), and in guard matchups he’s usually at a quickness disadvantage compared to his opponent.

O’Neale makes up for it with strength, lightning-quick and active hands, excellent footwork, and an aptitude for navigating around screens. He also has fantastic recovery speed, contests vertically when protecting the rim, and closes out well on shooters.

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/24/22293105/royce-oneale-ultimate-3-and-d-glue-guy-all-defensive-team-all-nba-utah-jazz

[BostonCouchGM]

First reaction was wtf is Marks doing? Then I thought about it and it's making more sense. Whether you have Kyrie and KD or not, you have a bunch of shooters who can't play defense. Between Simmons, O'Neal and Edwards you have that somewhat covered. If Kyrie and KD stay and are healthy you have the talent to make the Finals and a pretty well-constructed roster. If they're replaced then you're plugging the new players into a system with shooters and defenders around whoever it is.

[Crunch 99]

First reaction was wtf is Marks doing? Then I thought about it and it's making more sense. Whether you have Kyrie and KD or not, you have a bunch of shooters who can't play defense. Between Simmons, O'Neal and Edwards you have that somewhat covered. If Kyrie and KD stay and are healthy you have the talent to make the Finals and a pretty well-constructed roster. If they're replaced then you're plugging the new players into a system with shooters and defenders around whoever it is.

Yep, the additions of O'Neale and Simmons really shores up the defense and potentially brings the Nets to serious contenders if Durant and Irving stick around.

Zach Lowe wrote yesterday that the Nets are still hoping Durant changes his mind and stays. I think staying is a distinct possibility. Durant needs to appreciate the fact that there is a strong chance he ends up on a roster with less title potential than this roster he is already on if traded. Durant joining Tatum at Boston would have title potential, but I can't see Brooklyn making it easy for division rival Boston to both acquire Durant and keep nearly all of their dominant roster intact. Brooklyn will probably stick to asking for both Brown and Smart along with picks, which Stevens isn't willing to do.