Nets Rumors: Is Dion Waiters The Next Free Agent Target
Brooklyn Nets Rumors: Is Dion Waiters the next target in free agency for the Nets?
Brooklyn Nets rumors looked to be cooling down, as they thought their big money contracts were out of the way when restricted free agents Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson were signed to offer sheets. The Nets were hopeful that their respective teams, the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat, would not match the offers and complete the Nets retooling of their backcourt.
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Unfortunately, both players would have those offer sheets matched, leaving the Nets reeling. The Nets moved swiftly to sign Greivis Vasquez, inking him to a deal hours after Crabbe and Johnson had theirs matched.
But, the Nets still have a ton of cap space to use, and could use some help still at multiple spots on the roster. The backcourt is still an area of need, and another person has emerged as a potential target in free agency; Dion Waiters.
According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Nets have had interest in Waiters from the get-go. But, with Crabbe and Johnson returning to their respective teams, that interest in Waiters has intensified.
Waiters is also a restricted free agent, and with Kevin Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors this offseason, the Thunder may be inclined to keep Waiters. But, if the Nets give Waiters an offer similar to what they handed Crabbe or Johnson, the Thunder would probably waive goodbye to Waiters. That is essentially what Lewis reported, as the Thunder seem likely to match any offers for two-years, but anything larger they would show hesitation.
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In addition to Lewis, David Aldridge of NBA.com and TNT and Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical have also reported that the Nets have shown interest in Waiters and could make a move for him now with their other deals falling through.
The mercurial shooting guard has seen his fair shares of ups and downs during his NBA with a lot more downs. Waiters has reportedly had altercations with teammates previously when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he has fallen way short of expectations that come with being the No.4 overall pick.
Granted it was a surprise that Waiters was selected that high by the Cavaliers, as he didn’t start a game during his freshman year at Syracuse, but the expectations are still the same no matter how much or little of a surprise it is. But, Waiters has shown that he has the ability to be a spark plug off the bench.
He has averaged 12.8 points per game in his career, albeit in rather inefficient fashion; he is a career 41.1 percent shooter overall, 33.4 percent from the three-point line and 70.7 percent from the foul line.
But, what will probably be a deciding factor in him landing a deal is that Waiters looked to finally get things together in the postseason with the Thunder. Waiters had a strong postseason for the Thunder, as he slide in between Russell Westbrook and Durant at shooting guard and the team was +5.7 with him on the court and -5.6 with him off of it.
Of course that has as much to do with playing alongside Westbrook and Durant as anything, but Waiters still made the most of the chances presented to him. It would be fair to question if that is what the Nets, or any team signing Waiters, would get.
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There are no Westbrook or Durant on the Nets, and putting the ball in the hands of a player as one-dimensional as Waiters could be trouble. He would be a poor fit alongside Jeremy Lin in the starting lineup, so it would be interesting if he is signed to see how Kenny Atkinson utilizes him, as he seems destined for a bench role.