The Nets will close out the season without three rotation pieces.
Several Brooklyn Nets have played their final game of the season. After being ruled out for Friday’s matchup with the New York Knicks, Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Smith Jr. will miss Sunday’s season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers, interim head coach Kevin Ollie announced.
Schroder has battled through right Achilles soreness in recent games. After joining the Nets from the Toronto Raptors in a trade deadline deal for Spencer Dinwiddie, the veteran point guard finished a 30-game stint with Brooklyn, averaging 14.6 points and 6.0 assists on 42/42/80 shooting splits over 29 appearances. Schroder, who signed a two-year deal with Toronto this summer, will enter the final year of his contract next season at $13 million.
Finney-Smith will remain sidelined by a knee issue that kept him out of Brooklyn’s previous two games. After one of the best starts to a season in his career, the veteran struggled after missing extended time due to an ankle sprain during the second half of the year. He averaged 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 44 percent shooting from the field and 27.4 percent from three over his last 26 appearances.
Finney-Smith has been a fixture in trade rumors since joining the Nets in a deal for Kyrie Irving at last year’s trade deadline. Brooklyn reportedly had an asking price of two first-round picks for the veteran wing at the deadline and ultimately decided to hold on to him. Finney-Smith is under contract for $14.4 million next season before a $15.5 million player option in 2024-25.
Smith missed 10 of Brooklyn’s final 11 games while battling a hip injury. After signing for the minimum, Smith was a sparkplug off the bench in the backcourt when healthy. He averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19.2 minutes per game.
The 25-year-0ld built upon the defensive reputation he developed with the Charlotte Hornets, ranking first in defensive estimated plus-minus (+3.0) among all point guards this season, per DunksandThrees.com.
Johnson has missed nine of Brooklyn’s last 11 games while battling a sprained left toe. After signing a four-year, $94.5 million contract this summer, the 6-foot-8 sharpshooter has struggled to stay on the floor this season, missing 23 games while battling hamstring, calf, ankle, adductor and toe injuries. When on the floor, Johnson has played a complementary role, averaging 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 45/39/79 shooting splits.
With Finney-Smith sidelined and Johnson’s status up in the air, rookie first-round pick Noah Clowney will continue to see extended playing time. The 19-year-old has impressed during a late-season call-up from the G-League, averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks on 66 percent shooting from the field and 56 percent from three over his last four games.
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