When Nets success story Spencer Dinwiddie — plucked from the G-League two years ago this weekend, and vastly underpaid — finally got a life-changing three-year, $34 million contract extension to keep him in Brooklyn long-term, the news was met with one lone, understated tear of joy from his father Malcolm.
No wild, Cristal-soaked party. No over-the-top celebration. Just phone calls with his family, a quiet dinner out, then resetting his focus on helping the Nets win Friday. The impressive way he did just that — carrying them to a 125-118 victory over the Wizards at Barclays Center — is why the Nets moved quickly to give him a new contract.
“The first official call out was my dad. That was pretty cool. … He’s not a real emotional dude either, he’s kind of like me, but he said he had one little baby tear that came out. I was like ‘Man, its serious if you got the baby tear,’ ” said the 25-year-old Dinwiddie.
“It’s not going to be anything crazy. [Thursday] was a whirlwind. I just wanted to chill out, just get ready for the game.
“For me, I know it sounds crazy, nothing really changes, man. We get in this thing for a specific reason. I’m thankful to be able to retire my parents. … Other than that, basketball-wise, we’re not where we want to be, so we’ve got to continue to push and go forward. We’re trying to make the playoffs, trying to win championships in the future. That’s what I signed on to be a part of.”
Dinwiddie had 27 points and six of the Nets’ season-high 34 assists to help Brooklyn (12-18) win a season-best fourth straight. The streak has come on the heels of a players-only film session.
“Players only, baby,” said Dinwiddie, who played a key role in a 20-8 second quarter run that broke a 37-all tie and blew it open. “[Jared Dudley] did a wonderful job in our film session of just helping us. It also spurred some communication. Now we’re kind of rolling a little bit: Let’s keep it going.”
After becoming eligible for a four-year extension last Saturday, Dinwddie poured in a career-high 39 points Wednesday and signed the next day. He likely could have gotten more in unrestricted free agency, but left money on the table to stay in Brooklyn.
The Nets could have used his tiny $1.6 million cap hold, inked other free agents and signed him late like they did with Joe Harris, who had 19 points Friday. But general manager Sean Marks wisely saw the risk of letting Dinwiddie hit the market.
“You never know, right?” Marks said. “For us it was about weighing all those factors, whether it’s, ‘What does the competition think of him and how do they weigh him?’ But it goes back to trying to keep one of our own guys here.
“When players like Spencer and Joe are willing to potentially or hypothetically leave money on the table … that speaks pretty highly of the character of those guys.”Dinwiddie’s $10.6 million salary in 2019-20 cuts into the Nets’ trove of cap space this July. They’re projected to have just $19 million in room now, factoring in a pair of first-round picks and $28.5 million in cap holds for D’Angelo Russell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. They could have $46 million if they renounce both.
Meanwhile, Dinwiddie has succeeded betting on himself and did it again, with a player option in the third year that lets him hit free agency in his prime at 27.
“It showed Spencer, that chip on his shoulder, saying hey I’m going to bet on himself,” Marks said.
Dinwiddie is averaging a career-best 17.2 points, and the Nets think he can continue to grow as a player.
“We want more, he wants more,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “There’s no limit on it, because of how athletic he is, how big he is, how young he still is. I don’t see why he can’t keep trending upwards. He’s got all the tools.”