Nash not keen on dealing Dinwiddie

Amid trade speculation, Spencer Dinwiddie received a glowing endorsement from his new Nets coach, Steve Nash.

Though rumors of Rockets star James Harden wanting out of Houston — and having a preference for Brooklyn — continue to run rampant, it’s likely Dinwiddie would have to be on the table if such negotiations ever came to fruition. And considering Dinwiddie could exercise his player option to become a free agent at the end of this season, the 27year-old is someone the Nets have to be wary of.

However, Nash believes the versatility Dinwiddie brings to the Nets is too valuable to give away.

“I’m heavy voting towards not trading Spencer, and I think the front office feels the same way,” Nash said on a Zoom call Wednesday. “It’s a unique situation because he’s a free agent at the end of the year, but we all love him, and we know it’d be very difficult to do better than Spencer in a trade.”

Dinwiddie was expected to play a sixth-man role last season, but instead he enjoyed a career year as a starter in wake of significant injuries to Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert. He averaged roughly 21 points and seven assists per game, while also becoming one of the notable personalities in the league with his plan to turn part of his contract into a digital investment vehicle.

“He’s an outstanding basketball player, high IQ , has a good feel for the game,” Nash said. “He’s an outstanding athlete, and he’s skilled. He’s a big point guard who can play off the ball, can play multiple positions, can make plays for his teammates and can score. So you’ve seen it in the past. He’s played heavy loads for this team, so he gives us a lot of versatility.”

It’s a possibility the Nets are simply looking to up Dinwiddie’s trade value. High praise from a Hall of Fame point guard can easily do that.

But the reality for Dinwiddie is that between Irving’s return from his pesky shoulder injury, Durant’s return from his Achilles tendon surgery and LeVert’s continued rise to stardom, his role with the team will likely diminish.

➤ Nash doesn’t have a set-in-stone lineup yet but said the coaching staff has experimented with several different combinations to invoke a competitive balance throughout the team.

“I couldn’t tell you what’s going to happen to the rotations yet, there’s a lot of competition for spots and minutes which is a positive as well,” he said. “It’s tough on a coach but it’s positive for our group and program. They’re gaining connectivity which I always preach that familiarity that chemistry’s coming, and so that’s something where I’ll say a few days in I’ve been really positive and excited about it.”

➤ In light of the NBA announcing that its dress code would be more casual this season, Nash said he expects to go with the polo look.