Brooklyn Traded Darrell Arthur for Dudley and a Protected Second
On July 20, 2018, Brooklyn acquired veteran forward Jared Dudley and a protected 2021 second-round draft selection from Phoenix in exchange for Darrell Arthur. The Suns official release confirms all three assets and the NBA reported roughly $2.1 million in expected Phoenix salary savings. Brooklyn had acquired Arthur only one week earlier in the larger Denver cap-absorption agreement, demonstrating that the forward served as a tradeable contract rather than a new long-term Nets starter. Dudley could space the floor and advise a young Brooklyn team, while the second-round pick offered additional future flexibility. The later selection became No. 59 in 2021, associated with RaiQuan Gray. This was not the separate Richaun Holmes deal between Phoenix and Philadelphia completed that day, so its terms should not be mixed into the Brooklyn transaction.
Dudley Had a Useful Role on the 2019 Nets Playoff Team
Dudley appeared in 59 Brooklyn regular-season games during 2018-19. His scoring totals were small compared with the franchise leading scorers, but his passing, outside shooting and experienced defense were relevant on a Nets group that reached the postseason. He also played in the first-round series against Philadelphia, where the veteran forward became a visible part of the competitive confrontation. Those are actual NBA appearances for the team that received him in the July trade, not a purely financial return. Brooklyn later allowed Dudley to join the Lakers, so his subsequent championship experience belongs to a different club. The inherited Nets B+ grade can be supported by a capable rotation veteran and a future pick, without claiming he became the primary reason the team improved. The trade created both immediate depth and longer-horizon draft value.
Phoenix Paid a Second to Achieve Financial Flexibility
Arthur had already played numerous Denver and Memphis seasons as a power forward, but he did not establish a significant new Suns tenure after this exchange. Phoenix planned to buy out or waive the contract and gain the salary savings from moving Dudley. The protected 2021 selection represented a tangible future cost, even though a late second is not a guarantee of a new NBA starter. The inherited Suns C grade acknowledges that financial rationale and the limited basketball return from Arthur, while Brooklyn collected the pick and got Dudley for a playoff year. RaiQuan Gray’s later professional appearances must be credited to their proper rights holder rather than automatically assigning every career game to Brooklyn. The Nets Win result is grounded in documented on-court minutes plus an actual future draft option.
Final Verdict
Nets Win. Brooklyn receives B+ for Jared Dudley and the protected 2021 second-rounder associated with No. 59 RaiQuan Gray. Phoenix earns C for Darrell Arthur and estimated payroll savings; Dudley contributed to the Nets 2018-19 playoff run while Arthur did not become an ongoing Suns rotation fixture.