When we recall the Dennis Schroder trade with the Brooklyn Nets last December, the general thought is that the Golden State Warriors gave up De'Anthony Melton and three second-round picks for the veteran guard and one second-round pick.
Yet there's another detail of that trade that's often forgotten -- the Warriors also gave up young guard Reece Beekman in the trade despite the fact he was on a two-way contract. Given his start to the G League season with the Warriors, there were some in Santa Cruz who noted Beekman's departure as a potential mistake from the franchise.
Beekman had indeed put up some big numbers to start his G League career, averaging 18.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists on 51.5% shooting from the floor and 34.5% from 3-point range in nine games with Santa Cruz.
As a 2x ACC Defensive Player of the Year during his four-year college career at Virginia, Beekman became known mostly for his work on that end of the floor. He brought that reputation with him to the Warriors, averaging 2.8 steals across his 31.5 minutes per game in the G League prior to the trade.
The NBA career of former Warrior Reece Beekman is in jeopardy
Any potential for regret may have now dissipated for Golden State though, with Brooklyn choosing not to retain Beekman even on a two-way contract. The 6'3" guard appeared in 34 games for the Nets following the Schroder trade, averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals in 13.7 minutes.
Beekman's best game in his rookie year came on April 6 in a 120-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors, recording 14 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals in over 35 minutes.
The 23-year-old clearly didn't impress enough with the Nets though, leaving him to sign a Summer League deal with the Denver Nuggets according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. Beekman will now look to press his case for a spot in training camp, and hopefully for his sake another potential two-way contract.
There's a lot to do between now and then, with Beekman a fair way from becoming the sort of valuable rotation NBA player that will have the Warriors rueing their decision to give him up so quickly.
It looks like the right decision at this stage, particularly given the Warriors were able to flip Schroder's brief and underwhelming time at the franchise into 6x All-Star Jimmy Butler who completely changed their fortunes following that blockbuster trade in early February.