The Nets weren’t convinced that point guard Jeremy Lin will be physically ready for training camp, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lin, who was traded to the Hawks on Thursday, is coming off a ruptured patellar tendon that he suffered in last season’s opener.
The 29-year-old point guard hasn’t been medically cleared for three-on-three contact games and may take a while to get ready for five-on-five. He played just 37 games over two years after signing with Brooklyn in 2016 and carried a $12.5MM salary that the team needed to unload before completing a deal with Denver.
“I love Jeremy Lin because he represents the underdog in all of us — truly first class on and off the court,” tweeted co-owner Joe Tsai after the deal was completed. “Jeremy is not only exciting to watch, he sets an example for perseverance and leadership. We are great friends, and I will follow his progress no matter where he is.”
There’s more today out of Brooklyn:
- The Nets had been trying for months to acquire Kenneth Faried from the Nuggets, Lewis adds in the same story. Brooklyn officials hoped to make a deal before last month’s draft, but Denver was unwilling to give up this year’s first-rounder, which it used to get Michael Porter Jr. Nets GM Sean Marks improved his bargaining position by unloading Timofey Mozgov to the Hornets and Lin to the Hawks, giving him enough cap room to take on Faried and Darrell Arthur while getting a future first-rounder and second-rounder.
- Today’s agreement with Shabazz Napier will use up the last of the Nets’ remaining cap room, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Brooklyn has 14 players under contract, 13 with guaranteed money, and can now exceed the cap by finalizing deals with Joe Harris under the Early Bird exception and Ed Davis under the room mid-level exception.
- Aleksandar Vezenkov, a second-round pick from 2016, will get a better chance to develop his skills after signing with Olympiacos in Greece this week, according to NetsDaily.com. A stretch four, Vezenkov spent last season with F.C. Barcelona, which allotted more minutes to players who weren’t likely to eventually leave for the NBA. That shouldn’t be a concern with Olympiacos, where Vezenkov will play for former Cavaliers coach David Blatt.
Am I missing something with Faried? Why on earth were Brooklyn so interested in him? Probably to get a 1st round pick, but I am sooo happy Denver didn’t gave them the one for this year, imagine they could have lost MPJ, that would have been one of those mistakes that years & decades later people still keep talking about it.
He’s a good player that would come with a 1st rounder. He’s not a top 50 player or anything, but his rebounding, energy, and athleticism are all top notch.
I have to completely agree with the Scruffy Janitor!! lol..
I’ve always loved me some Kenneth Faried..He’s EXACTLY what every contending team needs on their bench, and if I were a GM, I would love to have him as well..When Faried is healthy, happy, and at his best, he’s a confident and versatile defender, he’s an excellent rebounder, he’s a glue guy that plays with a ton of energy, and with an adequate role and amount of playing time, he’s a solid role player that’s capable of giving your team a double-double, or very close to it, each and every game…
I will not be at all suprised when Faried has a big, bounce back season with the Nets this year..So, again, I can easily understand why the Scruffy Janitor was excited..
It isn’t often I agree with some of the comments on here, but, in this case, I couldn’t agree more..
Unless MPJ ends up like another #1 HS recruit that went at the #14 pick, Shabazz Muhammad. Muhammad was a disappointing college player, but at least he played. Everyone just assumes Porter is going to be a star based on his recruit ranking, but Muhammad proved that is not always the case.
Not only did they get an asset, they also got 2 players that fit their roster. Faried makes sense for the Nets
The Nets have not been winning but one cannot blame the current braintrust. (“Blametrust”, I started typing. Not far off!) Good move to reel Denver in; some other teams probably wanted to.