Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Ham, Rivers, Pelinka, Brockington

May 21st, 2022 at 8:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is the only finalist for the Lakers‘ coaching vacancy without previous head coaching experience, but he apparently has the support of LeBron James, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “He’s the guy LeBron wants,” a source from a rival team tells Pincus.

Ham, 48, also has the advantage of a previous relationship with the Lakers. After his playing career ended, his first NBA job was an an assistant coach in L.A., where he stayed for two seasons before joining Mike Budenholzer‘s staff in Atlanta and later in Milwaukee. Ham possesses a strong personality and plenty of energy, and Pincus believes he could be the best choice to motivate the Lakers’ veteran-laden roster.

Assessing the other finalists, Pincus calls Terry Stotts the “safest choice,” but says he’ll need an experienced assistant to handle the defense, and he views Kenny Atkinson as a “wild card” with a reputation for being rigid in his approach to the game.

There’s more on the Lakers:

None of the finalists inspire any excitement, in the view of Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times, who says the Lakers need to find a way to acquire Doc Rivers from the Sixers. Rivers still has three seasons left on his contract in Philadelphia and recently received a vote of confidence from president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, but Plaschke cites rumors that Morey would prefer Mike D’Antoni, especially in the wake of the Sixers’ second-round exit. Plaschke theorizes that the Lakers would have already hired Rivers if he weren’t under contract with another team.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and Nets GM Sean Marks were seen meeting at the NBA Combine this week, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. While no details of the conversation were made public, it’s worth noting that the Lakers had internal discussions about acquiring Kyrie Irving before he resumed playing in January. Marks is also very familiar with one of Pelinka’s head coaching finalists, having hired Atkinson during his first year in Brooklyn.
The Lakers are part of a growing list of teams that have lined up a workout with Iowa State guard Izaiah Brockington, per Spencer Davies of Basketball News. Brockington wasn’t invited to the Draft Combine or the G League Elite Camp, but he has already worked out for the Hawks and sources tell Davies that as many as 14 teams are interested in seeing him in action. The Lakers don’t have any picks in this year’s draft, so they would have to trade for one or hope to sign him as a free agent if he goes undrafted.

New York Notes: Brunson, Stoudemire, Baldwin, Sotto

May 21st, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks’ top executive, Leon Rose, needs to go all out this summer to sign free agent Jalen Brunson, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. The Knicks settled for Kemba Walker last summer instead of engaging in an all-out bidding war for Fred VanVleet. The same mistake can’t be made this time around, in Vaccaro’s view, so Rose must figure out a way to clear more cap space and give Brunson a competitive offer. Vaccaro also notes Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, was Rose’s first ever client as a player agent.

We have more on the New York teams:

Amar’e Stoudemire clarified comments he made on ESPN shows regarding Kyrie Irving and the Nets organization in an Instagram post (hat tip to Chris Milholen of NetsDaily.com). Stoudemire told coach Steve Nash he was leaving his post as a player development coach due to his religious obligations prior to his TV appearances and has no issue with Nash or GM Sean Marks. He also said he wasn’t trying to blast Irving when he said Irving “hurt us” due to his lack of availability during the season. “You’re not going to turn me against Kyrie. You’re not going to turn me against the Nets. You’re not going to turn me against anyone. So you can forget about it,” Stoudemire said.
The Knicks have quietly added Vince Baldwin — a longtime Nike talent scout — as a “talent evaluator,” Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Baldwin has extensive contacts in the high school and college ranks and is close with Knicks senior executive William Wesley. The Knicks also hired Tim Hardaway Sr. as a scout without making an official announcement.
Center prospect Kai Sotto will work out for the Knicks on Monday, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. The 7’3” big man from the Philippines spent last season in Australia’s National Basketball League, averaging 7.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG for the Adelaide 36ers.

Coach/Exec Notes: Connelly, D’Antoni, Nets, Rockets

May 20th, 2022 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

In general manager Calvin Booth, the Nuggets have a logical in-house replacement for Tim Connelly should their current president of basketball operations decide he wants to leave Denver to run the Timberwolves‘ front office, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. The Wolves are said to be in the market for a big-name basketball executive and are reportedly courting Connelly.

However, for the Nuggets, it’s not just as simple as wishing Connelly well and promoting Booth, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (all Twitter links), who says there’s a lot of “angst” within the organization over the situation.

Connelly has had a significant impact on the Nuggets’ culture, empowering coaches, staffers, and players while creating a positive work environment, says Singer, adding that no one wants to see him go and there are people under Connelly who have taken less money to stay with the team. Connelly has also earned a significant amount of trust from Denver’s players, including Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, per Singer.

According to Stein, there’s some skepticism around the NBA that Connelly will view the Minnesota opportunity more favorably than his current situation in Denver, where the two-time reigning MVP is on the verge of signing a long-term extension. However, if the Wolves offer significantly more money or an ownership stake, Connelly will have a tough decision to make. It will be interesting to see if the Kroenkes, the Nuggets’ owners, step up to retain him, says Singer.

Here are a few more front office and coaching notes from around the NBA:

After previously reporting that Mike D’Antoni appeared to be in a strong position to land the Hornets‘ coaching job, Stein says there has been some “push-back” on that report this week, as some sources in coaching circles believe team owner Michael Jordan may be wary of hiring such an offense-first coach.
Nets director of player development Adam Harrington isn’t likely to return to the team for 2022/23, according to Stein. Harrington has worked closely with Kevin Durant over the last three years and his impending departure hadn’t been expected, Stein adds.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic identifies Rio Grande Valley Vipers coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah as a strong candidate for one of the open assistant jobs on Stephen Silas‘ Rockets staff. A report this week said that Rockets assistants Jeff Hornacek and Will Weaver won’t be back for next season.

No Contract Talks Yet For Nets, Kyrie Irving

May 19th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have yet to engage in any contract talks with Kyrie Irving, who holds a $36.9MM player option for 2022/23, general manager Sean Marks said in an interview with YES Network (link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “It wouldn’t be right for me to comment on what hypothetical could happen, because we don’t know,” Marks said. “We haven’t had those conversations with Kyrie yet. But when they do (happen), we’ll see if it’s the right fit for both sides.”

2022 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 18th, 2022 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

Not only did the Thunder move up in Tuesday’s draft lottery to claim this year’s No. 2 overall pick, but they’re also one of just three teams with four picks in the 2022 draft. No team’s 2022 selections are more valuable than Oklahoma City’s — in addition to the second overall pick, the Thunder control No. 12, No. 30, and No. 34.

The Spurs and Timberwolves also each own four 2022 draft picks, with San Antonio controlling three first-rounders and No. 38, while Minnesota has No. 19 and three second-rounders.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, four clubs don’t currently own any 2022 draft picks. The Lakers, Suns, and Jazz are three of those teams, and either the Sixers or the Nets will be the fourth, depending on whether Brooklyn decides to acquire Philadelphia’s first-rounder or defer it to 2023.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2022 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Oklahoma City Thunder (4): 2, 12, 30, 34
San Antonio Spurs (4): 9, 20, 25, 38
Minnesota Timberwolves (4): 19, 40, 48, 50
Orlando Magic (3): 1, 32, 35
Sacramento Kings (3): 4, 37, 49
Indiana Pacers (3): 6, 31, 58
Portland Trail Blazers (3): 7, 36, 57
New Orleans Pelicans (3): 8, 41, 52
Charlotte Hornets (3): 13, 15, 45
Cleveland Cavaliers (3): 14, 39, 56
Memphis Grizzlies (3): 22, 29, 47
Golden State Warriors (3): 28, 51, 55

Teams with two picks:

Houston Rockets: 3, 17
Detroit Pistons: 5, 46
Washington Wizards: 10, 54
New York Knicks: 11, 42
Atlanta Hawks: 16, 44

Teams with one pick:

Chicago Bulls: 18
Denver Nuggets: 21
Philadelphia 76ers: 23
Milwaukee Bucks: 24
Dallas Mavericks: 26
Miami Heat: 27
Toronto Raptors: 33
Los Angeles Clippers: 43
Boston Celtics: 53

Teams with no picks:

Brooklyn Nets
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Rosas, Jokubaitis, Ainge

May 17th, 2022 at 11:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a recent interview with Michael Grady of YES Network (video link), Nets team president Sean Marks once again defended embattled Brooklyn guard Ben Simmons. Simmons, who missed the entire 2021/22 season due to mental health issues and a herniated disc in his lower back, had reportedly aimed to return in the first round of the playoffs, but experienced a setback.

“It’s a little bit of a testament that one, he tried to get back out there and tried to help his teammates and secondly, we have to be careful not judge people,” Marks said. “And if you’re outside that medical profession, when you’re chiming in from afar, you just have to be a bit careful of what you’re saying because you really don’t know.”

Simmons opted to treat the back injury with surgery after the Nets were officially eliminated in a 4-0 first-round sweep by the Celtics.

“Nobody wants to have surgery,” Marks said. “It’s the last resort but it’s bygone now and we’ve got to move forward on this, we’ve got to support him and so forth.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Former Timberwolves team president Gersson Rosas has an official title with the Knicks, having been named a senior basketball advisor, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Rosas was let go from Minnesota under murky circumstances and later joined the Knicks as a consultant. Begley notes that determining where Rosas slots in among the Knicks’ front office pecking order will be important during a critical 2022 offseason for New York.
The Knicks are considering leaving 2021 draft-and-stash second-round pick Rokas Jokubaitis, currently playing for Barcelona in the EuroLeague Final Four, overseas to develop for another year, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman opines that New York could have more flexibility to sign the point guard prospect in 2023, after several short-term Knicks contracts come off the books. Jokubaitis averaged 7.2 PPG and 2.8 APG across 17 MPG in 35 EuroLeague contests this season.
Former Celtics team president Danny Ainge, now in the Jazz front office, has enjoyed seeing the progress of his old team, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. The Celtics are now trailing the Heat 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals. “I’ve been proud of this team all year,” Ainge said. “I really liked watching guys develop when I was there, and it’s been great watching guys like Jayson [Tatum] and Jaylen [Brown] and Marcus [Smart] and Rob [Williams] and all of them take another step this year. They just beat a great team, the defending champs.” Ainge drafted Tatum, Brown, Smart and Williams during his Celtics front office run.

Magic Win 2022 NBA Draft Lottery; Thunder, Rockets, Kings In Top Four

May 17th, 2022 at 7:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With Tuesday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 slots for the 2022 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:

Orlando Magic
Oklahoma City Thunder
Houston Rockets
Sacramento Kings
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Portland Trail Blazers
New Orleans Pelicans (from Lakers)
San Antonio Spurs
Washington Wizards
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)
Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers

It’s great news for the rebuilding Magic, who finished dead last in the Eastern Conference this season and had the NBA’s second-worst record (22-60). They entered the night tied for the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick at 14.0%, and will be picking first in the draft for the first time since 2004, when they selected Dwight Howard.

This time around, the Magic appear likely to draft a big man once again. Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero, all power forwards or centers, are widely considered to be the top prospects in the 2022 class. Orlando could add one of them to a core that includes 2021 lottery picks Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.

The Thunder are one of the night’s other big winners, moving up from fourth in the pre-lottery order to No. 2 overall. The rebuilding squad is loaded with first-round picks over the next five years, and will have the opportunity to draft a potential franchise player next month to complement guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Oklahoma City is the only team with two picks in this year’s lottery, having acquired the No. 12 overall selection from the Clippers.

The Rockets will have a top-three pick for a second straight year after nabbing Jalen Green second overall in 2021. They’ll be followed by the Kings, who moved up from seventh in the pre-lottery order to No. 4 in the draft, making good on their 31.9% chance to jump into the top four.

It’s the fourth consecutive time that the seventh team in the lottery standings has moved into the top four. The Pelicans (Zion Williamson), Hornets (LaMelo Ball), and Raptors (Scottie Barnes) did it in 2019, 2020, and 2021 after the NBA revamped its lottery format ahead of the 2019 event.

The Pistons, Pacers, and Trail Blazers were among the biggest losers on lottery night. Detroit moved down two spots, from No. 3 to No. 5, while Indiana and Portland both dropped one spot from their place in the pre-lottery order, landing at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively.

Since the Lakers’ first-round pick stayed at No. 8, it will head to the Pelicans rather than the Grizzlies — Memphis would have received it if it had fallen out of the top 10.

The rest of the lottery played out as expected, with the Spurs, Wizards, Knicks, Thunder, Hornets, and Cavaliers rounding out the top 14.

Draft Notes: Christie, Rhoden, Brooks, Lee, Johnson, Bieniemy, Combine

May 16th, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Michigan State freshman guard Max Christie will stay in the draft and hire an agent, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Christie is ranked No. 44 in ESPN’s Best Available list after averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.5 APG in 35 games with the Spartans in 2021/22. He’s participating at the Chicago pre-draft combine this week.

We have more draft-related news:

Seton Hall wing Jared Rhoden, who impressed at the recent G League Elite Camp, has worked out for the Knicks, Nets and Celtics, Adam Zagoria tweets. The 6’6” Rhoden averaged 15.5 PPG and 6.7 RPG for the Pirates.
Kentucky’s Keion Brooks said he’s staying in the draft, Zagoria writes in a ZagsBlog.com post. The 6’7” Brooks averaged 10.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG this past season. “I’m all in on the draft,” he said.
Like Brooks, Davidson’s Hyunjung Lee says he’s not going back to college, Zagoria tweets. “I’m 100 percent in for the draft… This is my long-term dream.” Lee said. “If I play whether in the League or the G League, I feel I can improve faster.”
Cleveland State forward Deante Johnson is withdrawing from the draft and returning to college, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.
UTEP swingman Jamal Bieniemy, who averaged 14.7 PPG last season, is staying in the draft, Rothstein tweets.
Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, Toledo’s Ryan Rollins, North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith and Colorado State’s David Roddy are among the players who stand the most to gain from the combine, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz and Jonathan Givony write.

Ben Simmons, Nets To Work Together On Offseason Plan

May 14th, 2022 at 10:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons and the Sixers could never get on the same page last offseason, but it sounds like things will be different with the Nets, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons and his representatives will work with the team on a plan to optimize his physical and mental health in advance of training camp, a source close to Simmons tells Lewis.

“We will work together with the Nets on a summer plan,” the source said. “Everyone is confident.”

Simmons is recovering from microdiscectomy surgery that he underwent May 4 because of a herniated L-4 disk in his lower back. He is expected to need three months of rehab before he can start playing again, and Nets officials want him to do as much of that work as possible in Brooklyn.

One encouraging sign, according to Lewis, is that Simmons has agreed to sell his mansion in South Jersey and his condo in downtown Philadelphia.

At a press conference this week, Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said Simmons is “feeling relief already” from the operation and expressed optimism that he will be back at full strength next season.

Sixers president Daryl Morey admitted that he couldn’t build a rapport with Simmons, who wasn’t willing to open up to the team’s mental health professionals, Lewis adds. No agreement has been reached yet on whether Simmons will see therapists who work for the Nets, but Marks said there will be benefits from having him at the team’s training facility and being around his teammates and coaches.

“[The question] of how do we support him through the mental performance side of things, that’s a touchy subject,” Marks said. “I don’t want to talk about someone’s mental health or mental performance. I’m going to let Ben address that at the correct time. I will say this: Whether it’s the NBA or whether, what everyone’s been going through, I look around and I’d love to [see] if there’s anyone out there who hasn’t had some type of mental fatigue over the last two years. This has not been easy for anybody. I’m not making an excuse with anyone in the pro sports area, but we all need support. And we’re coming through it. And same for Ben.”

Nets Notes: Trade Exceptions, Irving, Vanterpool, Harden Trade

May 14th, 2022 at 5:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets won’t have any cap room this summer, but they can upgrade the roster by using their three trade exceptions, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Brooklyn owns an $11.3MM exception from the James Harden trade with the Sixers, a $6.3MM exception from a deal that sent DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons and a $3.3MM TPE from the Spencer Dinwiddie trade with the Mavericks.

Winfield suggests using the largest exception, along with Philadelphia’s 2027 first-round pick and the Nets’ second-rounder in 2029, to acquire Spurs wing Josh Richardson, and notes that the smaller exceptions could be valuable as rival teams try to clear cap space in advance of free agency.

Winfield shares other ideas for the Nets’ offseason, such as targeting Joe Ingles with the taxpayer mid-level exception and looking for bargains with minimum-salary contracts such as Ben McLemore, Markieff Morris, Danuel House, Isaiah Hartenstein, Bismack Biyombo and Hassan Whiteside.

There’s more on the Nets:

Kyrie Irving has been difficult for management to handle since he signed with Brooklyn in 2019, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. A source tells Bondy that Irving, who only played 20 games in his first season with the Nets because of a shoulder issue, disappeared from the team and didn’t communicate with the front office about the condition of his shoulder as he looked for second opinions.
Steve Nash is expected to return as head coach next season, but he could have a much different staff working for him. Amar’e Stoudemire is leaving his position as a player development assistant, and David Vanterpool isn’t expected back either, Marc Stein states in his latest article for Substack. Vanterpool recently interviewed for the Hornets’ head coaching job.
Neither team benefited much from the blockbuster deal headlined by Harden and Ben Simmons, but the Sixers appear to be worse shape than the Nets, observes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn at least has roster stability with Simmons under contract for three more seasons. Philadelphia is facing a difficult decision on how to handle an extension for Harden, who could make nearly $270MM in a five-year max deal.