Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nikola Jokic Repeats As Most Valuable Player

May 11th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has won his second straight Most Valuable Player Award, topping the Sixers‘ Joel Embiid and the Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo by a comfortable margin, the NBA announced in a press release.

Jokic received 65 first-place votes and 875 total points, putting him well ahead of Embiid, who finished second with 26 first-place votes and 706 points. Antetokounmpo came in third with nine first-place votes and 595 points.

Nobody else received a first-place vote, but Suns guard Devin Booker was fourth with 216 points and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was fifth at 146 points. With 100 total voters, the balloting system awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth and one point for fifth.

Other players receiving votes were the Celtics‘ Jayson Tatum (43 points), the Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant (10), the Warriors‘ Stephen Curry (4), the Suns‘ Chris Paul (2), the Bulls‘ DeMar DeRozan (1), the Lakers‘ LeBron James (1) and the Nets‘ Kevin Durant (1).

Jokic is the 13th player to win MVP honors in back-to-back seasons. He averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists in 74 games and helped the Nuggets earn the sixth seed in the West despite the absence of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Jokic was named Western Conference Player of the Month twice this season and reached the All-Star Game for the fourth straight year.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Monday that Jokic would win the award.

Nets GM Sean Marks On Irving, Simmons, Offseason, More

May 11th, 2022 at 4:10pm CST by Rory Maher

At his season-ending press conference on Wednesday, Nets general manager Sean Marks was noncommittal when asked about Kyrie Irving‘s future with the team, according to a report from The Athletic.

As Marks noted, he predicted last year that the Nets would come to terms on extensions for Irving and James Harden prior to the season and neither came to pass, so he wants to avoid making that mistake again.

“That’s something that we’ve been discussing and we’ll continue to debrief on and discuss throughout this offseason … we haven’t had any of those discussions yet,” Marks said. “We’re looking for guys that want to come in here and be part of something bigger than themselves, play selfless, play team basketball, and be available. That goes not only for Kyrie but everybody here.”

Irving holds a player option for $36.9MM next season, and if he opts out, he’d become an unrestricted free agent and eligible for a five-year, $247.7MM maximum-salary contract if he re-signs with Brooklyn. He’s also eligible for a four-year, $185MM extension if he picks up the option.

Irving missed most of the season due to his vaccination status and it clearly had a negative impact on the team, with Marks saying “it’s obvious” that Irving’s absence was a factor in how the season played out. Brooklyn entered the season as championship favorites but finished with just a 44-38 record and needed to win a game in the play-in tournament to advance as the No. 7 seed in the East before being swept in the first round of the playoffs by Boston.

Brooklyn has up to 10 players who could become free agents this summer, so both the players and the organization have important decisions to make.

“What drives them? Do they want to be part of this? Are they motivated by something that maybe is not good for the whole team?” Marks said, per Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. “So those are questions we’re going to have to ask ourselves and also the players that we want to bring back in here.”

Here’s more from Marks’ press conference:

According to The Athletic, Ben Simmons had an MRI after his back soreness returned prior to Game 4 against Boston and it revealed that his herniation had gotten worse, which necessitated the surgery. Marks said Simmons is feeling better and the team plans to have him around as much as possible. “We’re gonna be doing everything we possibly can to get him around our group. That is the key,” Marks said. “He needs to be in here, smell the gym again, around his friends, around his family and participate in this and let us help him build the culture together, build up together, build him back up because as (coach) Steve (Nash) alluded to, he is a big, big part of this.”
Irving said after the season ended that he planned to stay with Brooklyn, but he raised eyebrows by stating that he’d work with Kevin Durant, owner Joe Tsai, and Marks to manage the team. “When I say I’m here with Kev, I think that really entails us managing this franchise together alongside Joe and Sean,” he said.
However, Marks clearly wanted to put an end to that notion. He said that he is the Nets’ primary decision-maker and that he hadn’t spoken to Durant about the state of the team, the season, or about Irving’s future with the club, as Mahoney relays. “But at the end of the day, I mean more often than not, it’s myself making those decisions,” Marks said, “and it’s not me going to Kevin and saying: ‘Do you want this person? Do you want that person? Do you want that guy?’ I don’t think that’s fair to place that on Kevin. Now, is he surprised by anything? Absolutely not, because he will know ahead of time what we’re doing, what we plan on doing with, to be honest with the entire roster.”

Hawks Notes: Simmons, Gobert, Hunter, Workouts

May 11th, 2022 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks will be in the mix to acquire a second star if one becomes available this offseason, Chris Kirschner writes in a mailbag for The Athletic. While Atlanta won’t have the cap flexibility to pursue top free agents, Kirschner expects the team to do its homework on a handful of possible trade candidates.

Several people within the Hawks’ organization wanted to acquire Ben Simmons prior to this year’s trade deadline, according to Kirschner, who suggests Simmons could be a player worth monitoring this summer. Given the way the 25-year-old’s season played out and the fact that he’ll be returning from back surgery, his price would presumably be even lower than it was at the deadline. However, there’s no indication at this point that the Nets are looking to move on from the three-time All-Star.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

According to Kirschner, the Hawks will likely keep an eye on Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in case the Jazz decide to make major roster changes in the coming months. Kirschner, who views Gobert as a likelier target for Atlanta than Mitchell, has heard that Utah is fond of forward De’Andre Hunter.
The Hawks will hold a pre-draft workout on Wednesday for the following six players, tweets Kirschner: Anthony Duruji (Florida), Tari Eason (LSU), Collin Gillespie (Villanova), Kellan Grady (Kentucky), Kameron McGusty (Miami), and Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga). Eason is the No. 16 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list, while the others are further down the board.
Pointing to the comments recently made by team owner Tony Ressler, Ethan Fuller of BasketballNews.com explains why the Hawks look like a “must-watch team” this offseason.

Atlantic Notes: Kyrie, Nets Draft Class, Embiid, MVP

May 10th, 2022 at 11:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets have a busy summer ahead of them. The futures of point guard Kyrie Irving, reserve guard Patty Mills, wing Bruce Brown, and center Nic Claxton, as well as the team’s coaching and chemistry, are among the big offseason issues facing Brooklyn, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Lewis wonders if the Nets will want to reward Irving with a long-term contract should he choose to opt out this summer, after what has been a challenging season for the point guard off the court. Lewis notes that Irving has been unavailable for 123 of 226 regular-season contests since signing with Brooklyn in 2019. The team also faces an intimidating luxury tax bill moving forward.

Mills and Irving currently have player options for the 2022/23 season. Claxton is a restricted free agent, while Brown is unrestricted. How many Nets under contract will even be available to start the year is in question, as both Ben Simmons and Seth Curry underwent postseason surgeries, while Joe Harris had two ankle surgeries during the season.

Lewis notes that the Nets, coached by Steve Nash, were swept by the Celtics, coached by former Broolkyn assistant coach Ime Udoka, in the first round. Lewis wonders if Nash can improve as a coach and if he might be willing to hand off the defense to an assistant.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Nets used all five of their draft picks in 2021. Alex Schiffer and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic take a look at Brooklyn’s rookies for 2021/22: shooting guard Cam Thomas, small forward Kessler Edwards, power forward Day’Ron Sharpe, forward Raiquan Gray and guard Marcus Zegarowski. Schiffer and Vecenie then ponder the younger players’ fits with the club moving forward.
Sixers All-Star Joel Embiid has shown his historical greatness in his return to Philadelphia while nursing two injuries, writes Derek Bodner of The Daily Six. The center’s outstanding performance in the 76ers’ two home playoff victories in their second-round matchup against the Heat exhibited how his greatness could elevate a supporting cast of at-times ill-fitting parts, opines Bodner. Miami currently leads the series 3-2.
Following the Sixers‘ 120-85 Game 5 loss in Miami Tuesday night, Philadelphia All-Star big man Joel Embiid reflected on Nuggets center Nikola Jokic besting him for the 2022 NBA MVP award, per Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice (Twitter link). “Obviously, congrats to Nikola, he deserved it, he had an amazing season,” Embiid said. “There’s no right or wrong, there [were] a lot of candidates. It could have gone either way. Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Devin Booker being on the best team in the league by far, so I guess every year it’s all about whatever you guys decided, whatever fits the narrative as far as who’s going to win.”

Nets’ Seth Curry Undergoes Ankle Surgery

May 9th, 2022 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard Seth Curry underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle today, the team announced in a press release. He’s expected to make a full recovery prior to next season’s training camp.

Curry had been dealing with pain in his ankle since January, a month before he was sent to Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster James Harden/Ben Simmons trade.

“I was dealing with it probably a month before the trade. It’s been a while. It’s something I’m just going to have to manage and deal with until the offseason,” Curry said in March. “It’s not something that’s going to go away. So as long as it’s not getting worse, I should be good.”

He re-injured the ankle a couple days later and it continued to bother him for the remainder of the season. At the end of March, Curry was optimistic he’d be able to avoid surgery, but obviously it turned out to be necessary.

In 64 games for Philadelphia and Brooklyn this season, Curry averaged 15.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists on .487/.422/.872 shooting. He’s one of the top shooters in the league, holding a career three-point percentage of 43.9%.

Curry, 31, has one year remaining on his contract. He’ll earn $8,496,653 in 2023/23.

Optimism Rises Regarding Ben Simmons Following Surgery

May 9th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

In Sunday’s Game 4 win over Miami, the Sixers got to see the version of James Harden they’ve been waiting for, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Harden looked like the perennial MVP candidate he was in Houston as he scored 31 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and made six three-pointers, his most in a single game since being acquired from the Nets in February.

Brian Lewis of The New York Post traces the significant events involving Nets forward Ben Simmons since he played his last game and suggests there’s increased optimism about next season in the wake of his back surgery.

Lakers Discussed Making An Offer For Kyrie Irving

May 8th, 2022 at 10:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers had internal discussions about trading for Kyrie Irving before the Nets gave him permission to start playing part-time in early January, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Those sources didn’t say if L.A. decided to make an offer or if the team still has interest, but Begley doesn’t believe it will matter because Irving is likely to re-sign with Brooklyn this summer.

Did The Nets Get "Damaged Goods" In Ben Simmons?

May 6th, 2022 at 1:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons‘ decision to have back surgery on Thursday is further evidence that the Nets got “damaged goods” in their trade with the Sixers, Berman states in a separate story. Even though Simmons is expected to be ready for training camp, Berman says it’s not a good sign that he’s about to go through another summer of limited activity.

Nets’ Ben Simmons Undergoes Back Surgery

May 5th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Maher

MAY 5: Simmons’ procedure today was successful, the Nets announced in a press release. He’ll begin the rehabilitation process after resting for three weeks and “is expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of next season’s training camp.”

MAY 4: Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons will undergo back surgery on Thursday, the team announced (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Andscape).

Simmons will undergo a microdiscectomy in order to relieve the pain from his herniated disc after consulting with “multiple back specialists.” The team will provide updates on his status after the surgery.

Simmons is expected to make a full recovery in three-to-four months, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter), who says Simmons should be ready for action prior to next season’s training camp.

Over the past few months, head coach Steve Nash had downplayed the possibility of Simmons needing back surgery, per Nick Friedell of ESPN (Twitter link). Simmons will join Dwight Howard, Michael Porter Jr. and Brook Lopez on the list of NBA players who’ve undergone a microdiscectomy, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, who notes that Warriors coach Steve Kerr also had the procedure and wound up having additional complications and pain.

Simmons missed the entire 2021/22 season after a prolonged holdout with the Sixers following a trade request last summer. He was famously moved on the day of the trade deadline in February (along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and a couple of first-round picks) in exchange for James Harden.

Shortly after he was dealt to Brooklyn, Simmons began experiencing pain in his back, and it was reported that he had a herniated L-4 disc in his lower spine. He received an epidural to relieve soreness, and despite seemingly making progress in recent weeks, he ended up missing the team’s first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Celtics after suffering a setback.

In addition to the back injury, Simmons has also dealt with mental health issues for the past several months. The 25-year-old has been a highly effective (if unconventional) player when he’s been able to suit up, making the All-Star team three times in four seasons in addition to Rookie of the Year, third team All-NBA, and a couple of All-Defensive teams.

In 275 career games (33.9 minutes), all starts, Simmons holds averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 56% from the field and 59.7% from the free throw line. He’s under contract through ’24/25 and will make $112.7MM over the next three seasons.

Hornets To Interview Charles Lee, David Vanterpool

May 4th, 2022 at 5:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have been granted permission to interview Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee and Nets assistant David Vanterpool for their head coaching vacancy, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Lee, 37, played four seasons at Bucknell from 2002-06 prior to making international stops in Israel, Belgium and Germany. He started his NBA assistant coaching career in 2014 with Atlanta, and has spent the past eight seasons working with head coach Mike Budenholzer, winning a championship with Milwaukee last season.

Lee was reportedly a finalist for head coaching jobs in New Orleans and Washington D.C. last summer, and he has continued to receive interest this season. He recently interviewed for Sacramento’s opening, but didn’t make the final cut.

An assistant for CSKA Moscow from 2007-12 after spending time with the Russian team as a player, Vanterpool made the move to the NBA in 2012. He served as an assistant coach on Portland’s staff for seven years from 2012-19, then spent two seasons as the Timberwolves’ associate head coach, first under Ryan Saunders, then under Chris Finch.

When the Wolves replaced Saunders with Finch during the 2020/21 season, some league observers expressed surprise that the team hired an assistant from another team (Finch had been part of Nick Nurse‘s Raptors staff) in the middle of the season rather than promoting Vanterpool, who has received consideration for other head coaching openings in recent years. Instead of sticking around in Minnesota, Vanterpool decided to join Steve Nash‘s staff in Brooklyn last summer.

Lee and Vanterpool are the fifth and sixth candidates set to interview for Charlotte’s vacancy, joining Mike D’Antoni, Kenny Atkinson, Darvin Ham and Sean Sweeney. The team is also rumored to be interested in a few other possible candidates.