Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Rule Out Ben Simmons For Rest Of Season

March 7th, 2024 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have ruled Ben Simmons out for the remainder of the season, announcing today (via Twitter) that he’ll be shut down as he consults with specialists and considers treatment options for the nerve impingement in his lower back.

“Simmons, along with his representatives and Nets medical personnel, are currently in discussions with numerous experts to determine the course of action that will provide him with the best opportunity for long-term sustainable health,” the team said in its statement.

Simmons will finish the 2023/24 season having appeared in just 15 games. He averaged 6.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 7.9 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per contest.

It’s the third straight season in which Simmons’ availability and production has been extremely limited due to his back issues.

Following his holdout in 2021/22 and the trade that sent from Philadelphia to Brooklyn, the former No. 1 overall pick was unable to suit up for the Nets that season due to back pain and eventually underwent a microdiscectomy in the spring of 2022 in order to relieve the pain from a herniated disc.

Simmons returned in 2022/23 and appeared in 42 games for Brooklyn, but admitted later that he hadn’t fully recovered from the procedure on his back and was in pain for much of the season. Coming into ’23/24, he was optimistic about his health, indicating last August that he was eager to “come back and dominate.”

However, the nerve impingement in his back cost Simmons nearly three months early in the season and remained a problem even after he returned in January. Agent Bernie Lee spoke earlier this week about his efforts to find the right treatment to get his client past this lingering injury.

“We continue to try and find non-surgical options to allow Ben to move forward on a permanent basis and that is where this is my responsibility and I am (the) one to blame,” Lee said. “When I began working with Ben I made a commitment to him that I would do everything I could to find the right answers and specialists for him to work with (in order) to move forward from the issues he has been having. Clearly it hasn’t happened, and that’s my responsibility.

“… Come the offseason, we’re going to implement some processes and outside input that’ll allow him to finally move forward from this ongoing issue and resume his career at the levels he’s established prior to being injured.”

A three-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, Simmons is still just 27 years old, so if he can get healthy, he still has the potential to be one of the NBA’s better play-makers and defenders. However, physical and mental health issues have derailed his career since 2020/21 and have made his maximum-salary contract a cumbersome asset on Brooklyn’s books.

Simmons will be entering the final year of his current deal in 2024/25. He’s on track to earn $40,338,144 before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Contract Details: Lawson, K. Brown, Forrest, Barlow, Bouyea, More

March 6th, 2024 at 6:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks used a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to give A.J. Lawson a $1MM rest-of-season salary and a four-year contract when they promoted him to their standard roster, Hoops Rumors has learned.

While Lawson’s 2023/24 salary of $1MM – which is well above his prorated minimum – is guaranteed, he’s not necessarily assured of any money beyond this season. His minimum salaries for the following three years are fully non-guaranteed. If he plays out the full contract, the Mavericks wing would earn approximately $7.91MM.

Here are more details on recently signed contracts around the NBA:

The three-year contract that Kendall Brown signed with the Pacers features a starting salary of $1.1MM, which came out of the team’s room exception. This season is the first year that the room exception can be used to sign players for up to three years instead of just two, and Indiana took advantage of that flexibility to give Brown non-guaranteed minimum salaries in 2024/25 and ’25/26, with a team option on that final year. He’ll receive a partial guarantee of $250K if he makes the Pacers’ regular season roster in the fall.
The new contracts for Hawks guard Trent Forrest and Spurs forward Dominick Barlow are just rest-of-season, minimum-salary deals, which suggests that those two players just got standard conversions from their two-way contracts rather than negotiating new terms. Forrest will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Barlow will be eligible for restricted free agency.
As expected, both Shake Milton (Knicks) and Mike Muscala (Thunder) signed rest-of-season, minimum-salary contracts with their new clubs.
Like fellow San Antonio newcomer RaiQuan Gray, Jamaree Bouyea signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Spurs, so his new contract runs through the 2024/25 season.
The two-way deals recently signed by Jeff Dowtin (Sixers), Jacob Gilyard (Nets), Jacob Toppin (Knicks), Ish Wainright (Suns), Quenton Jackson (Pacers), Harry Giles (Lakers), and Dylan Windler (Hawks) are all one-year (rest-of-season) contracts, so those players will be eligible to become restricted free agents this summer.

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, McBride, Tillman, Celtics

March 5th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The left lower back nerve impingement that is currently keeping Ben Simmons on the shelf is the same issue that affected him earlier this season, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who confirm that the Nets guard/forward didn’t suffer a new impingement.

Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee, referring to his client as day-to-day, said he continues to seek answers on how to get Simmons past this health issue, which has affected the former No. 1 overall pick for multiple seasons.

“We continue to try and find non-surgical options to allow Ben to move forward on a permanent basis and that is where this is my responsibility and I am (the) one to blame,” Lee said. “When I began working with Ben I made a commitment to him that I would do everything I could to find the right answers and specialists for him to work with (in order) to move forward from the issues he has been having. Clearly it hasn’t happened, and that’s my responsibility.

“… Come the offseason, we’re going to implement some processes and outside input that’ll allow him to finally move forward from this ongoing issue and resume his career at the levels he’s established prior to being injured.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Knicks aren’t surprised by the strides that Miles McBride has made as a shooter this season, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who notes that the third-year guard is making a strong case for rotation minutes even when everyone is healthy. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post observes, the signing of Shake Milton will give New York another option in an increasingly crowded backcourt. However, Katz suggests that Milton is viewed as a depth piece and that McBride’s performance should keep him ahead of Milton – and Alec Burks – on the team’s depth chart.
Celtics newcomer Xavier Tillman has made a positive impression on his new teammates, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.com and Jay King of The Athletic. Tillman played just three total minutes in his first seven games as a Celtic (he missed four of those games while recovering from a knee injury), but has scored 13 points across 33 minutes and been a +26 in Boston’s past two games. “X looked good out there, man,” Jaylen Brown said after Friday’s win over Dallas. “It’s like, he fit right in. He came right in and made contributions on defense, got a few rebounds, got some stops. Offense, you could tell he got a good feel for the game. A good screen setter.”
The Celtics‘ offensive success this season stems in large part from the fact that their top eight players are all reliable three-point shooters on relatively high volume, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger considers whether it’s just a matter of time until the NBA features several more teams that look like the Celtics or whether Boston is an anomaly due to the difficulty of building a roster that has that many shooters and still plays strong defense.

Contract Details: Omoruyi, Wilson, Freeman-Liberty, Bolden

March 5th, 2024 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Eugene Omoruyi‘s new two-year standard contract with the Wizards will pay him $900K for the rest of this season, Hoops Rumors has learned. Washington dipped into its mid-level exception in order to give Omoruyi that $900K, since using the minimum salary exception would have resulted in a rest-of-season salary worth approximately $522K.

Omoryui’s 2024/25 salary is worth the minimum and is non-guaranteed for the time being. If he remains under contract until the start of the ’24/25 regular season in the fall, he’ll earn a partial guarantee of $1MM. He’d receive his full guarantee for next season if he’s not cut on or before January 7, 2025.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Jalen Wilson‘s three-year contract with the Nets is worth approximately $4.96MM in total, with a $850K rest-of-season salary for 2023/24 and minimum salaries for the following two years. Brooklyn used its mid-level exception to give him a contract that covers three seasons and a starting salary well above the prorated rookie minimum. Wilson is also assured of a $75K partial guarantee next season, which will increase to $325K if he makes the opening-night roster.
The standard contract that Javon Freeman-Liberty received from the Raptors is a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a $100K partial guarantee for next season and multiple trigger dates for his 2024/25 salary. Freeman-Liberty’s partial guarantee would increase to $150K if he’s not waived by July 23 and to $800K if he’s still under contract at the start of the ’24/25 regular season.
Marques Bolden‘s two-way contract with the Hornets is a two-year agreement, so it will cover next season in addition to the rest of 2023/24.

Hornets Hire Jeff Peterson As New Head Of Basketball Operations

March 5th, 2024 at 8:36am CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 5: The Hornets have officially announced in a press release that Peterson has been hired as the club’s executive vice president of basketball operations. The team confirmed that he’ll be the primary basketball decision-maker in addition to leading the front office’s day-to-day operations.

“We’re excited to have Jeff join the Charlotte Hornets as the new leader of our basketball operations,” co-owners Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said in a statement. “He shares our vision, our values and our goal of becoming the premier franchise in the NBA.

“Jeff is a rising star in our league who is known for his player evaluation, his communication skills and his ability to develop strong relationships. His experience of having worked with multiple organizations and different general managers will be a great benefit to us. We look forward to working with Jeff as we continue to build our team and we want to welcome him to Charlotte.”

FEBRUARY 29: Nets executive Jeff Peterson will become the Hornets‘ new head of basketball operations, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The report is confirmed by Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), who states that rumors regarding Peterson potentially coming to Charlotte began last summer.

Peterson, 35, worked under Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall in Atlanta early in his career, Wojnarowski notes. Schnall was a minority owner with the Hawks when Peterson started as an intern and worked his way up to assistant general manager within f0ur years.

Peterson also established a strong relationship with Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, who served as a coaching consultant for Brooklyn during the 2021/22 season, Wojnarowski adds.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that the Hornets talked to roughly a dozen candidates before deciding on Peterson. He has been with the Nets since 2019, which is when he became an assistant GM under Sean Marks.

Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) points out that the Hornets already have some assets in place for their rebuilding project as Peterson takes over. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller appear to be long-term foundational pieces, and Charlotte will have a high lottery pick in this year’s draft, along with Houston’s second-round selection, which is likely to fall in the top 40.

Ben Simmons Dealing With Nerve Impingement In His Back

March 4th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons remains on the Nets‘ injury report, although the reason has changed, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Simmons missed the last two games with left leg soreness and sat out the game before that due to rest and maintenance because he hasn’t received medical clearance to play in back-to-backs. He has been ruled out for tonight with a left lower back nerve impingement, a condition that caused him to miss a significant chunk of time earlier this season, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.

New York Notes: Hart, DiVincenzo, Simmons, Claxton

March 3rd, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With so many regulars missing due to injuries, the Knicks have been leaning heavily on forward Josh Hart, who has played at least 40 minutes in six of the team’s past seven games, including 47:10 in Thursday’s loss to Golden State. After admitting earlier in the season that his Team USA stint last summer might be catching up with him, Hart has welcomed the extra playing time and shown no signs of hitting a wall, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.

“At the end of the day as a competitor I want to play,” Hart said following Thursday’s game. “If I went out, especially if we were making a run and I got (taken) out, I’m mad. You know what I mean? I want to play as much as I can.”

Head coach Tom Thibodeau told Botte and other reporters that he’s “always talking” to Hart about his workload and that he’s pleased with how the 28-year-old has responded to his increased role.

“He’s handled it well,” Thibodeau said. “Obviously, we’re shorthanded right now so that’s what’s required. But (he had) 18 rebounds, seven assists (on Thursday). And he’s a great defender, so we need him right now.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

While Donte DiVincenzo is a long shot to suit up for Italy in this year’s Olympics, the Knicks wing said in a conversation with Simone Sandri of Gazzetta Dello Sport that he hopes to represent the national team in the years to come, even if he can’t get his Italian passport in time for Paris this summer.
Fred Katz of The Athletic examines a few areas of concern for the Knicks, including the offensive production from the first unit and all the teams that are right on their heels in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons missed a third consecutive game on Saturday due to left leg soreness, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Simmons has been limited to 15 appearances in 2023/24, including just 10 since playing the first five games of the season.
The Nets only have a couple more months to experiment with the way they use Nic Claxton before they’ll have to pay up to retain him in free agency, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). As Lewis details, Claxton and Simmons have remained altogether incompatible in their minutes sharing the court, and while Simmons was a major part of Brooklyn’s game plan entering this season, Claxton now looks like the player who will be a bigger part of the franchise’s plans going forward.

Eastern Notes: Hornets, Peterson, Clifford, Bridges, Pistons, Murray, Raptors

March 2nd, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

By all accounts, the Hornets made a strong choice in reportedly deciding on Nets executive Jeff Peterson to run their front office, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

One source who has spent plenty of time around Peterson called it a “great, great get” for the Hornets, while a high-ranking executive who previously worked with Peterson referred to him as “incredibly intelligent and super genuine,” Boone reports.

Peterson will have many items on his to-do list in the coming weeks and months once he’s officially hired, according to Boone, who points to head coach Steve Clifford‘s future as one major decision awaiting the new head of basketball operations. The Hornets don’t owe Clifford any additional guaranteed money, Boone writes, so if they decide not to retain him beyond the season, they could simply turn down his team option for 2024/25.

Peterson will also face an important free agency decision this summer on Miles Bridges, who has picked up where he left off on the court this season but has been the subject of multiple domestic violence accusations in the past two years. His most recent legal case was dismissed last month. Multiple league sources tell Boone that Charlotte could face competition from the Pistons for the former Michigan State forward.

In the shorter term, Peterson may look to start filling out his new front office. According to Boone, one candidate for a possible assistant general manager role is Matt Tellem, Brooklyn’s director of strategic planning and an assistant GM for the G League’s Long Island Nets. Tellem is considered a salary cap expert, says Boone.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Although the Pistons envision trade-deadline acquisitions Quentin Grimes and Simone Fontecchio as key pieces of next season’s team, they plan to bring both wings off the bench for now and take a look at five of their recent first-round picks as starters, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Healthy and back from his three-game suspension, Isaiah Stewart will continue to be part of Detroit’s starting five alongside Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren for the foreseeable future, barring injuries. The hope is that Stewart’s defense will make up for the first unit having less spacing, Sankofa explains.
Hawks guard Dejounte Murray has locked in a $500K bonus on top of his base salary this season after making his 125th three-pointer of the season on Saturday, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The bonus had been deemed likely and already counted against Murray’s $18.2MM cap hit because he earning that incentive last season by making 133 threes.
Raptors star Scottie Barnes is out indefinitely after fracturing his hand on Friday and may have played his last game of the 2023/24 season. However, Warriors forward Draymond Green believes Barnes is capable of great things next year and beyond, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays. “Scottie is an incredible player,” Green said on Friday. “… Me playing the point forward position, I’m not going to sit up here and act like I was the first one to ever do it, but I think I’ve done it a little differently than most. And he’ll take that to another level. … I think Scottie will do way more than I ever did.”
Barnes’ injury was unfortunately timed, given that the new-look Raptors were beginning to show some promise, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who explores what the All-Star’s absence means for the team going forward.

Nets Sign Jacob Gilyard To Two-Way Contract

March 2nd, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 2: Gilyard’s two-way deal is now official, according to an announcement from the Nets.

MARCH 1: The Nets intend to sign former Grizzlies point guard Jacob Gilyard to a two-way contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Gilyard was previously on a two-way deal with the Grizzlies, but Memphis waived him last week in order to sign Jordan Goodwin.

Players on two-way contracts can only be active for 50 NBA games in a season. Gilyard was nearly at the 50-game limit, and the Grizzlies had a full 15-man standard roster. Instead of promoting him and having to waive someone from the standard roster, they decided to cut ties.

Gilyard, 25, was a college star at Richmond before going undrafted in 2022. He signed a two-way deal with Memphis at the end of 2022/23, appearing in one game as a rookie. In 37 games this season, he averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.5% from deep in 17.7 minutes per contest.

On Friday afternoon, the Nets used a portion of their mid-level exception to promote rookie forward Jalen Wilson to a multiyear standard contract. That opened up a two-way spot, which Gilyard is set to fill.

Nets, Jalen Wilson Finalize Three-Year Contract

March 1st, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

5:45pm: Wilson’s deal is now official, according to a press release from the Nets.

2:50pm: Wilson’s deal will include a partial guarantee for 2024/25 and a team option on the ’25/26 season, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

2:16pm: The Nets are promoting Jalen Wilson from his two-way contract and will give him a spot on their standard 15-man roster, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the rookie forward will sign a new three-year deal.

After winning a national championship with Kansas in 2022, Wilson led the Jayhawks in scoring (20.1 PPG) and rebounding (8.3 RPG) as a redshirt junior in 2022/23. He was named a first-team All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year before entering the 2023 draft, where he was selected with the No. 51 overall pick by the Nets.

Wilson didn’t play much at the NBA level earlier this season but impressed in the G League with the Long Island Nets, averaging 19.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 33.0 minutes per game across 22 appearances in the Showcase Cup and NBAGL regular season. He posted a shooting line of .471/.380/.745 in those contests.

Wilson’s strong play with Long Island has helped earn him a spot in Brooklyn’s rotation in recent weeks. Since February 6, he has played in all 10 of the Nets’ games, averaging 5.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .444/.500/.667 shooting in 18.9 MPG.

The Nets have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to make room for Wilson. Once his promotion is official, the club will have an open two-way slot and will face a March 4 deadline to fill it.

Brooklyn will use a portion of its mid-level exception in order to sign Wilson to a contract exceeding two seasons. Additional details on the deal aren’t yet known.