Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Boucher, Barnes, Holiday, Watford, Reese

February 24th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Boucher‘s name was bandied about before the trade deadline but the Raptors big man was confident he wouldn’t be dealt. He had steady communication with the front office during that time.

“I won’t lie to you, I think it was the most peaceful deadline I had compared to the other years,” Boucher told William Lou of RaptorsRepublic.com. “I was also talking with (general manager) Bobby (Webster) and all of them, and I never thought I was going to be going away. The media says one thing, but really, the GM, and the people around here would have told me if something would have happened, and then I would have been a little bit more concerned.”

Boucher will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Scottie Barnes was the primary defender on Kevin Durant during the Raptors’ win over Phoenix on Sunday. Durant was limited to 15 points and Barnes told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.com that it wasn’t a fluke. “I think I’m a high-level defender, one of the best defenders in this league,” Barnes said. “I’m able to be able to guard multiple positions, switch, give the ball pressure because I move really well for my size and I’m out there reading things.”
Jrue Holiday will get Tuesday night off when the Celtics visit Toronto. Holiday will be rested in the first game of a back-to-back, Brian Robb of Masslive.com reports. Luke Kornet (personal reasons) will also miss the contest, while reserve center Al Horford (toe) is listed as questionable.
Nets forward Trendon Watford showed off his versatility on Saturday when head coach Jordi Fernandez used him at point guard during crunch time against the Sixers. Watford scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. “He helps you win,” Fernandez told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “And he does that because he’s able to score, but also able to handle and play-make and play four positions, and post-up and make a three. So all those things are super valuable at his size and position.”
The two-way contract that the Sixers gave Alex Reese is a two-year deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The free agent forward signed the contract on Friday.

Checking In On Open NBA Roster Spots

February 24th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been no shortage of free agent signings across the NBA since the trade deadline, but several clubs still have at least one open roster spot as we near the home stretch of the season.

Using our roster counts tracker, let’s check in on which teams have openings and which are most likely to fill them in the short term.

Teams with multiple open spots on their standard 15-man rosters:

New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings

The Pelicans and Kings are both currently carrying 13 players on standard contracts, which teams are permitted to do for up to 14 days at a time or 28 days in total during a season.

New Orleans dipped down to 13 players last Thursday by buying out Javonte Green, which means the club will have until next Thursday (March 6) to get back to 14 players. Two-way player Brandon Boston is considered a strong candidate for a promotion, though he’s still eight games away from his 50-game limit because he has been out since February 8 with a sprained ankle.

Sacramento, meanwhile, dropped to 13 players when Daishen Nix‘s 10-day contract expired last Monday night. The Kings need to re-add a 14th man by next Tuesday (March 4) in order to adhere to the NBA’s roster rules.

Teams with one open spot on their standard 15-man rosters:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Golden State Warriors
- Note: Two of the Warriors’ 14 players are on 10-day contracts.
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks

The Celtics, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Knicks are all deep into luxury tax territory and may not be in any rush to add a 15th man, since that player would cost exponentially more once tax penalties are taken into account. New York is currently restricted by a hard cap but could sign a player as soon as February 28.

The Hawks and Pacers have enough breathing room below the tax not to worry about surpassing that line, so they may look to add someone sooner rather than later, perhaps on a 10-day contract.

The Warriors, meanwhile, will dip back to 12 players once the 10-day contracts for Kevin Knox and Yuri Collins expire this Friday night. Golden State has some hard-cap issues to navigate for the rest of the season and might not want to get back to 14 players right away.

Teams with full standard 15-man rosters that include one 10-day contract:

Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

These teams each have 14 players on standard contracts and one on a 10-day deal. With one exception, they’re all below the tax line and could continue cycling through 10-day signings or add a player on a rest-of-season contract when their current 10-day deals expire.

The one exception is Dallas. The Mavericks are right up against their hard cap, so once Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract ends, they won’t be able to bring in a new 15th man (or bring Brown back) until April 10.

Teams with an open two-way slot:

Brooklyn Nets
Golden State Warriors

The Warriors will reportedly fill their open two-way slot with Australian guard Taran Armstrong, so the Nets are really the only team with a two-way spot available, having promoted Tyrese Martin to a standard contract last Thursday.

It’s a pretty safe bet Brooklyn will fill that opening at some point before March 4, which is the deadline for two-way signings. You can also count on several other teams promoting, waiving, and signing two-way players before that deadline.

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Anunoby, Robinson, Nets

February 22nd, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Having been born and raised in Pennsylvania, new Sixers guard Lonnie Walker said on Friday that it’s “a surreal moment” to have signed a contract with his hometown team, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’ve come to plenty of games (in Philadelphia), watching Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand … the list goes on and on,” Walker said. “I’m only an hour and 20 [minutes] from here. I’m not too far. I played for a Philly (AAU) team, as far as Team Final. This is for sure a full-circle moment in my career, and I’m just truly blessed to be here.”

Walker received a two-year, minimum-salary deal that will pay him $780,932 for the rest of this season, with a $2,940,876 team option for 2025/26. According to Pompey, the 26-year-old finalized a buyout with Zalgiris Kaunas, his team in Lithuania, just two hours before his opt-out deadline on Tuesday. It initially appeared as if that deadline would pass without an NBA agreement and he’d finish the season in Europe.

“It’s funny, everyone found out before me,” Walker said. “I was actually sleeping. I got the phone call from my agent. I had about 30 missed calls. I guess it was all over Twitter already. But by that time, my mind was already made as far as being in Europe, finishing the season there.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

In his return from a foot injury that cost him six games, Knicks forward OG Anunoby contributed just five points and zero rebounds and was a minus-23 in 27 minutes on Friday vs. Cleveland. He also grabbed his foot after falling to the court in the third quarter. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays, Anunoby said after the blowout loss that his foot felt fine and head coach Tom Thibodeau downplayed the forward’s struggles. “It was about what I thought it would be,” Thibodeau said. “There were some good minutes early, and then there’s some rust he’s got to work through, but I thought he had good energy.”
With Jakob Poeltl sidelined due to a hip injury, Orlando Robinson started at center for the Raptors on Friday against his old team, the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson was waived by Sacramento last month, but has carved out a modest role in Toronto, having signed two 10-day contracts and a two-way deal with the team. “That’s his NBA ability is perseverance and his work ethic,” said Erik Spoelstra, who coached Robinson in Miami from 2022-24. “He will just continue to grind and work, and that’s why we thought he was a great fit with us and that’s why I always respect guys like that. … I think (Toronto) is a good fit for him here because they do value player development and he’s all about the work. So I continue to root for him.”
Brian Fleurantin of NetsDaily takes a look at some of the major Nets-related storylines to watch for the rest of the season, including whether Cam Thomas can return and finish strong ahead of restricted free agency and which of the club’s young players will take a step forward down the stretch.

Nets Notes: Hayes, Martin, C. Johnson, Giannis

February 21st, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Killian Hayes made his Nets debut on Thursday, recording five points, three assists and a block in 21 minutes off the bench. A former lottery pick, the French guard was recently given a 10-day contract by Brooklyn after spending the entire season with the team’s G League affiliate in Long Island.

“I felt very grateful,” Hayes said, per Collin Helwig of NetsDaily. “I felt like a lot of work got put into this, and I’m just very grateful for this opportunity.”

As Helwig notes, the last game of Hayes’ 10-day deal is March 1 against the Pistons, the team that cut him last February after spending most of four seasons in Detroit. For now, the 23-year-old says he’s trying to take things one day at a time.

“My goal is to stay in the NBA, make a mark for myself,” Hayes said. “But I think my short-term goals are, you know, just be a team player, show what I can do in these 10 days I have, and just keep going from there. Just helping my teammates, being a great teammate, being a great locker room guy, and just do what I have to do.”

Here’s more from Brooklyn:

Hayes wasn’t the only player who earned a promotion on Thursday, as Tyrese Martin was also converted from his two-way contract to a two-year, standard deal. Martin’s career has taken a circuitous route to reach this point, and he admits a weight was lifted after learning of the news, according to Helwig. “Just coming in every day, with a great mindset, just trying to get one percent better,” Martin said of his journey. “You know, being a great person and just being the best teammate I could be even when things might not be going how I want them to go. So I just stuck to those three things and, you know, it just panned out the way for me the way I wanted it to.” Head coach Jordi Fernandez praised Martin for his work ethic and character, Helig adds, stating that the 25-year-old wing has consistently done an “amazing job” since he’s been with the team.
Veteran forward Cameron Johnson was heavily involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, but the Nets wound up hanging onto him. Explaining that decision in a team-produced interview (YouTube link), general manager Sean Marks praised Johnson’s fit both on and off the court. “With Cam, there was a lot of interest in him just as there was with a lot of our guys but we like Cam and we think Cam fits multiple builds that we are doing,” Marks said (story via NetsDaily). “He’s a voice of reason. He’s well-respected within that locker room. He’s a pro’s pro. So if people can learn from somebody, they learn from Cam Johnson. That’s a great guy to pick up habits from.”
If the Bucks decide to entertain offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, the Nets could be the frontrunners to land the two-time MVP due to all the draft assets they control, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “You have to be poised and position yourself to be able to have that opportunity,” Marks told The Post earlier this season. “We’re going to give ourselves the best chance to do that. Now, on whom and when, that’s TBD.” As Lewis writes, Shams Charania of ESPN recently reported that Antetokounmpo won’t be content if Milwaukee suffers another early postseason exit, though there’s no indication that he’d request a trade in that scenario. “Everyone knows Giannis Antetokounmpo loves the Bucks, but I’m here to tell you, he loves winning more,” Charania said. “That’s why everyone in that Bucks organization knows what’s at stake: the pressure. Every summer, when Giannis looks around and looks at the Bucks’ roster, he looks at sustained, long-term winning and where he would be able to find that. And he has said audibly on the record that if he feels like that’s not attainable anymore in Milwaukee, he will look elsewhere.”
In case you missed it, we passed along a handful of other notes related to the Nets on Thursday night, including that Cam Thomas is nearing a return from a left hamstring strain that has kept him on the shelf since Jan. 2.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Martin, Hayes, Russell

February 20th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Nets guard Cam Thomas hasn’t played since January 2, but he’s nearing a return that’s sure to help boost Brooklyn and allay their shooting woes, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Thomas was expected to play in five-on-five scrimmages on Thursday.

“We know (what) he does offensively so, there’s no question. We all know exactly what Cam Thomas is going to do when he gets back out there. I think all our offensive struggles will come to an end as soon as he steps foot out there,” Trendon Watford said.

Watford went on to say Thomas is the best pure bucket-getter he has ever played with. In 19 games this season (17 starts), the fourth-year wing has averaged 24.7 points per game while shooting 44.8% from the floor and 37.5% from three.

“It’s always a process, but I just see it as a positive. He was so impactful and so good for the group, and I always see it as a positive,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’ve had so many different lineups, and when you bring somebody as talented as he is, it’s just positive … we just know he’s going to make us better.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets converted Tyrese Martin to a standard contract this week. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link), the Nets signed Martin to a two-year, $2.83MM contract. That deal includes a team option for the 2025/26 season and a rest-of-season salary that’s slightly above the minimum. Brooklyn used a small portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing.
Brooklyn also added guard Killian Hayes to its roster by signing him to a 10-day contract. He suited up for the team on Thursday, recording five points and three assists. Before the game, coach Jordi Fernandez commented on the signing, per Lewis (Twitter link). “Having a traditional backup point guard is good for us,” he said. “This 10 days is important not just for him but also for us if he can do the things we’re asking him to do. But we know who he is; thats the reason we brought him in the first place.” Fernandez coached Hayes in training camp before he was waived and began the year in the G League.
Point guard D’Angelo Russell exited Thursday’s game against the Cavaliers and was later ruled out due to a left ankle sprain, as relayed by Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much time he’ll miss due to the injury. Prior to the game, Cavs head coach and former Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson called Russell a star and was complimentary of the veteran, according to Lewis (Twitter link). “He must be in the perfect place now,” Atkinson said. “He’s seen it all. He’s at that age where I assume he’s the alpha in that locker room. I’m a big fan of the player, big fan of the leader, big fan of the person.“

Nets Sign Hayes, Promote Martin, Waive Bogdanovic

February 20th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 20: The Nets have officially signed Hayes and promoted Martin while waiving Bogdanovic, the team announced today. Martin’s contract is a multi-year deal, per the Nets.

FEBRUARY 19: The Nets are finalizing an agreement with G League guard Killian Hayes, who will sign a 10-day contract with the team, agent Yann Balikouzou tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Nets have an open spot on their 15-man roster but are also promoting Tyrese Martin from his two-way deal to a standard contract, so a second opening will be necessary. According to Charania (Twitter link), Brooklyn is creating that extra opening by waiving forward Bojan Bogdanovic.

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Hayes appeared in 210 games for the Pistons from 2020-24 but has been out of the NBA after being cut by Detroit last February. He averaged 8.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 26.1 minutes per game as a Piston and struggled with his shot, making just 38.2% of his attempts from the floor, including 27.7% of his three-point tries.

The French point guard signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets in the offseason, but he sustained a hip injury which caused him to miss all of Brooklyn’s preseason games and was subsequently waived prior to the 2024/25 campaign.

Since getting healthy, Hayes has been playing for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. In 28 total games for the NBAGL squad, he has averaged 16.8 points, 7.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 33.9 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .467/.351/.692.

While some European-born prospects head back overseas when they can’t secure an NBA contract, Hayes viewed the G League as his best route back into the league and recently referred to an NBA return as his “only goal.” The 23-year-old will achieve that goal for at least 10 days — once that contract expires, the Nets would have the option of signing him to a second 10-day deal before having to make a decision on whether or not to retain him for the rest of the season.

Hayes will earn $128,603 on his 10-day deal with Brooklyn, while the team takes on a cap hit of $119,972.

Word broke earlier today that Bogdanovic would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his foot. Since he’s on an expiring contract and almost certainly wasn’t in the Nets’ plans beyond this season, he was a clear-cut candidate to be waived if and when the team needed a roster spot.

Injury Notes: Edwards, Knicks, Turner, Wade, Thomas, LaMelo

February 19th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers rookie Justin Edwards sprained his left ankle during a post-All-Star practice this week, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

The injury will cost Edwards at least a couple games. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), the 21-year-old has been ruled out for Thursday vs. Boston and Saturday vs. Brooklyn. The plan is for him to be reevaluated early next week.

The Sixers could be shorthanded in the backcourt coming out of the All-Star break. Kyle Lowry (hip) and Eric Gordon (wrist), who each missed the last two games prior to the break, didn’t participate in practice on Tuesday, Bodner notes. Lonnie Walker‘s reported deal with the team also isn’t yet official.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and forward OG Anunoby both fully participated in Wednesday’s practice, which included a 5-on-5 scrimmage, per head coach Tom Thibodeau (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). It was the first time this season that Robinson has advanced to 5-on-5 with contact. While the big man has yet to make his season debut following offseason ankle surgery, Anunoby has been out for five games due to a right foot sprain.
Myles Turner missed the Pacers‘ last three games before the All-Star break due to a cervical strain, but is expected to be available on Thursday vs. Memphis, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
Cavaliers forward Dean Wade appears likely to sit out on Thursday during the first half of a back-to-back set before making his return on Friday, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade has been on the shelf since January 24 due to a right knee bone bruise.
Nets guard Cam Thomas will take part in his first 5-on-5 scrimmage on Thursday since going down with a hamstring strain on January 2, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Hornets star LaMelo Ball is listed as probable to play on Wednesday vs. the Lakers (Twitter link), so it appears the right ankle sprain he sustained on February 10 wasn’t a significant one.

Nets Expected To Promote Tyrese Martin To Standard Contract

February 19th, 2025 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets are expected to finalize a new standard contract with shooting guard Tyrese Martin ahead of Thursday’s game vs. Cleveland, promoting him from his two-way deal to the team’s 15-man roster, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Martin, who will turn 26 next month, has been a fixture in Brooklyn’s rotation for most of this season, averaging 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 21.0 minutes per game across 36 contests (six starts). He has a shooting line of .391/.338/.719.

Although he has only made 36 appearances, Martin has been active for 50 of the Nets’ 54 games so far this season, reaching the limit for a player on a two-way contract. That means in order to play in any more games for Brooklyn during the season’s final two months, the former second-round pick will need to be elevated to the standard roster.

The Nets have had an open spot on their 15-man roster since buying out Ben Simmons shortly after this month’s trade deadline, so no corresponding move will be necessary in order to accommodate Martin’s promotion.

While the exact terms of the agreement aren’t known, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) reports that Martin will sign a multiyear contract. Brooklyn could dip into its mid-level exception if it wants to offer a deal longer than two years.

Once the promotion is official, the Nets will have a full 15-man roster but will open up a two-way slot. The deadline for teams to sign players to two-way contracts is March 4.

Nets’ Bojan Bogdanovic To Undergo Season-Ending Foot Surgery

February 19th, 2025 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo surgery on his foot, bringing his season to an end, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Bogdanovic has yet to play a game in 2024/25 after undergoing surgeries on his left foot and his left wrist last spring. He told reporters ahead of training camp in the fall that his wrist had healed but that his recovery from the procedure on his foot required more time.

While Charania doesn’t explicitly say which foot this latest procedure will address, his wording suggests that it will be that left one again, an indication that it didn’t heal as hoped following the initial surgery.

Bogdanovic, who will turn 36 in April, has enjoyed a long, productive NBA career, averaging 15.6 points per game on .460/.394/.859 shooting in 719 regular season games for the Nets, Wizards, Pacers, Jazz, Pistons, and Knicks since 2014.

If he had gotten healthy, the 6’7″ forward – who is on an expiring $19MM contract – would have been viewed as a potential buyout candidate for a lottery-bound Nets team. We can cross his name off that list now though, and it’s increasingly unclear whether he’ll even make it back to the NBA, given his age and his ongoing health issues.

The Nets already have one open spot on their 15-man roster, so there’s no need to make a move with Bogdanovic at this point, but if they do need to create a second opening on the roster before the end of the season, he’s an obvious choice to be waived.

Eastern Notes: Williams, Russell, Suggs, Banchero, Knicks

February 18th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an ironic twist, Hornets center Mark Williams is listed as probable to play against the Lakers on Wednesday, Charlotte’s PR department tweets.

Williams would be playing in his first game since the Hornets-Lakers trade was rescinded after he failed to pass Los Angeles’ physical due to “multiple issues.” The probable status is due to “return to play reconditioning.”

The Lakers front office thought it had solved their starting center issue by acquiring Williams. They had agreed to give up rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap. Knecht and Reddish returned to the Lakers along with the draft capital when the team decided to void the deal.

Williams, who has battled injuries throughout his young career, is averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in 22 contests this season.

We have more Eastern Conference news:

While the Nets gave all the appearances of tanking earlier this season, their young core isn’t cooperating. They are within range of a play-in spot, trailing the 10th-place Bulls by just 1.5 games. They’ve gotten a boost from D’Angelo Russell in his second stint with the organization. Russell led them to an unlikely postseason berth five years ago and it could happen again, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Russell is averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 assists in 16 games since he was acquired from the Lakers. “Last time it just … kind of happened,” Russell said. “So I think if it’s gonna happen, it will. We definitely have the chance. We definitely have a nice group, definitely have all the coaches and everything to give it that. So we’ll keep preparing like that’s in the plans. But as far as getting ahead of myself and trying to do things out of the ordinary, that’s not really … it’s kind of out of my control, I would say. So [we’ve] just got to go one game at a time, one win at a time.”
Even with added rest and recovery time, Jalen Suggs is still not 100 percent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) on Tuesday that the Magic guard was “able to go through running portions of practice but no contact still.” Suggs missed the last nine games before the All-Star break due to a left quad contusion.
Expect better results from Paolo Banchero after the All-Star break, Beede opines as he examines five storylines to watch for the remainder of the Magic‘s season. After missing 34 games due to a torn right abdominal muscle, Banchero has averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 turnovers per game while shooting 28.9% from 3-point range over the past 18 contests. Banchero said his main issue after recovering from the injury was getting back into top shape to play with the same energy and effort on a nightly basis.
The Knicks got good grades on their midseason report card. The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy gives Josh Hart an A-plus, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns earning As.