Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Dumars, Nwaba, Vildoza, 2024 Draft

January 9th, 2024 at 1:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Last week, the Nets became the first team to get fined for resting healthy players since the NBA introduced its new player participation policy in September. Joe Dumars, the league’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that the rules will continue to be enforced when teams try to sit multiple players who are not legitimately injured.

“We are serious about this,” Dumars said. “We talked to people, we talked to everyone, all parties we talked to before the season started. And to not follow through with this would not be right of us. It would not be the thing to do, to not follow through. So yeah, we are very serious about this. We communicated, we overly communicated with everyone about this, and we made very clear that if your guys can play or we feel that your guys can play, they should be on the court. And it’s gone over extremely well this year.”

We have more from around the international basketball world:

The London Lions have officially signed former NBA guard David Nwaba, Sportando relays. The Lions’ interest in Nwaba was reported by BasketNews last week. Nwaba’s last NBA stint was with Houston in 2021/22. The six-year veteran appeared in 237 regular season games during his NBA career, averaging 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game.
Luca Vildoza, who played seven games with Milwaukee in 2021/22, suffered a ruptured lateral meniscus in his left knee while playing for Greece’s Panathinaikos, according to Sportando’s Allesandro Maggi. The Argentinean guard will undergo surgery on Tuesday, according to the Greek club.
In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has the Pistons taking French big man Alexandre Sarr with the top pick. Wasserman compares Sarr, who’s playing in Australia with the Perth Wildcats, with Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. Point guard Nikola Topic, who recently suffered a knee injury while facing EuroLeague competition, goes at the No. 2 spot to the Spurs in Wasserman’s mock, while another European, French wing Zaccharie Risacher, comes off the board at No. 3 to the Wizards.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link) have put out another roundup of notes on 2024 draft prospects, exploring what’s gone wrong for UCLA’s top three NBA prospects (Aday Mara, Adem Bona, and Berke Buyuktuncel) and whether recent injuries to Sarr and Topic will hurt their stock, among other topics.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Injury Notes: Sharpe, M. Williams, Embiid, Sixers, Lowry

January 9th, 2024 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

After leaving Sunday’s game vs. Portland due to a knee injury, Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has been diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. As Lewis relays, Sharpe is expected to be reevaluated by the club in about two weeks.

It’s an unfortunate setback for a player whose role has increased in his third season in Brooklyn. After averaging a modest 11.8 minutes per game in 80 appearances across his two NBA seasons, Sharpe has logged 16.0 MPG in 37 contests so far this season, posting career-best marks in points (7.5), rebounds (7.0), and assists (1.4), among other categories.

In Sharpe’s 592 minutes of action this season, the Nets have a net rating of +7.7. In Brooklyn’s 1,194 minutes without him on the court, that number plummets to -5.8. That’s easily the biggest on/off disparity among Nets rotation players so far in 2023/24.

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

Hornets center Mark Williams, who has been sidelined by a low back ailment since December 8, will be out for at least one more week as he continues to rehab the injury, the team announced on Monday (via Twitter). Charlotte has a 1-14 record in games without Williams so far this season.
Sixers center Joel Embiid (left knee swelling) didn’t practice with the team on Monday or Tuesday and appears likely to miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday in Atlanta, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). However, Tobias Harris (left ankle soreness) and De’Anthony Melton (back soreness) each practiced both days and head coach Nick Nurse is confident they’ll be available vs. the Hawks, Bodner adds. Harris sat out on Saturday, while Melton has missed Philadelphia’s past three games.
Heat point guard Kyle Lowry exited Monday’s game in the third quarter due to a sprained left hand, but the initial scan on Lowry’s hand came back clean, so he’s considered day-to-day for now, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes. Miami has taken a committee approach to the point guard responsibilities this season, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, so if Lowry – who is also battling an illness – does have to miss time, the ball-handling duties will be shared by Tyler Herro, Josh Richardson, and others.
In other Heat injury news, Jimmy Butler (toe) has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. It’ll be the ninth game in the last 10 that Butler has missed.

New York Notes: DiVincenzo, Hartenstein, Randle, Nets’ Loss

January 8th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks are undefeated since acquiring OG Anunoby. Donte DiVincenzo said the blockbuster deal with Toronto has lit a fire under the team, he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

“There’s an energy right now that we have,” he said. “And it’s contagious. Guys are celebrating each other, guys are moving the ball.”

DiVincenzo is averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 23.5 minutes during four January contests.

We have more on the New York teams:

In the four games since the trade, Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein has been playing heavy minutes while averaging a double-double (10.5 points, 13.5 rebounds). He’s also leading the Knicks in steals (2.3) and blocks (3.0) per game and has become somewhat of a play-maker (2.8 assists). “It’s fun,” Hartenstein told Bondy. “I think it’s definitely a role that I always envisioned myself being in.”
Julius Randle has averaged 26.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game since mid-November while scoring at least 20 points in 24 of those 26 contests. The Knicks forward is initiating more pick-and-rolls this season and taking fewer 3-pointers. He’s also reacting more quickly to double teams. “The key to having longevity in this game is adaptability and being able to adjust,” Randle told Fred Katz of The Athletic. “I’ve always been able to adjust as my career has gone on. But now, I think I’m just more sure of who I am as a player. It’s all kinda coming together for me at this point in my career.”
The Nets were furious at themselves after losing at home to the Trail Blazers on Sunday, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. They wasted Mikal Bridges‘ 42-point game in the process. “We definitely should have won. It’s frustrating,” Cameron Johnson said. “Very disappointing overall to not win this basketball game. Extremely disappointing,” coach Jacque Vaughn added.

Sharpe To Have MRI On Injured Knee; Contracts Guranteed For Giles, Watford

January 8th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Nets backup center Day’Ron Sharpe will undergo an MRI today after spraining his left knee late in Sunday’s game, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Sharpe had to be helped off the floor after a collision, and coach Jacque Vaughn said he won’t accompany the team on its flight to France for Thursday’s international game. “He’ll stay back, won’t travel with us to Paris right now,” Vaughn said. “We’ll see if he’s going to join us in Paris.”
Harry Giles and Trendon Watford were thrilled to remain with the Nets as they learned over the weekend their contracts will be guaranteed for the rest of the season, Lewis adds. “I’m officially official,” said Giles, who has battled injuries throughout his NBA career. “(General manager) Sean (Marks) texted me in the morning, told me, ‘Glad you’re a Net, you’re here to say, well deserved.’… When I came in this morning, I saw Sean again. He gave me a hug, told me congrats and I’m glad you’re here to stay.”

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Randle, Quickley, Bridges

January 7th, 2024 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Since last weekend’s trade of OG Anunoby, multiple reporters have stated that their league sources expect the Raptors to also move Pascal Siakam ahead of next month’s deadline. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca has heard similar rumblings, but one of his sources warned him to not “be so sure.” That source suggested that while some closure on the situation is expected, it may not come in the form of a trade.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they offered an extension,” the source told Lewenberg.

Still, a trade is widely considered the more likely outcome for Siakam, prompting Lewenberg and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca to take another look at the 29-year-old’s potential market. Within his story, Lewenberg adds the Grizzlies to the list of teams that have shown some level of interest in the two-time All-Star.

Grange, meanwhile, explores the Kings and Warriors as possible trade partners in a Siakam deal, but says Sacramento – in addition to being unwilling to part with Keegan Murray – doesn’t seem enthusiastic about offering Siakam a maximum-salary contact to retain him beyond this season. With both of those factors in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Kings’ pursuit of the star forward has reportedly stalled.

As for Golden State, Grange hears from multiple sources that the Dubs aren’t inclined to trade Jonathan Kuminga, since he’s viewed as a potential star who can help the team win in both the present and the future.

A report this week indicated that Kuminga had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, but the two men reportedly had a good conversation in the wake of that story, and the former lottery pick played a season-high 36 minutes on Friday. If Kuminga isn’t on the table, the Raptors may not have much interest in making a Siakam deal with the Warriors.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After a slow start to the season, Julius Randle has played his way into the All-Star conversation, which could be a financial boon for the Knicks forward. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Randle will earn a bonus of almost $1.3MM if he’s named an All-Star. However, the 29-year-old said he’s not thinking about that at all and doesn’t know exactly how much that bonus is worth. “I knew I got a bonus, something north of a million. But you think I’m focusing on that? I’m making pretty good money,” said Randle, whose base salary this season is approximately $25.7MM.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is happy that his good friend Immanuel Quickley was traded from the Knicks to the Raptors, who will give his former Kentucky teammate “a little bit more of an opportunity,” as he tells Bondy of The New York Post. “He did a good job with the Knicks. But we know that’s Julius’ team, that’s (Jalen) Brunson’s team,” Maxey said. “This gives him opportunities to spread his wings, kind of fly a little bit. I think he’s done a great job so far.”
Is Mikal Bridges‘ recent drop in production merely a slump, or is the increased attention that comes with being the focal point of the Nets‘ offense – as well as a long summer with Team USA – affecting him? Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post explores that question, with input from head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Nets Waive Armoni Brooks

January 6th, 2024 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have waived two-way guard Armoni Brooks, the team confirmed today in an official announcement. The move was first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Since Brooks was cut ahead of Sunday’s waiver deadline, Brooklyn won’t be on the hook for his full two-way salary for the rest of the season.

Brooks, who previously spent time in Houston and Toronto, signed with the Nets in July and has appeared in 10 games this season, averaging 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per night. The 25-year-old made just 32.6% of his shot attempts from the field during his time in Brooklyn, though he did knock down 34.4% of his three-pointers.

Brooks has seen more action for the Long Island Nets in the G League, averaging 15.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG on .436/.393/.800 shooting in 14 games (25.6 MPG) for Brooklyn’s NBAGL affiliate in 2023/24.

The move opens up a two-way slot for the Nets alongside Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson. The deadline to sign a player to a two-way contract doesn’t arrive until March, so the team won’t be under any pressure to fill that opening right away.

New York Notes: Hartenstein, McBride, Nets, Claxton

January 5th, 2024 at 8:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Isaiah Hartenstein continues to impress as the Knicks‘ starting center in place of the injured Mitchell Robinson, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Hartenstein had a monster double-double in Wednesday’s victory over Chicago, recording 10 points, a career-high 20 rebounds, and a career-high-tying five blocks.

“I’m impressed with the way he’s protecting the rim, to be honest,” Julius Randle said after Wednesday’s win. “We’re used to Mitch doing that, covering up for our mistakes when we get beat off the dribble. But he’s a monster doing that. And to go up against (Bulls center Andre) Drummond and get 20 rebounds, it’s no slight. He’s been amazing.”

An unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Katz says Hartenstein is “due for an inevitable raise” on his $9.2MM expiring contract, and it will be difficult for New York to re-sign him, given the team’s commitments to Robinson and several other players. The Knicks will hold his Early Bird rights.

“Right now, I’m a New York Knick,” Hartenstein said of 2024 free agency. “That’s the biggest thing. I feel like, yeah, sometimes you have that in the back of your mind. That’s normal. At the end of the day, I wanna be in New York, but it’s a business.”

Here’s more on the two New York-based teams:

Miles McBride had a shaky first two games as the Knicks‘ new primary backup point guard, but they still view him as a long-term replacement for Immanuel Quickley, sources tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. McBride inked a three-year, $13MM extension with New York shortly after the team traded Quickley to Toronto. For what it’s worth, McBride has 12 points in six minutes thus far during Friday’s contest vs. Philadelphia, making all four of his three-pointers.
Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com takes an in-depth look at Nic Claxton‘s value and future, writing that Claxton could be worth $20-25MM annually on the open market as a free agent this summer and the Nets would be wise to re-sign him to a long-term contract if that range is indeed accurate. Claxton won’t become extension-eligible prior to free agency.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post revisits the Nets‘ decision to promote Jacque Vaughn to head coach last season instead of hiring Ime Udoka, who eventually landed with Houston in the offseason after being suspended by Boston for all of 2022/23 for sexual misconduct.

Nets Fined $100K For Violating Participation Policy

January 4th, 2024 at 12:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has fined the Nets $100K for violating its player participation policy, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Brooklyn’s staff held out starters Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton, and Spencer Dinwiddie against Milwaukee on Dec. 27 in the second game of a back-to-back set after all three played the previous night. Johnson and Claxton were listed as out due to “injury maintenance,” while Dinwiddie was simply listed as out due to “rest.”

Brooklyn also didn’t use Mikal Bridges, Royce O’Neale, or Cam Thomas after the first quarter. The move irked Bridges, who said after the game that he would’ve been fine handling his usual workload and pushing harder for a victory.

The league launched an investigation, including a review by an independent physician, and determined that four Nets rotation players who did not participate in the game could have played under the medical standard of the policy. The league did not specify the four players.

The new player participation policy was adopted prior to this season under the new CBA. It was designed to discourage load management and expanded on previous guidelines related to resting healthy players. This is the first fine levied by the league under the new policy, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.

As an interesting side note, half of the fine will go to the NBA Players Association under the terms of the new CBA, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

New York Notes: Knicks, Towns, Simmons, Walker, Nets

January 3rd, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Rory Maher

While Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently said he views the Knicks/Raptors trade as the “Immanuel Quickley trade” rather than the “OG Anunoby trade,” he likes what Anunoby will bring to New York.

According to Vecenie, Anunoby is one of a select few players who can credibly defend all five positions on the court. That defensive versatility, plus his ability to convert threes and make timely cuts, has made Anunoby a “great role player.” The question is if he can develop more on offense, Vecenie writes.

As Vecenie details, while Anunoby has an impressive physical profile and uses it very effectively on defense, he can look a little awkward on offense when given on-ball opportunities, as he doesn’t finish well in the paint and doesn’t have a reliable pull-up jump shot.

Still, Vecenie believes Anunoby has the potential to be “the third-best player on a title team” if he’s in the right situation, and there’s a reason so many teams wanted him. Vecenie also examines what Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn will bring to New York.

Here’s more from the two New York-based teams:

On Run It Back (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested the Knicks will “always” have interest in Karl-Anthony Towns, who presumably won’t be going anywhere this season, as Minnesota has the best record in the Western Conference. Towns’ former agent is Leon Rose, New York’s current president of basketball operations.
Even after dealing away Quickley, RJ Barrett and the Pistons’ 2024 second-rounder, there are people within the Knicks who think they have the requisite remaining assets to land a star player, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. As Begley writes, the Knicks could trade up to four of their own future first-round picks, plus some protected picks from other teams.
Multiple sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that Ben Simmons is “progressing well” in his recovery from a nerve impingement in his lower back, and he’s expected to be cleared to play 2-on-2 when the Nets return home on Thursday. Simmons would then play 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 before possibly being ready to return, Lewis writes. Simmons has been sidelined since November 6. As for Lonnie Walker, who has missed the past 16 games with a hamstring injury, he could return for Friday’s contest against OKC, Lewis adds.
They Nets are spiraling down the standings, having lost four straight and nine of their past 11 games, with the two victories against Detroit. Tuesday’s loss to New Orleans marked a new low point, Lewis writes for The New York Post. Mikal Bridges said the team took its foot off the gas pedal. “We got punched in the mouth and just sat back,” Bridges said. “We didn’t keep going forward after. And that’s on players, right there. It’s going to be like that. They might make a run … you’ve got to have accountability on ourselves to get back up and fight, and besides just lay down. Like I said, I’ve got to do better just personally being more vocal and be more physical and being on both ends. You just can’t let up.”

Nets Notes: Claxton, Thomas, Slump, Finney-Smith

January 1st, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets suffered a 16-point loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday and big man Nic Claxton admits frustration is setting in, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. Brooklyn has lost three straight and eight of its last 10, with the two victories coming against the East’s worst team, Detroit.

“We’re definitely frustrated. Nobody wants to lose. I hate losing, everybody hates losing,” Claxton said. “We just got to figure it out. We just can’t get used to losing. Need to figure out solutions and figure out ways to fix it.”

We have more on the Nets:

Cam Thomas‘ defensive shortcomings have cost him a spot in the starting lineup. Thomas was moved to the second unit and produced 20 points against the Thunder. The high-scoring guard is trying to take a positive approach. “At the end of the day, I want to start. But for what the team needs, I’ve got to come off the bench, whether it’s sixth or seventh man, come in and bring energy,” Thomas told Lewis. “So just not getting down, just staying positive and keep my energy high.”
Head coach Jacque Vaughn said that togetherness will help the team break out of its slump, Lewis tweets. “We need each other. I’m not a Hall of Fame coach and we have no All-Stars on our team,” he said. “And so this is a collective group that has to play together on every single night and we’ll continue to grasp that ideal. But that’s the challenge for this group.”
Dorian Finney-Smith (left knee soreness) is listed as probable to play on Tuesday at New Orleans but Lonnie Walker (left hamstring strain) remains out, Lewis tweets.
In case you missed it, the team is being investigated by the NBA for possible load management violations after several key players sat out against Milwaukee on Wednesday.