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Nets Notes: Thomas, Simmons, Smith, Walker

December 17th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Since returning from an ankle sprain that caused him to miss nine games, third-year Nets guard Cam Thomas had been in a shooting slump, converting just 37.9% of his field goal attempts in the seven games leading into Saturday’s contest at Golden State.

While Brooklyn wound up losing to the Warriors in a nail-biter, Thomas was able to snap of out the slump, pouring in 41 points on 15-24 shooting (62.5%), writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“Yeah, just the way I was … just my feeling out there, the way I started the game off. I felt good coming in, feeling better, getting there by the day,” Thomas said. “In transition when I did a little floater, that’s when I really felt like I was good. I felt good. So my rhythm is coming back, getting there where I need to be. So you know, I just wanna keep it up and keep going.”

As a former first-round pick who had his fourth-year option exercised, Thomas will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason. He’s averaging a career-high 23.9 points per game through 16 games in 2023/24.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Saturday was the two-week mark from when the Nets said there would be an update Ben Simmons, who has been sidelined since November 6 with a nerve impingement in his lower back. However, as Lewis tweets, head coach Jacque Vaughn said he had no clarity on Simmons’ status, and he wouldn’t know more until they return to Brooklyn. The Nets conclude their five-game West Coast trip on Monday in Utah, with their next home game coming on Wednesday against the Knicks.
Backup guard Dennis Smith Jr. will miss his sixth straight game on Monday, Lewis adds (via Twitter). A free agent addition over the summer, Smith has been battling an upper back sprain.
The Nets have gone 1-3 thus far on their road trip, and they’ve been missing the athleticism and “spark” of Lonnie Walker, Smith, and Simmons, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Like Smith, Walker was a minimum-salary free agent addition. He will miss his eighth consecutive game on Monday due to a groin strain.

Warriors, Knicks, Lakers Top Latest NBA Franchise Valuations

December 13th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico (subscription required), who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2023 on Wednesday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $8.28 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $7 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $7.43 billion, while the Lakers come in at $7.34 billion, per Sportico.

As Badenhausen details, Sportico spoke to more than 30 team executives, owners, investors, bankers, consultants, and lawyers in compiling their latest NBA franchise valuations. According to Sportico, the average value of an NBA team is up 33% from a year ago and 70% from when the site first started publishing valuations three years ago.

A combination of factors are contributing to the soaring value of NBA franchises, says Baudenhausen. Those factors include national media deals, international opportunities, scarcity (ie. only 30 teams are available), and an equal 1/30th stake in the league.

In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we’re highlighting Sportico’s projections in 2023.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But thse projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2023:

Golden State Warriors: $8.28 billion
New York Knicks: $7.43 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $7.34 billion
Boston Celtics: $5.12 billion
Chicago Bulls: $4.83 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $4.56 billion
Miami Heat: $4.17 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $4.13 billion
Toronto Raptors: $4.11 billion
Houston Rockets: $4.05 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $4.03 billion
Phoenix Suns: $4 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $3.98 billion
Sacramento Kings: $3.46 billion
Denver Nuggets: $3.4 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $3.35 billion
Washington Wizards: $3.33 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $3.29 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.28 billion
Indiana Pacers: $3.27 billion
Utah Jazz: $3.24 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.22 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $3.2 billion
Orlando Magic: $3.12 billion
Detroit Pistons: $3.1 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.08 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $3 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $2.94 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $2.82 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $2.72 billion

For the most part, the most significant valuation increases (by percentage) within the last year belonged to the teams on the bottom half of this list. Besides the Bucks, whose projection rose by 32%, every franchise in the bottom 10 received at least a 50% bump from Sportico’s 2022 valuations.

The Nuggets, who cracked the top half of this list following their 2023 championship, were another big riser — their valuation increased by 60% and they moved up six spots.

It’s worth noting that the Mavericks‘ reported valuation in Mark Cuban‘s sale to the Adelson and Dumont families reportedly came in around $3.5 billion, well below Sportico’s valuation.

However, more recent reporting has suggested the final valuation will be closer to $4 billion when the transaction closes. That was also a unique situation since Cuban is retaining control of basketball operations as part of the sale agreement, despite surrendering majority control of the business. He’ll hang onto about 25% of the franchise, according to Sportico.

Kings Notes: Physicality, Len, Fox, Monk, Giles

December 13th, 2023 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Kings have lost nine games so far this season, those losses have come against just four separate teams. Sacramento has lost to Pelicans three times and the Clippers, Warriors, and Rockets twice apiece — Tuesday’s defeat at the hands of the Clippers was the second time in two weeks that the Kings have fallen to L.A.

Speaking on Tuesday to reporters, including Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, head coach Mike Brown suggested that the Kings’ record so far indicates his club struggles to match up with the length and physicality of bigger teams.

“Houston’s big,” Brown said. “New Orleans is big. The Clippers are big, and obviously they’re different because some of them have scoring at four or five positions, but it’s about the level of physicality that our opponents have brought to the game when it comes to the common denominator for the losses.”

Besides being disappointed with the lack of physicality and grit his team showed on Tuesday, Brown was also perturbed by his players’ focus on addressing issues on the offensive end rather than prioritizing getting defensive stops.

“At the end of the first half, they shot 60% from the floor and scored 70 points, and throughout that whole first half, coming from our players, it’s ‘Hey, we’ve got to swing the ball. We’ve got to do this offensively. We’ve got to do that offensively,'” Brown said. “That can’t be our mindset, not when a team’s shooting 60% from the floor and scoring 70 points on you and getting 32 points in the paint in one half. Your mindset has to be: Somebody has to get a stop.”

Here’s more on the Kings:

Reserve center Alex Len, who is recovering from a high right ankle sprain, has resumed on-court activities but isn’t running or jumping yet, he tells Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The team initially announced on November 17 – nearly four weeks ago – that Len was expected to be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, so his return is still a little ways off.
De’Aaron Fox reportedly turned down a two-year, maximum-salary extension offer from the Kings prior to the season in the hopes of landing a more significant payday in a year or two. So what might his next deal look like? Keith Smith of Spotrac digs into that topic, exploring a few different scenarios that depend on whether or not Fox qualifies for a super-max contract.
Kings guard Malik Monk was hit with a $2,000 flopping fine for a play that took place in Monday’s win over Brooklyn, per the NBA (Twitter link). The video of the play can be found right here.
Monday’s return to Sacramento was a “dream come true” for former first-round pick Harry Giles, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Now a member of the Nets, Giles spent his first three years in the NBA with the Kings and said he misses the fans in Sacramento. “I don’t know what it is. It just feels like home. It feels like we’ve known each other forever,” Giles told Anderson of The Bee. “Some people are just meant for you. Sacramento fans are meant for me and I’m meant for them. That’s a mutual thing we have in common. I feel like I’m from here almost.”

Atlantic Notes: Bridges, Johnson, Grimes, Quickley, Winslow

December 12th, 2023 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, two of the players the Nets acquired in the Kevin Durant blockbuster with the Suns last season, will play in Phoenix against their former team on Wednesday.

Bridges is looking forward to it.

“Yeah, excited. Just a lot of years there, a lot of friends there. A lot of fans through the whole journey. It’s going to be exciting,” Bridges told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Obviously I’m not excited right now to talk about it, but when it comes, I will. But just get ready, main focus is to go out there and get a win.”

Johnson echoed those comments.

“I’m excited. It’s appreciation you gain for a city and for the fans when you play there for a while,” he said. “And as crazy as it is, you don’t know. That last game I played there, I didn’t know it’d be my last game in a Suns uniform. So it’ll be fun.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks guard Quentin Grimes was moved to the second unit and he’s thriving off the bench. In the last two games, he has averaged 16 points on 10.5 shot attempts. “I’m just out there playing free, really,” he told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Everybody sees it, just from me going out there, playing with guys trying to get me open shots. It’s easy and fun playing out with the second unit for sure.”
Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley is listed as questionable with knee inflammation for Wednesday’s game vs. Utah, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. He didn’t play against Toronto on Monday.
Justise Winslow, who is trying to work his way back into the league, debuted for the Raptors’ G League affiliate, Raptors 905, on Tuesday, NBA G League tweets. He scored 13 points in 16 minutes. Winslow was waived by Toronto during training camp.

New York Notes: Brunson, Grimes, Barrett, Sharpe, Simmons

December 9th, 2023 at 8:29am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks made a lineup change by choice on Friday. They may need to make another out of necessity.

Jalen Brunson turned his ankle in the final minute of the Knicks’ 10-point loss to Boston when he stepped back with his left foot and landed on Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, according to The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy.

The game was already decided but coach Tom Thibodeau said he didn’t regret having starters on the court at the time. No details emerged after the game about the severity of Brunson’s injury.

We have more from the New York teams:

Quentin Grimes had 13 points in 19 minutes after being replaced in the lineup by Donte DiVincenzo, who was limited to six points in 22 minutes. Grimes believes, after meeting with Thibodeau, that coming off the bench could be the best thing for him, Bondy writes. “He kind of let me know to try to get me a better rhythm, get me in a better flow, try to get me how I was playing last year,” Grimes said. “He felt like it was the best thing to do and I agree with him. It’s a good thing. I’ll definitely have the ball more, knowing I’m going to get more opportunities. It could be a better situation for me.”
RJ Barrett, responding to comment by TNT analyst Kenny Smith that the Knicks never have the best player of the court when facing the East’s elite, said the team doesn’t need to make a blockbuster trade. “First, we were never going to be good. Now, we’re good, and now, we’re not good enough,” Barrett said, per Bondy. “I think we do, for not having the best player, we do very well for ourselves.”
Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe had his most productive outing this season in a blowout win over Washington on Friday with 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes. Sharpe, a third-year player on a rookie deal, isn’t lacking for confidence. “Nobody can really stop me on the glass, for real. Just realizing I’m a dog on the glass. I’m going to go at you every play and you’re gonna have to stop me every play,” Sharpe told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I just know that if the big guy is gonna block it, more as likely it’s a little guy trying to box me out, and he’s ain’t gonna box me out. So you’re gonna need about three dudes to hit me, and I’m still gonna get the board then.”
Ben Simmons is feeling better after getting an epidural injection for his lower back and the Nets guard has moved to the next stage of his rehab, agent Bernie Lee told Lewis. “It definitely has helped. And just like time and progression has helped him as well,” Lee said. “He’s been doing well, slowly taking steps. He’s starting to move around a little bit now. He’s starting to be able to run on some underwater treadmill stuff. So he’s starting to get around and move.”

New York Notes: LaVine, DeRozan, Bogdanovic, Dinwiddie, DSJ

December 7th, 2023 at 9:17am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are searching for ways to upgrade their roster, but they haven’t engaged in serious trade talks with the Bulls about Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan or any other players, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York has been floated as a potential suitor for LaVine and reportedly explored a possible deal with Chicago prior to last season’s deadline. The Bulls are hoping to find a taker for LaVine, but his latest injury setback should cool any interest around the league, at least for a while.

Bojan Bogdanovic has also been a target for the Knicks in the past, but Begley’s sources say Detroit isn’t looking to move him right now. Bogdanovic recently returned from a calf strain, and the Pistons hope he can help snap an 18-game losing streak and get them heading in the right direction before considering any deals.

There’s more from New York City:

Recent frustration expressed by Knicks guards Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes is the result of a poorly constructed roster with too many redundant players, contends Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy points out that team president Leon Rose created a roster imbalance this summer when he traded power forward Obi Toppin to Indiana for virtually nothing and signed shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo. The move gave New York too many guards and wings, without enough playing time to keep them all satisfied. Grimes is unhappy about losing minutes to DiVincenzo, but Bondy notes that the same situation occurred last year when Evan Fournier was replaced by Grimes. Bondy’s solution is to either move Grimes to the second unit, which would give him more play-making duties, or to balance the roster with a long-rumored trade for another star.
Spencer Dinwiddie has been willing to adapt his role amid heavy injuries to the Nets‘ backcourt, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Ben Simmons, Dennis Smith Jr., Cam Thomas and Lonnie Walker have all missed time already, forcing Dinwiddie to spend more time running the offense, and he has posted one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the league. Dinwiddie will be a free agent next summer, and Lewis says there’s a belief in league circles that his next contract could top the $81MM over four years that Hart received from the Knicks.
Smith, who refers to himself as “a savage,” has been showing why the Nets were so determined to add him in free agency, observes CJ Holmes of The New York Daily News. Smith returned Saturday after missing six games with a lower back sprain, adding another level of toughness to Brooklyn’s scrappy lineup.

New York Notes: DiVincenzo, Grimes, Walker, Finney-Smith

December 5th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

After making 7-of-9 three-point attempts in Friday’s win over Toronto, Knicks sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo has converted 43.4% of his tries from beyond the arc this season, which would easily be a career high. Julius Randle says DiVincenzo has made New York “a more dynamic team,” while head coach Tom Thibodeau expressed appreciation for what the veteran wing has brought to the club, per Peter Botte of The New York Post.

“I think he complements our primary scorers great, because he can stretch the floor and he does a little bit of everything,” Thibodeau said. “He handles the ball, he makes plays, he rebounds the ball well for his size. So he’s done a really good job, but it’s that entire [second] unit that’s really done a good job.”

DiVincenzo, who signed a four-year contract during the 2023 offseason, is one of two Knicks players who will become trade-eligible on December 15, but there have certainly been no indications that the team will look to move him this season.

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

Knicks wing Quentin Grimes is off to a slow start this season, having averaged just 6.2 points per game on 36.3% shooting. However, Thibodeau remains comfortable with Grimes as part of the starting five because the group as a whole is performing well, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “To me, it’s not about individuals. It’s about, how is the unit performing?” Thibodeau said. “And if the unit is performing well, then you’re fine, right? And if you’re open, you shoot it, and if you’re guarded, you make a play. He can help a lot, and he does. He’s guarding a lot of different players for us. That’s a very important role for our team.”
After missing Saturday’s win over Orlando, Lonnie Walker underwent imaging on his left hamstring strain and is expected to remain sidelined for several more games, head coach Jacque Vaughn said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “Lonnie’s situation is he will not travel with us to Atlanta (for Wednesday’s game) and all signs pointing towards him not playing on the West Coast trip (which runs from Dec. 11-18) and having some more information about that after we get back from the West Coast trip,” Vaughn told reporters.
On the plus side for the Nets, Dorian Finney-Smith, who was also unavailable on Saturday due to right foot/knee soreness, practiced on Tuesday and is “back in action,” according to Vaughn (Twitter link via Lewis).
Although the Nets‘ 10-9 record isn’t a major surprise, their strong offensive production has been a little unexpected, Braziller says for The New York Post. Seven different Nets are averaging double-digit points per game and Brooklyn’s 117.5 offensive rating ranks sixth in the NBA. The club is also second in the league with a 39.0% three-point rate, Braziller notes.

Thomas Contributing In Multiple Ways

December 4th, 2023 at 1:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard Cam Thomas shot just 7-of-23 from the floor in Saturday’s victory over Orlando, which snapped the Magic’s nine-game winning streak. However, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, Thomas contributed in other ways in his second game back from an ankle injury, drawing double-teams while recording seven rebounds and a season-high five assists. “Look at the passes that he threw. He can play-make. He’s more than a scorer,” said head coach Jacque Vaughn. “He’s really taken a step on the defensive end of the floor, which makes me extremely happy as a coach that he wants to defend. He’s gotten better at defending.” Vaughn also praised Thomas’ preparation and ability to draw fouls.

New York Notes: Randle, Brunson, Vaughn, Simmons, DSJ

December 3rd, 2023 at 4:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Two-time Knicks All-Star power forward Julius Randle continues to thrive for New York despite dealing with lingering knee soreness, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. He has played in all 19 of the team’s games thus far this season after appearing in 77 of 82 last year.

“You almost come to expect that from him. If he can go, he’s going,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “And I love that about him. He wanted to get out there, and he warmed up early to see how he would feel. And then he got with the medical people. But Julius, he gives you what he has. He doesn’t take days off.”

New York even wanted Randle to rest the knee earlier this week, Bondy notes, but Randle rejected the idea. He’s averaging 20.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 5.5 APG for New York.

“[I’ll play] all the time,” Randle said. “I think it’s more we just love to play. It’s not really about load management. We just love to play basketball. Me personally, I love to play basketball, so if I can play I’m going to play.”

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson has developed a gift for drawing charges, writes Bondy in a separate piece. He has already drawn 30 offensive fouls thus far this season. Bondy notes that he could be en route to a new NBA record. “Obviously I’m not meeting anybody at the rim. So I know I can impact the game that way,” Brunson told Bondy. “So whatever it takes to win, honestly. I find myself in that position and if I bail out, I’m bailing out on my teammates. So I got to be willing to take the contact and pray for the best.”
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn is helping a young, talented team develop at a pace that’s perhaps quicker than pundits may have anticipated, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber exclusive). Third-year shooting guard Cam Thomas is enjoying a breakout season and looks like a potential candidate for Most Improved Player honors if he can keep this output up. He’s currently averaging 26.1 PPG on .464/.343/.846 splits, along with 3.9 RPG and 2.3 APG.
Oft-injured Nets forward Ben Simmons is still weeks away from returning to the lineup for Brooklyn, but reserve point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has returned, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Simmons has missed 12 straight contests with a lower back impingement. Smith had been dealing with a strained lower back for six games.

Ben Simmons Given Epidural, Will Miss At Least Two More Weeks

December 2nd, 2023 at 4:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons received an epidural injection for his lower back and will be reevaluated in about two weeks, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. A statement from the Nets said Simmons’ condition is improving and he will “continue with treatment and strengthening exercises while gradually increasing his basketball activity.”

Coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters before tonight’s game that Simmons was given the epidural this week and he still isn’t able to run at full speed, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

Simmons has been sidelined since November 6 due to a nerve impingement in his lower left back. He had been dealing with similar issues for the past three years, and back pain played a role in limiting him to 42 games last season.

Simmons proclaimed himself fully healthy this summer and he got off to a strong start before the injury flared up. In the six games he played, he averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists while looking more mobile and explosive than he has for some time.

Brooklyn has managed to tread water without Simmons and currently sits in a tie for ninth in the East at 9-9. The Nets have six games scheduled over the next two weeks, including tonight’s contest with Orlando. The soonest Simmons might return is December 16 at Golden State.