Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Simmons, Claxton, Giles, Johnson

November 12th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets have the best fast break in the league, but only when Ben Simmons is part of it, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons is expected to miss his third straight game today with a hip contusion, which slows down the Brooklyn attack considerably.

“There’s no secret: Ben gives us an energy, a pace,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Like it, love it. We miss it, we need it, it’s a part of who we are, it’s the way our team is built. We’ll try to have to figure out who can aid in pushing the pace for us. But the realization for us is that’s how we need to play.”

In the six games that Simmons has played this season, the Nets are averaging 22.8 fast break points, the top figure in the league by a wide margin. That number falls to 11.3 in the three games he’s missed, which only ranks 27th. Even with the hip issue, Simmons is enjoying his most productive season in three years and he gives the team a chance to score a lot of easy baskets.

“Ben does such a terrific job at when he’s in transition, two, three guys are coming in and he’s such a great passer it makes the game a lot easier,” Lonnie Walker said. “But when he’s out, we’ve got to understand with a great player out we’ve got to step it up and take part in that role.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

The Nets expect Nic Claxton to return today after being sidelined since the season opener, Lewis states in another Post story. Claxton suffered a high ankle sprain on opening night and has missed the past eight games. Vaughn has been using an undersized lineup in Claxton’s absence, with 6’7″ Dorian Finney-Smith starting at center.
Harry Giles played his first NBA game since the 2020/21 season Friday night, scoring seven points in five minutes of action, Lewis adds. “It felt great, man. It felt great,” said Giles, who earned a roster spot after joining the Nets on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract. “Just got to be ready anytime. You never know. It felt good to get up and down and get my first run in a Brooklyn Nets jersey and my first run of the season. It felt good and I’m thankful.”
Cameron Johnson was happy to be back on the court Friday after missing seven games with a strained left calf, Lewis notes in a separate piece. Johnson also sat out the preseason, so he has to get back into the habit of playing regularly. “It’s a process. But I feel real good about it,” he said. “One thing you always have to do is respect the game, respect basketball, respect the NBA level. Rhythm is a big thing in this league, and my goal is to come back and establish that as quickly as possible.”

Nets Notes: Simmons, Vaughn, Walker, Whitehead

November 11th, 2023 at 8:31am CST by Tristan Tucker

Reestablishing the relationship between Nets guard Ben Simmons and head coach Jacque Vaughn was a priority for Brooklyn this offseason, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears writes.

The Nets allowed Simmons to spend the offseason training in Miami, where he felt most comfortable, and Vaughn made sure to visit and connect with the former No. 1 overall pick several times.

“I had something to prove,” Simmons said. “So, whoever comes down, whoever doesn’t, I know who’s there for me. And he was down there. He came to check on me, which I really appreciate and that gave me more confidence. It was good to have him down there.”

Simmons, who said his relationship with Vaughn was “terrible” to start out, was upset with the lack of communication between the two parties and believed the head coach was frustrated by an injury situation that limited him to 42 games last season. After working on the relationship over the offseason, Vaughn handed the keys to the starting lineup over to Simmons, who ranks toward the top of the league in rebounds and assists.

“I thought it was important for me to reestablish our relationship from the way it was introduced,” Vaughn said. “[2022/23] was during a pretty tumultuous season with expectation, trauma and chaos, and we both were involved in it. And for me to hopefully let him know that [there were] no hard feelings my way. I was trying to set a standard for the program and that’s my responsibility as a coach and to let him know what my expectations were for him going forward and that I am pulling for him at the same time.“

We have more from the Nets:

Simmons is day-to-day with a hip injury, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. He has missed two consecutive games. “He received treatment, and he’ll continue to receive treatment,” Vaughn said. “[We’re] just not in the place where all parties around feel comfortable with him playing at the levels that he’s been playing it.“
Lonnie Walker IV is off to a career-best start after signing a minimum-salary contract with the Nets in the offseason. In eight games, Walker’s averaging 16.8 points while shooting 53.8% from the floor and 46.3% from deep in just 22.4 minutes a night. “Just genuinely understanding just the game [and] kind of slowing it down,” Walker said of the difference in his play this season (via the New York Post’s Dan Martin). “I used to always play 100 percent going too fast without really analyzing the game.” With Cam Thomas sidelined for at least two weeks, Walker could continue to see his usage and playing time increase.
Brooklyn first round pick and former five-star recruit Dariq Whitehead dealt with a lingering foot injury through the draft process and offseason. The youngest draft pick in Nets history made his professional on-court debut in the G League, starting for Brooklyn’s affiliate Long Island Nets on Friday, according to Nets Daily (Twitter link). He finished with five points and four rebounds in his return to the court.

Largest Trade Exceptions Available This Season

November 10th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

As the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline approaches, it’s worth keeping in mind which teams hold traded player exceptions that could come in handy to grease the wheels on an in-season deal.

As we explain in our glossary, a traded player exception allows a team to take on salary in a trade without sending out any salary in return. The amount of the exception (plus $250K) is the amount of salary the team is permitted to take back without salary-matching – either in a single deal or in multiple trades – for one year.

For instance, a team with a $10MM trade exception could acquire a player earning $4MM and a player earning $6.25MM without having to worry about sending out any outgoing salary.

In recent years, sizable traded player exceptions have served as wild cards that helped accommodate both pre-deadline and offseason deals. For example, after creating a $17MM trade exception when they sent Davis Bertans to the Thunder and moved down a couple spots in the 2023 draft lottery, the Mavericks used that TPE to acquire Richaun Holmes along with an additional first-round pick later in the night.

Many trade exceptions expire without being used, but as our tracker shows, there are many sizable ones available this season that could be useful when trade season begins in earnest.

Here are the 20 most valuable trade exceptions around the NBA for now, along with their expiry dates in parentheses:

Atlanta Hawks: $23,019,560 (7/8/24)
Brooklyn Nets: $19,928,571 (7/8/24)
Brooklyn Nets: $18,131,946 (2/9/24)
Washington Wizards: $12,354,400 (6/24/24)
Washington Wizards: $9,800,926 (7/8/24)
Miami Heat: $9,450,000 (7/8/24)
Portland Trail Blazers: $8,778,377 (9/27/24)
Portland Trail Blazers: $8,300,000 (2/9/24)
Memphis Grizzlies: $7,492,540 (7/8/24)
Miami Heat: $7,243,842 (7/8/24)
Philadelphia 76ers: $6,831,413 (11/1/24)
New York Knicks: $6,803,012 (7/8/24)
Brooklyn Nets: $6,802,950 (7/8/24)
Phoenix Suns: $6,500,000 (7/17/24)
Boston Celtics: $6,202,500 (7/12/24)
Washington Wizards: $5,379,250 (6/24/24)
Phoenix Suns: $4,975,371 (2/9/24)
Dallas Mavericks: $4,953,980 (7/8/24)
Miami Heat: $4,700,000 (2/7/24)
Houston Rockets: $4,510,000 (10/17/24)

Those Hawks and Nets trade exceptions are big enough to be genuine assets, but I wouldn’t expect either club to make full use of them during the season. Both Atlanta and Brooklyn are about $8-10MM away from the luxury tax line and would move even closer to becoming taxpayers if certain players on their rosters earn bonuses currently considered unlikely.

Neither team is close enough to title contention to warrant becoming a taxpayer this season unless it’s for a major, major acquisition, so don’t count on either the Hawks or Nets using a TPE to bring in a $15MM role player with no outgoing salary.

The luxury tax looms as an issue for some of the other teams on this list as well, but there are some intriguing TPEs to keep an eye on. Would-be contenders like the Sixers, Celtics, and Suns may consider using their exceptions to try to fortify their benches ahead of the postseason, while a rebuilding team like the Wizards – with nearly $30MM in breathing room below the tax – could be a dumping ground for an unwanted contract — as long as that contract comes attached to a draft asset or two.

Teams like the Lakers and Pelicans, who are just narrowly over the tax threshold and could duck below by trading a single player, are potential trade partners to watch for Washington.

It’s worth noting that some of these exceptions may be used in a deal that could otherwise be completed using salary matching. For instance, a team with a $10MM trade exception that swaps one $8MM player for another could use the exception to take on the incoming player and create a new $8MM exception using the outgoing player.

Injury Notes: Booker, Nets, Celtics, Fox, Magic

November 10th, 2023 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Devin Booker (calf) remains unavailable for Friday’s in-season tournament game vs. the Lakers, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic tweets.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported earlier this week that the Suns are optimistic about getting Booker back at some point during their three-game home stand, which begins tonight. While Charania suggested a Friday return was a possibility, it appears that’s not in the cards — Phoenix’s home stand continues with games on Sunday (vs. Oklahoma City) and Wednesday (vs. Minnesota) before the club heads back out on the road.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Nets wing Cameron Johnson (calf) will be available on Friday in Boston for the first time since opening night, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). However, Ben Simmons will remain on the shelf for a second consecutive game due to left hip soreness.
Celtics big man Al Horford, who didn’t play both ends of back-to-back sets last season, will be held out of Friday’s game, which is part of the team’s first back-to-back of 2023/24, notes Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Horford’s frontcourt partner Kristaps Porzingis says he intends to play both Friday and Saturday, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston is listing Horford as out due to right knee injury management.
Kings star De’Aaron Fox will be unavailable for Friday’s in-season tournament game vs. Oklahoma City, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee tweets. It’s the fifth straight contest Fox has missed as a result of his sprained right ankle.
While Magic wing Gary Harris missed his third consecutive game due to a right groin strain on Thursday, Markelle Fultz returned from the left knee ailment that cost him three games and reclaimed his spot in the starting lineup (Twitter link). Orlando didn’t appear to have any restrictions on Fultz during the Mexico City showcase — his 29 minutes were right in line with season average.

Johnson Revisits Trade; Is Probable Friday

November 9th, 2023 at 9:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets forward Cameron Johnson is on the verge of returning to action after missing the past seven games with a left leg injury. He’s probable for Friday’s matchup in Boston, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Meanwhile, on the Run Your Race podcast with Theo Pinson, Johnson revisited the February trade that sent him from Phoenix to Brooklyn, as Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily relays.

Nets’ Cam Thomas Expected To Miss At Least Two Weeks

November 9th, 2023 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

A left ankle sprain is expected to keep Nets guard Cam Thomas on the shelf for at least two weeks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Thomas sustained the injury on Wednesday night vs. the Clippers, rolling his ankle after stepping on P.J. Tucker‘s foot (Twitter video link via Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily). Word last night indicated that he would undergo an MRI on Thursday.

The 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Thomas had flashed impressive offensive upside during his first two years in the league, but had yet to play a consistent rotation role. He has received big minutes in the first two weeks of this season, however, and has been Brooklyn’s leading scorer, averaging 26.9 points per game on .479/.321/.851 shooting in eight contests (seven starts; 32.4 MPG).

Thomas had been one of only two Nets starters – along with Mikal Bridges – to average more than 14 points per game in the early going this season, so the team will have to look elsewhere for offense as long as he’s unavailable. The good news for Brooklyn on the injury front is that it sounds like wing Cameron Johnson is nearing a return.

Injury Notes: Davis, Hayes, Jones, Herro, C. Thomas

November 8th, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Rory Maher

After previously expressing optimism that he wouldn’t miss additional time with the injury, Lakers big man Anthony Davis was ruled out of Wednesday’s game vs. Houston due to left hip spasms, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.

The Lakers were also without reserve center Jaxson Hayes, who is dealing with a left ankle sprain, McMenamin adds.

Davis initially sustained the injury on Monday against Miami, exiting the game in the third quarter. Sources tell McMenamin the Lakers are hopeful Davis will be back in action for Friday’s matchup in Phoenix.

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

The Pelicans were extremely shorthanded on Wednesday, with multiple rotation players sidelined for various reasons. A third starter — wing Herbert Jones — was ruled out ahead of the matchup vs. Minnesota due to a right fibula contusion, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. With so many players injured, all three of the team’s two-way players (Matt Ryan, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dereon Seabron) received first-quarter minutes, with Robinson-Earl getting a starting nod, Guillory adds (via Twitter). Robinson-Earl just signed his two-way deal with the Pelicans last week.
Heat guard Tyler Herro is off to a strong start in 2023/24, but unfortunately he sustained a right ankle sprain in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game vs. Memphis and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter). Bally Sports Heat has the video (Twitter link), with Herro landing on Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s foot following a floater in the lane. Herro was unable to put weight on his leg after the injury and hopped to the locker room.
Another player off to a terrific start this season is Nets guard Cam Thomas. Unfortunately, he suffered a left ankle sprain on Wednesday vs. the Clippers and missed the remainder of the game, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links), who adds that Thomas will undergo an MRI on Thursday. The 2021 first-round pick rolled his ankle after stepping on P.J. Tucker‘s foot (Twitter video link via Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily).

Nets Notes: Johnson, Claxton, Giles, Simmons, Thomas

November 8th, 2023 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets wing Cameron Johnson, who has been sidelined since the team’s regular season opener due to a left leg injury, appears to be nearing a return. As Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post writes, Johnson was listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game vs. the Clippers, the first time he has been upgraded from “out.”

When word broke on October 30 that Johnson had been diagnosed with a strain in his left leg, the plan was for him to be reevaluated in 10 days. That evaluation is due to happen on Thursday, so Johnson’s return could follow shortly thereafter.

Here’s more on the Nets:

The Nets assigned Johnson, Nic Claxton, and Harry Giles to the G League for Wednesday’s practice with Long Island, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. That bodes well for Johnson and for Claxton, who is also making his way back from an injury sustained on opening night (a left ankle sprain). Head coach Jacque Vaughn referred to the big man earlier this week as “day-to-day,” so it sounds as if he’s getting close to playing.
Following two injury-plagued seasons, Ben Simmons may be held out for one game of the Nets’ back-to-back sets for the foreseeable future, Lewis writes for The New York Post. “I don’t even know. That’s going to be on them,” Simmons said when asked if that’s the plan. “I believe so. Me, I feel good. I feel ready. I think they’re just being smart about it. So yeah.” While Wednesday’s game isn’t part of a back-to-back, Simmons is being listed as questionable due to left hip soreness.
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn’s leading scorer so far this season, spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about several topics, including his hot start, his efforts to improve as a defender, and how the perception of the Nets has changed since the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. “I’d say with KD and Kyrie, we were more under a microscope, while this team is more under the radar,” Thomas said. “We’re coming up trying to prove people wrong and show that we’re really a good team and we can contend with anybody.”

Claxton Frustrated By High Ankle Sprain

November 5th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets center Nic Claxton suffered a high left ankle sprain in the regular season opener and admits he’s exasperated by the lingering injury, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Claxton has shed a walking boot, but has yet to return to action. “It’s been frustrating, especially getting hurt the first game of the season, and even the way to the way I did it. But it’s coming along. I’m day-to-day now, just trying to keep myself in a good space, keep supporting my teammates,” he said. “After a couple days … I saw it was taking a little bit longer than I expected and everybody expected. Like I said, it’s frustrating but it’s an 82-game season, so what can you do? I’m not going to put myself in harm’s way. I’m just taking it day-by-day.”

Nets Notes: Finney-Smith, Simmons, Whitehead, Dinwiddie, DSJ

November 4th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dorian Finney-Smith is helping the undersized Nets survive while starting center Nic Claxton recovers from a sprained ankle, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. At 6’7″ and 220 pounds, Finney-Smith has been fearless while battling larger opponents in the middle.

“He’s just really stepped up to the challenge,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “What I’ve seen from him is his ability to compete. The majority of nights when he’s at the five, the dude that’s standing next to him is going to be taller than him, and a lot of the times bigger and stronger than him. And so his fight has been the first thing that needs to be acknowledged. His rebounding, his ability for us to use him to get a rebound and bust-out dribble … that’s an advantage for us.”

Lewis notes that Vaughn’s other option was to rely on backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, who’s more physically suited for the position. But Sharpe can’t space the floor on offense and he forces the defense to rely on drop coverage, which Vaughn wants to limit. Finney-Smith is a non-traditional answer until Claxton returns, but it’s working so far.

“I challenged our group,” Vaughn said. “I said that Doe is playing out of position, and I challenged them to come back and help this dude. He’s guarding bigger dudes every night. You cannot leave him by himself. So our group took that to heart.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Ben Simmons has looked more like his old self in the early part of the season, observes Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today. With injury issues reportedly behind him, Simmons has been more mobile and aggressive, and he’s putting up stat lines that are starting to resemble his All-Star past. “The past 24 months, not really having the ability to get on the court, it gave people a reason to pile on, and it gave them ammunition,” said his agent, Bernie Lee. “He wasn’t physically ready to play and was under so much pressure to make an attempt to do it, and buying into a narrative with his competitive nature, he wanted to get back on court and quiet detractors. Having the ability to take a step back and have more time to complete rehab for his back has been cathartic and he has invested in the work. He has taken perspective (of) his own place in life, his career and with this team.”
First-round pick Dariq Whitehead tells Jordan Greene of Nets Daily that he feels 75% to 80% in his recovery from offseason foot surgery. The 19-year-old forward is progressing toward his season debut with the team’s G League affiliate in Long Island. “Once I feel like I have complete control on how my legs feel, which should be another two weeks, I’ll be good to go,” Whitehead said.
The shorthanded Nets got some reinforcements on Friday when Spencer Dinwiddie and Dennis Smith Jr. both returned from injuries, Lewis adds in another story for the Post.