Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Brooks, Watford Lift Nets' Bench

November 3rd, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Speaking of reserves, the Nets got similar performances from their bench in a victory over Miami on Wednesday. That group included Armoni Brooks and Trendon Watford, making their first appearances with the Nets, and rookie second-rounder Jalen Wilson, Dan Martin of the New York Post notes. “This is a night when you see the depth and versatility of our group,’’ coach Jacque Vaughn said. “You also saw the fight and competitiveness of our group. Our pace didn’t change with subbing in guys.”

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Gallinari, Dowtin, Batum

November 2nd, 2023 at 5:14pm CST by Tristan Tucker

After opening the season with a DNP-CD, Nets guard Lonnie Walker is impressing with an increased workload over the past three games as Brooklyn deals with injuries.

With Spencer Dinwiddie going down with an ankle sprain on Monday, Walker stepped in and registered 19 points, following that up with a 17-point performance on Wednesday without Dinwiddie or Dennis Smith Jr. in the lineup. In three games this season, Walker is averaging 16.7 points and shooting a blistering 47.1% from beyond the arc. His performance so far isn’t surprising his teammates, according to the New York Post’s Brian Lewis.

“That’s Lonnie Walker,” teammate Ben Simmons said. “If you watched him last year, you know what he’s capable of. He deserves to play every night. He’s one of the guys we need on this team to have nights like this.”

Walker signed with the Nets on a one-year, minimum-salary contract this summer after averaging 11.7 PPG as a key rotation piece for the Lakers last year.

“This goes a long ways,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “I don’t play him the first game. … For him to still have the commitment to the team, to [say,] ‘All right second game, let’s see what coach does.’ Third game, to stay with us. To me that speaks to who he is, how we can build with him. And he’s showing the ability that he can produce.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Playing for Boston would have been a dream come true for Danilo Gallinari, who grew up a fan of the Celtics and Larry Bird, according to The Athletic’s Jay King. That chance was taken from him after Gallinari suffered a torn ACL shortly after signing with Boston last summer, and while he’s trying not to dwell on the past, the forward found it especially tough to not be on the court, King writes. “It was just bad timing,” Gallinari said. “I thought we had the chance to win it. I thought especially during the series with Miami I could have helped a lot. But it’s all in the past.” According to King, Gallinari didn’t expect to be traded this summer. He was sent to Washington in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics and is averaging 8.0 points in four games with the Wizards.
The Raptors waived Jeff Dowtin at the roster cut-down deadline in October despite an impressive stint in the G League last season. Sportsnet.ca’s Blake Murphy reports (Twitter link) Dowtin is signing a G League contract and will suit up for the Delaware Blue Coats, the affiliate of the Sixers, who acquired his returning player rights in September. Dowtin had a few EuroLeague offers but will try to earn a call-up through the G League, Murphy adds.
New Sixers forward Nicolas Batum is missing Thursday night’s game against the Raptors due to personal reasons, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. Batum averaged 2.7 points across three games with the Clippers this season.

Injury Notes: Zion, Ingram, Kyrie, Kleber, Nets

November 2nd, 2023 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Maher

While he technically isn’t injured, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss Thursday’s game against Detroit — which is the second game of a back-to-back — due to rest, per Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com.

Williamson, who missed the entire 2021/22 season with a foot injury and was limited to 29 games last season due to hamstring issues, is averaging 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists through four games (30.8 minutes) for the 3-1 Pelicans.

New Orleans’ other star forward, Brandon Ingram, is also on the injury report, having been listed as questionable with right knee tendinitis. Head coach Willie Green said Ingram underwent an MRI a few days ago, but there was no structural damage in his knee, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. The 26-year-old has missed the past two games and is considered day-to-day.

Here are a few more injury notes:

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who has missed the past two games with a left foot sprain, is questionable for Friday’s matchup against Denver, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Big man Maxi Kleber (right small toe dislocation) is also questionable. In an interview with Grant Afseth of DallasBasketball.com, Irving recently discussed a number of topics, including his injury, the team’s 4-0 start, and more.
Nets center Nic Claxton has been ruled out of Friday’s matchup with Chicago as he continues to deal with a left ankle sprain, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays (via Twitter). On a more positive note, guards Spencer Dinwiddie (left ankle sprain) and Dennis Smith Jr. (left hip contusion) are listed as questionable — both players were sidelined for Wednesday’s victory in Miami.
Nets first-round pick Dariq Whitehead has progressed to 5-on-5 work with the team’s G League affiliate in Long Island, a person familiar with the matter tells Net Income of NetsDaily. Whitehead is recovering from offseason foot surgery and was playing 2-on-2 with teammates and coaches early last week.

Keon Johnson Signs Two-Way Contract With Nets

November 1st, 2023 at 12:34pm CST by Rory Maher

NOVEMBER 1: The Nets have officially signed Johnson to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

OCTOBER 31: Free agent guard Keon Johnson plans to sign a two-way deal with the Nets, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As our tracker shows, the Nets have an open two-way spot, so they won’t need to waive anyone to sign Johnson. Their 18-man roster will be full once the move is official.

Johnson, the 21st overall pick of the 2021 draft, was sent to Phoenix from Portland in the three-team blockbuster that saw Damian Lillard land with Milwaukee. The 21-year-old was waived by the Suns last week, just before the season started, due to the team’s roster crunch.

The fourth-year option on Johnson’s rookie scale contract was declined when he was cut by Phoenix, though the team will still be paying his $2.8MM salary this season. After clearing waivers, the third-year guard became an unrestricted free agent, but he was ineligible to return to the Suns on a two-way deal since his contract was guaranteed for more than $75K (the maximum two-way protection amount). Phoenix is now the lone NBA team with a two-way opening.

An explosive athlete who was viewed as a developmental project when he declared for the draft after one college season at Tennesseee, Johnson struggled to score efficiently over his first two NBA seasons with the Clippers and Trail Blazers, averaging a combined 5.9 PPG, 1.8 APG and 1.6 RPG on .362/.343/.739 shooting in 77 games (14.4 MPG). Due to the Nets’ crowded backcourt, Johnson will likely be spending a good chunk of 2023/24 in the G League with their affiliate in Long Island.

If Johnson officially signs on Wednesday, he’ll earn a two-way salary of $534,045 and will be eligible to appear in up to 48 regular season games.

Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Horford, P. Williams, Nets

October 31st, 2023 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Kristaps Porzingis‘ former Wizards teammates and head coach Wes Unseld Jr. had nothing but praise for the big man after facing him on Monday for the first time since his trade to the Celtics, per Jay King and Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Unseld referred to Porzingis as a “great human being,” Kyle Kuzma said he “left a lasting impact on me,” and Deni Avdija said “you’d love coming to work with him.”

That affection is mutual, according to Porzingis, who admitted on Monday that he didn’t enter the offseason expecting to leave D.C.

“I went into the summer thinking I would like to stay (in Washington) long term and that was my home, but in the NBA, everything changes so fast,” Porzingis said. “You can get traded at any time, and I could have gotten traded during the season. You never know. So it just happened this way and I couldn’t have asked for a better scenario during the summer, honestly. I miss that place, but they had a different route they wanted to go and I completely understand that.”

Although Porzingis may not have initially been eager to leave Washington, he has been a seamless fit so far in Boston, as King and Robbins outline. His ability to stretch the floor and to score in the low post has helped diversify the Celtics’ offense, and he provides added rim protection on the defensive end of the court.

“He just changes our late-game frequency,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said on Monday. “In New York (last Wednesday) we posted a little bit, and (in the) last game we were able to continue to play out of the post. And it forces teams to kind of match up with us a little bit more traditionally and it allows us to kind of get to our spots.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Celtics big man Al Horford spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com about his new role coming off the bench, how much longer he may want to continue playing, and why he’s unlikely to go ring-chasing in free agency during his final years in the NBA.
Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who was the only starter with a negative plus/minus rating (-7) in Monday’s win over Indiana, needs to figure things out sooner rather than later, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. While developing the former lottery pick has been a priority in recent years, the Bulls are very much in win-now mode and Williams will be a free agent at season’s end, so the team can’t afford to be patient for much longer. “I don’t think there’s anything with Patrick that’s, ‘Hey just wait on me,'” head coach Billy Donovan said. “He wants to help the team, but he also knows he needs to figure it out on his end.”
Although there’s optimism in Brooklyn about a bounce-back season for Ben Simmons, the Nets still need to figure out how to maximize his abilities when he’s sharing the court with center Nic Claxton, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Head coach Jacque Vaughn believes lineups featuring Simmons and Claxton – who has been out since opening night due to an ankle injury – can make up for their lack of spacing by turning defensive stops into fast-break opportunities. “It’s staring us in the face that we are better at playing in transition and in full-court basketball than in the half court,” Vaughn said. “And the sooner we realize that as a group, the better off we’re going to be.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Knicks, Mitchell, Thomas, Raptors

October 31st, 2023 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

The blockbuster trade sending James Harden from Philadelphia to Los Angeles is the culmination of a saga that made headlines for the last four months, but it’s only step one in the Sixers‘ latest plan for short- and long-term contention, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.

As Amick outlines, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey will attempt to use the draft assets he acquires from the Clippers to add another win-now piece to a roster that has gotten off to a pretty good start this season even without Harden in action.

In an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday morning (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski said that the Sixers feel as if they can now put together a trade package comparable to what Boston gave up to get Jrue Holiday earlier this month, though it remains to seen if a player of Holiday’s caliber – and fit – will become available prior to the February trade deadline.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Until he signs an extension with the Cavaliers or gets traded somewhere else, Donovan Mitchell will likely continue to be linked to the Knicks as a potential trade target, which his friend Josh Hart understands, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “He’s from New York. New York is never going to let that go away,” Hart said. “So you’ll never know what happens. That’s for the future, that’s for Knicks Twitter to talk about, and have rumors about, and put up stats of God knows what. But everyone knows that will be an underlying thing.”
Nets guard Cam Thomas, who recently had his 2024/25 option picked up, became the second-youngest player in NBA history to open the season with three consecutive 30-point games, per ESPN. The 22-year-old’s play has earned him praise from head coach Jacque Vaughn. “We know he has ability to score the basketball, but it has not been forced,” Vaughn said. “It’s been within the flow of the offense. And then at certain times when we need a bucket and he is capable of doing that also. So he is learning how to survey the game and when we need him to score and when he needs to facilitate.”
There was optimism entering the fall that new head coach Darko Rajakovic could help jump-start the Raptors‘ offense, which has struggled in recent years in half-court sets. But a week into the season, Toronto ranks dead last in the NBA in offensive rating (100.8). Regardless of whether it’s Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes leading the attack, the offense isn’t working, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

Nets’ Cameron Johnson To Miss At Least 10 More Days

October 30th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Nets forward Cameron Johnson will be reevaluated in 10 days after an MRI revealed he has a strain in his left leg, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Johnson was originally diagnosed with a left calf contusion after being injured on opening night. He missed the team’s second game and had been considered day-to-day. Brooklyn has a packed schedule with six games over the next 10 days, starting with tonight at Charlotte.

Johnson felt well enough on Sunday to take some shots during practice in Dallas, Lewis adds in a full story. Johnson dealt with a hamstring strain in training camp and sat out the entire preseason, so his only game action was 26 minutes in the season opener.

The news is more encouraging about center Nic Claxton, who didn’t wear his walking boot at this morning’s shootaround, Lewis tweets. Having sprained his left ankle in the opener, Claxton is considered day-to-day.

Bridges Still Trying To Get Comfortable As Top Dog

October 29th, 2023 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mikal Bridges hasn’t played poorly but he’s still trying to settle into the role of No. 1 option, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Bridges averaged 19 points on 41.4% shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the first two Nets games of the season. “Just missing shots, I’m missing layups, missing some of my teammates open. I’ve just got to be better,” he said.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Johnson, Claxton, Finney-Smith, Dinwiddie

October 28th, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cam Thomas will become a fixture in the Nets‘ lineup if he keeps scoring the way he has in the season’s first two games, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Thomas poured in 36 points off the bench in Wednesday’s season opener and followed that with 30 more as a starter Friday night in Dallas.

Scoring outbursts are nothing new for Thomas, who had three straight 40-point games last season, but issues with defense and play-making have prevented him from earning a regular role in his first two years in the NBA. With Thomas coming off a strong training camp, his teammates are hoping to see him as a consistent member of the rotation.

“Need it,” Mikal Bridges said. “I mean, that’s his job: Come off the bench and bring instant offense. “Defensively, he’s been playing hard, being in the right spots, so that was a big thing for him to learn. But that’s what he’s supposed to do off the bench. He’s supposed to lead that bench in scoring and provide offense. … then teams over-help and find other guys. That’s what he’s supposed to do. He can score the hell out of the ball.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Brooklyn is hoping forward Cameron Johnson and center Nic Claxton, who are both considered day-to-day, can return for Monday’s game at Charlotte, Lewis states in another story for the Post. After sitting out the preseason with a hamstring injury, Johnson suffered a left calf contusion on opening night and didn’t play Friday. Claxton sprained his left ankle in the opener and missed Friday’s game in what coach Jacque Vaughn calls “a precaution.”
Friday marked the first return to Dallas for Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, who were both shipped to Brooklyn in February in the Kyrie Irving trade, Lewis adds. “I’ve got a ton of love for Mavs, Mavs’ fan base, the team,” Dinwiddie said. “Shoot, I just congratulated Josh Green on his new deal, so a lot of those guys are still my friends.”
Hawks guard Patty Mills, who played for Nets teams that included Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden, tells Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News that off-court distractions ruined what could have been a title contender. “I think any place you go, the ideal scenario is it’s about basketball and you keep it about basketball, and you figure out how to move forward on the basketball court,” Mills said. “So when you look back at it there, there were definitely a lot of times where there were distractions that got the better of us and that definitely took a toll.”