Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Holiday, N. Young, J. Parker, 2024 Draft, More

October 2nd, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat and Clippers are believed to be the other teams that were seriously in the mix for Jrue Holiday before the Trail Blazers accepted the Celtics’ offer for the All-Defensive guard, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast.

“I’m not sure exactly where are the offers were at the end for the Blazers before they decided on the Celtics’ offer, but based on my conversations, my feel was there was at least three teams who were making significant bids.” Windhorst said, according to RealGM. “… The teams I really think were there in the end were the Celtics, Heat and the Clippers.

“The reason I think those three teams were there because I think those were the three teams Jrue Holiday was really focused on at some point being able to sign a longer-term contract (with). And that message kind of went out in recent days. Other teams made offers but it was sort of a three-team, aggressive race at the end. Only the Blazers know exactly what the offers were.”

The Clippers came close to acquiring Malcolm Brogdon back in June, so it will be interesting to see if they make any effort to re-engage the Trail Blazers in talks for Brogdon after missing out on Holiday.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Nick Young is resuming his playing career overseas, having signed with the Macau Black Bears of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), according to the team (Instagram link; hat tip to Sportando). A former first-round pick, Young has appeared in 720 regular season NBA games, but has been out of the league since being waived by Denver in 2018.
Speaking to Alex Molina of Eurohoops following his move to FC Barcelona, former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker said he believes the NBA is getting “watered down” because so many teams are trying to tank for draft picks each season, and expressed dismay that players like Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and John Wall can’t find NBA homes.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) has updated his mock draft for 2024, moving USC guard Isaiah Collier up to No. 2 and Perth Wildcats big man Alexandre Sarr up to No. 4. While Ron Holland of the G League Ignite is still considered the early favorite to be next year’s No. 1 pick, Givony says Sarr has done enough to join the small group of prospects with a legitimate case for the top spot in the 2024 draft.
With a series of holes in its programming schedule this winter due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, ABC will air NBA games on every Wednesday night in January, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That slate of games will includes matchups between the Pelicans and Warriors, Mavericks and Lakers, and Suns and Nets, among others.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports believes that Jason Kidd (Mavericks), Steve Clifford (Hornets), and Billy Donovan (Bulls) are three head coaches who will be on the hot seat this season.

Nets Notes: Culture, Johnson, Lillard, Whitehead

October 2nd, 2023 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

For the first time in a few years, the Nets will enter a new season with relatively modest expectations, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who notes that the new-look roster probably doesn’t have championship upside. On the plus side though, it looks like it should be a relatively drama-free fall in Brooklyn, and team owner Joe Tsai is enthusiastic about the current group.

“I would say I’m excited,” Tsai told Lewis when asked about the upcoming year. “I’m excited about the season because we have a group of guys that are excited to be in Brooklyn. Yeah, that’s what I see now.”

With stars like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving no longer in Brooklyn, the Nets sound eager to embrace an underdog spirit as they look to instill a culture of grit and competitiveness, Lewis writes in a separate New York Post story. As Lewis observes, the team has a number of players who will be fighting to earn a roster spot, an increased role, and/or their next contract.

“That was maybe our No. 1 priority when we set out to do this,” general manager Sean Marks said. “We wanted to acquire guys — and keep guys — that have a chip on their shoulder, something to prove.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Cameron Johnson, who received a lucrative new four-year contract from Brooklyn in July, won’t be available when training camp begins this week, tweets Lewis. Johnson suffered a mild left hamstring strain during a workout last week and isn’t ready to resume full basketball activities.
Asked today about the rumors that the Nets were one of the teams in on the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, Marks said that the front office will always “look under every stone” but indicated the club was never seriously in the mix for the star guard. “There’s no substance there,” he said, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com (Twitter link).
First-round pick Dariq Whitehead, who underwent a second foot surgery this spring, said on Monday that he’s not taking contact or doing any 5-on-5 work yet, but he’s been doing some running and is glad he had that follow-up procedure. “I don’t have to finally second-guess if my foot is going to be good or not for the season, knowing that it’s finally at that point where I don’t have to worry about and I can just go out there and play,” Whitehead said, per Lewis (Twitter links).
In a pair of stories for The New York Post, Lewis shares his Nets training camp primer and digs into what it will mean for the club’s backcourt to have Ben Simmons playing point guard (subscription required). Simmons’ health status will be the key storyline to watch this fall, according to Lewis, who also identifies Dennis Smith Jr. as Brooklyn’s most intriguing new addition.

Details On Damian Lillard’s “Messy” Exit From Portland

September 28th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Multiple reporters have cited sources who said the Trail Blazers hadn’t discussed a Damian Lillard trade with the Heat — Lillard’s preferred landing spot — since July.

According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the last dialogue the two sides had was a phone call at Summer League between Blazers GM Joe Cronin and Heat GM Andy Elisburg. Miami wanted to set up an in-person meeting in Las Vegas to have further discussions, but it never transpired, per Haynes.

“How this summer played out behind the scenes definitely left a sour taste in my mouth,” Lillard told Haynes. “But it doesn’t change the amazing experiences I’ve had with the Trail Blazers and this city. I’ll always cherish this place. This is my home. I’ll always live here regardless.”

The situation became acrimonious almost immediately, as the Blazers felt Lillard’s trade request had put them at a negotiating disadvantage, while Miami believed Portland was acting out of emotion instead of understanding the league is a business, Haynes writes.

Following a lengthy period of inactivity, Aaron Goodwin, Lillard’s agent, suggested that Cronin meet with Lillard in the event that the longtime star returned to the team.

As Haynes details, at the meeting on September 5, Lillard expressed his disappointment with the situation and wondered why there hadn’t been any communication between Portland and Miami. He didn’t want to be traded anywhere else and noted that he’d been willing to sacrifice for the team.

Specifically, Haynes cites sources who say the Blazers asked Lillard to sit out the final 10 games of last season to boost Portland’s lottery odds. Lillard was told a top pick would improve the front office’s chances of trading it for a win-now veteran. Lillard reluctantly agreed, with the team citing a “calf injury.” Portland ultimately kept the pick and selected Scoot Henderson No. 3 overall.

According to Haynes, Cronin told Lillard at the September 5 meeting that he planned to extract every possible asset from the Heat if he had to deal with them. Realizing that was unrealistic, Lillard responded by saying if he couldn’t land in Miami, he’d prefer to rescind his trade request and return to Portland.

Cronin told Lillard he couldn’t come back, which “shocked” the 33-year-old, sources tell Haynes. Lillard was “discouraged” that he couldn’t return to the Blazers, but he also didn’t want to be somewhere he wasn’t wanted, so he ended the meeting.

Shortly thereafter, the Blazers — who were frustrated with their offers at that point — refused to communicate with Lillard and Goodwin for almost three weeks. Portland didn’t want Goodwin meddling in trade talks, which is how the team rationalized the decision, per Haynes.

With Cronin refusing to talk, Goodwin came up with a contingency plan, letting both Milwaukee and Brooklyn know Lillard would be interested in joining those two teams. Haynes is now the third to report that information regarding the Bucks and Nets.

The NBA actually got involved on September 23 because of the contentious communication breakdown, Haynes writes. Cronin agreed to have dialogue with Goodwin at that point, and a few days later Lillard was traded to the Bucks.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted he has mixed emotions about the trade, he told Haynes.

“It’s a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee,” Antetkounmpo said. “You get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose a great guy. Jrue (Holiday) took us to the promised land. I’m 10 years in now. I know it’s a business. At the end of the day, Jrue will alway be be my brother for life. He’s one of the best human beings I’ve been around. But we’ve got to focus on the goal to win the championship. Dame wants this. He’s hungry to win, and he’s going to push us. I’m very happy to have him on our team.”

Haynes’ story for Bleacher Report has more details and quotes and is worth reading in full.

Here are some more notes related to the three-team blockbuster:

In a series of Twitter posts, Lillard sent a heartfelt thank you and goodbye to Blazers fans, teammates, coaches, employees, the media, and more. In conclusion, he wrote, “As this chapter of my life ends, I look back and realize how special it was. Even in this moment I feel sad that we never accomplished what I so badly wanted to. I don’t cry much, but I know my love for you is real because I am for sure dropping some tears right now. Rip City you know my heart and where I stand because I’ve stood there for over a decade so to have to move off my square hurts my heart. … I do believe a day will come where I put on a Blazers uniform on again, and hopefully by then I’ll be forgiven for breaking your hearts along with my own.”
Center Deandre Ayton, who was sent to Portland in the deal, also sent a thank you message to the Suns (via Twitter).
Only Lillard and Holiday will be required to report and pass physicals as part of the deal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links), who adds that Holiday can’t be traded until both players pass their physicals. The Blazers owe the Bulls a top-14 protected first-rounder through 2028, and if it conveys that summer, Portland’s ’28 first-round pick swap with Milwaukee will be voided, Marks reports.
The Blazers generated an $8.8MM traded player exception in the deal, while the Suns got a $1.1MM TPE, per Marks.
In another tweet, Marks notes that Holiday can’t be aggregated with other salaries for two months, though he can be traded on his own (or with one or more players if his salary isn’t aggregated with theirs).
While multiple reports have now said Goodwin reached out to Brooklyn, NetsDaily.com hears the Nets were never interested and only discussed Lillard with Portland one time, in July. The Nets simply didn’t believe Lillard could turn them into a contender and were wary of his age and long-term contract, per NetsDaily.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype explores what’s next following the deal, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic evaluates the trade for the Bucks, Blazers and Suns.

Inside The Damian Lillard Trade

September 28th, 2023 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Damian Lillard had become more involved with the Trail Blazers over the past two weeks and was preparing to attend training camp with the team if he didn’t get the trade he requested, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

After nearly three months of waiting, that deal came together on Wednesday, sending Lillard to the Bucks in a three-way trade that also involved the Suns. Lillard hadn’t been reconciling with Portland, the authors add, but he was working out at the team facility and interacting with coaches and teammates to show that he was willing to remain patient as the Blazers’ front office tried to find a trade.

Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, informed general manager Joe Cronin early in September that Lillard was open to participating in camp if a deal didn’t happen before then, sources tell Charania and Amick, and Lillard told team officials that he would be “fully present” for the start of the season while trade talks continued.

However, the authors’ sources say Cronin didn’t want the distraction of having Lillard on the roster when camp began and preferred to get a deal out of the way before Monday’s media day. He viewed the Lillard situation as “a cloud over the organization” and wanted the team to be able to focus on the season ahead without having to worry about Lillard’s future.

Charania and Amick provide more inside information about Wednesday’s blockbuster:

When Lillard made his trade request on July 1, he told team officials he only wanted to go to Miami and was expecting to be rewarded for his years of loyalty to the organization. Charania and Amick confirm the Blazers and Heat talked several times in July, but the negotiations never became “substantive,” according to the authors’ sources. Portland asked for Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo in its first call, and Miami eventually decided that Cronin wasn’t serious about working out a deal with them.
Sources tell Charania and Amick that in July and August, the Heat were willing to part with three first-round picks, multiple second-rounders and pick swaps, along with Nikola Jovic in a proposal that would have sent Tyler Herro to a third team. However, the Blazers weren’t interested and the relationship between Portland and Miami started to become contentious. It’s worth noting that Miami didn’t technically have three tradable first-round picks available due to an obligation to the Thunder and the Stepien rule.
Cronin began serious trade discussions around the league on September 18 and found interest from the Bucks, Celtics, Pelicans, Raptors, Timberwolves and Bulls. All those teams wanted to acquire Lillard, but they were concerned about Portland’s asking price and whether they would have enough talent left on their roster after a deal to compete for a title.
Tensions reached a point where Cronin stopped responding to Goodwin in mid-September, sources tell Charania and Amick, and Goodwin began to explore other options that might appeal to Lillard. He was willing to consider the Bucks and Nets, and Goodwin communicated his interest to both those teams. The Raptors also had serious interest, but Lillard’s reluctance to play there was an obstacle until the end, the authors note.
The authors’ sources say the Suns started discussing the framework of a Deandre Ayton–Jusuf Nurkic trade in mid-July, but the Blazers wanted to make sure they could avoid the luxury tax when Lillard was eventually dealt. Phoenix would likely have been part of any deal with the Bucks, Nets or Heat, Charania and Amick add.

New York Notes: Simmons, Nets, Knicks, Fournier

September 28th, 2023 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Count veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie among those who are bullish on Ben Simmons‘ chances of enjoying a big comeback season in 2023/24. As NetsDaily relays, Dinwiddie heaped plenty of praise on his Nets teammate during a recent appearance on Patrick Beverley’s podcast.

“Ben at his best form is a far more athletic Draymond Green with less three-point shooting,” Dinwiddie said. “… When you talk about the defensive IQ, reading passing lanes, quarterbacking a defense, able to guard one through five. He’s one of the only people in the league who can do that, and then obviously he’s getting out on that break.

“… When Ben’s at his best, he’s getting off the rim, he’s being a monster in transition, he’s making plays for others,” Dinwiddie continued. “We hope that there’s enough shooting out there with Mikal (Bridges) … Cam Johnson obviously is elite, he’s always shooting 45 (percent) from three … Catch and shoot-wise I’ve been a good three-point shooter in my career. We hope to space the floor for him. He gets out in transition and makes plays. And obviously you’ve got Nic (Claxton) playing above the rim.”

Simmons’ comments in August about how he was eager to “come back and dominate people” after recovering from his back issues were met by many fans with skepticism and some derision. However, people who have spent time around the former No. 1 overall pick this offseason believes those quotes are “based on substance,” according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who has heard from those sources that Simmons looks like he’s primed for a bounce-back year.

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

Defensive rebounding and outside shooting look like two potential Nets weaknesses based on their current roster, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who suggests that how Brooklyn overcomes – or addresses – its shortcomings in both areas could go a long way toward determining what sort of season the team has.
Michael Pina of The Ringer lays out the case for why the Knicks are in position to target an impact player and why New York may be a more appealing landing spot for stars than it has been for years. In a related story, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com argues that the Knicks should go all-in for trade candidate Jrue Holiday.
After stating in July that he’d be “very surprised” if he opens the season with the Knicks, Evan Fournier sounds more resigned to that scenario, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (subscription required), who passes along highlights from Fournier’s appearance earlier this month on French radio station RTL. The veteran wing acknowledged that he doesn’t have much control over the situation, but simply wants the opportunity to play again. “I love living (in New York), I love the franchise, I love playing at Madison (Square Garden), I love the guys on the team,” Fournier said. “So I just want to play, that’s all. It’s true that finding another club, changing franchises, if that’s what you have to do to play again, that’s what I would like to do.”
In his latest mailbag, Fred Katz of The Athletic fields questions on Fournier’s status, the Knicks‘ rotation, and Julius Randle‘s recent agency change. While Katz doesn’t believe Randle’s decision to leave CAA means he wants to leave the Knicks, he refers to the move as “significant,” noting that the timing (following the first season of a four-year contract) is unusual.

More Lillard Trade Notes: Nets, Raptors, Grades, Holiday

September 27th, 2023 at 6:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Ten days ago, Aaron Goodwin — Damian Lillard‘s agent — privately informed the Bucks and Nets that his client would be interested in joining Milwaukee or Brooklyn, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). Spears also writes that the Raptors were a “real contender” for Lillard, who will reportedly land with the Bucks.

Appearing on 590 The FAN, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca described the Raptors’ pursuit of Lillard as being less than full throttle.

“There was always interest, determination to try to get a deal but they wanted to see if they could, knowing them, without having to give up everything,” Grange said (Twitter link).

As for the Bucks, they discretely began inquiring about Lillard a couple weeks ago, league sources tell Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Goodwill writes that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard will be under a lot of pressure to bring another title to Milwaukee after going all-in, and losing Jrue Holiday‘s defense shouldn’t be ignored.

Why would Milwaukee appeal to Lillard? In addition to being on a title contender and playing with two-time MVP and 2021 Finals MVP Antetokounmpo, Lillard will also participate in more nationally televised games (19) than any other season in his career, notes Nate Jones (via Twitter), another of Lillard’s agents.

Here’s more on the three-team blockbuster between the Bucks, Trail Blazers and Suns:

In grading the deal, Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider link) gives both Milwaukee and Portland a B-plus, while Phoenix receives a B-minus. Pelton likes the addition of Nassir Little more for the Suns than Jusuf Nurkic, noting Nurkic’s injury history, inefficiency inside the arc and lack of mobility. Zach Harper of The Athletic has identical grades for the Suns and Blazers, but is more bullish on the Bucks’ side of the deal, giving Milwaukee an A.
Both Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscriber link) and Mark Medina of Sportsnaut argue that the deal is a win-win for Portland and Lillard.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides his breakdown of the deal (YouTube link). As Marks notes, Lillard’s long-term deal is actually an insurance policy of sorts for the Bucks, since Holiday can become a free agent next summer if he turns down his player option.
Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link) thinks it’s inevitable that Holiday — who is heading to Portland from Milwaukee as part of the deal — will eventually be traded. However, keeping him until the trade deadline isn’t a bad option, according to Highkin, as more teams might pursue the veteran guard during the season once more players become trade-eligible.
Don’t expect the Raptors to pursue Holiday, tweets Grange. Toronto was interested in Lillard’s elite half-court offense, while Holiday isn’t on the same level at that end of the court.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link) argues the Magic should pursue Holiday, while Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post believes the Knicks should trade for the All-Defensive guard, writing that head coach Tom Thibodeau would love to have him. “Thibs and Jrue,” a longtime NBA executive texted Vaccaro, “is a marriage made in basketball heaven.”
ESPN’s panel of insiders answer big questions after the massive trade, while Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports provides three takeaways from the Suns’ perspective.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Point Guards, Whitehead, Sharpe, More

September 26th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Ben Simmons is taking part in 5-on-5 workouts without any restrictions and is expected to be a full participant in training camp, head coach Jacque Vaughn and general manager Sean Marks said on Tuesday, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“Pretty simple that way which is good for me to say, and I think that fits into an exciting time for me to have this group together,” Vaughn said. “No restrictions at the beginning of the year — get to form an identity together, get to form some relationships at the beginning of the year, a style of play, so really looking forward to the challenge and getting to training camp because of that.”

In addition to discussing Simmons’ health, Vaughn confirmed something the former No. 1 overall pick said last month, telling reporters that the relationship between the two men is in a better place now than it was last season. As Bontemps details, Vaughn also agreed with Simmons’ assessment that he’s a point guard, though the head coach did offer a caveat.

“I would use the word ‘agreement’ more so than ‘commitment,'” Vaughn said when he was asked if he’s committed to playing Simmons at the point this season. “The agreement is if he’s playing at a consistent and high level, then I think our pictures look exactly the same. I think you can kind of put it in that category.”

Asked if Simmons is competing with Spencer Dinwiddie for minutes at point guard, Vaughn said the two guards will share the floor at times, with Dennis Smith Jr. also in the mix for a regular backcourt role, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Here’s more on the Nets:

There’s no specific timeline for the return of first-round pick Dariq Whitehead, who underwent foot surgery in the spring, but the Nets certainly don’t expect him to miss his entire rookie season, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “We’re definitely not going to rush him,” Marks said. “We love the grit and determination. I wouldn’t put a timeline on when he’ll be back but he will definitely be playing this year.”
While Vaughn still expects to use smaller lineups frequently in 2023/24, he wants to give Day’Ron Sharpe an opportunity to earn a role since he’s one of the team’s best rebounders, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). The head coach also said that he expects Simmons and center Nic Claxton to share the floor quite a bit, despite the spacing issues it created last season.
For the first time since 2018, the Nets won’t have any superstar players on their roster entering training camp. That doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be open to pursuing a star in the next year or two if the right opportunity arises, but it also doesn’t sound like they feel compelled to do so. “(Team owner) Joe Tsai, myself and (Vaughn) have talked openly about how this team will look in the upcoming years and when’s the right time to go back in,” Marks said, according to Bontemps. “Whether it’s facilitating another deal, whether it’s acquiring more players, whether it’s seeing what these young guys on our team right now can develop, and that’s an exciting piece too that we’re forgetting to mention. We’re certainly not in any hurry, but at the end of the day, we’re going to do our due diligence like we always have over the course of the last six years.”
Over at his Substack, Steve Lichtenstein explores why forward Trendon Watford has the potential to be a solid developmental piece for Brooklyn. Watford is on a non-guaranteed contract with the Nets.

Nets Sign Scottie Lindsey

September 26th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have signed free agent shooting guard Scottie Lindsey to a training camp contract, according to announcements from the team and marketing agency RBA Showcase (Twitter link).

Lindsey, 27, has played primarily in the G League since going undrafted out of Northwestern in 2018, spending time with the Grand Rapids Drive, Erie BayHawks (now the Birmingham Squadron), Windy City Bulls, and Maine Celtics. He has also played in professional leagues in Portugal and Canada.

Last season, Lindsey appeared in a total of 44 regular season and Showcase Cup games for Maine, averaging 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per contest with a shooting line of .435/.332/.860.

The Long Island Nets – Brooklyn’s G League affiliate – announced on Monday that they acquired the returning rights for Lindsey and A.J. Reeves from the Maine Celtics in exchange for the returning rights to Jordan Bowden and Noah Kirkwood, so it’s safe to assume the Nets view Lindsey as a player who will eventually suit up for their NBAGL squad.

Assuming Lindsey’s new deal with the team includes Exhibit 10 language, which is very likely, he’ll earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Long Island after being waived by Brooklyn.

The Nets, who have been busy making roster moves this week with an eye toward the G League season, now have 20 players under contract.

Nets Sign Kyler Edwards, Waive Two Players

September 26th, 2023 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have made a handful of moves affecting the back of their offseason roster, signing Kyler Edwards and waiving Jordan Hall and Keifer Sykes, per the team.

Edwards, 24, went undrafted out of Houston in 2022 and spent his rookie season playing for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League affiliate. In 41 regular season and Showcase Cup appearances for the Cruise, the 6’4″ shooting guard averaged 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 25.6 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .397/.335/.738.

Hall and Sykes had been on Exhibit 10 contracts and Edwards’ new contract will almost certainly be an Exhibit 10 deal as well. The terms of those deals make them eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days this season with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBAGL team.

Long Island has acquired the returning rights to all three players, so Edwards – like Hall and Sykes – figures to be waived before the regular season begins and will likely start the year in the G League.

Brooklyn has 19 players under contract following its latest roster moves, including 13 on guaranteed salaries and a pair on two-way deals.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Giannis, Hart, Harden

September 23rd, 2023 at 9:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

For the first time in years, the Nets will report to training camp without a superstar on their roster, but they have plenty of assets ready for when the next one becomes available, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn is in a transition phase after shipping out Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in separate deals last February. Those trades gave the team a foundation built around Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, along with a parcel of draft assets that can match any team in the league.

The Nets have seven tradable first-round picks through 2030, along with four others that could be involved in swaps. They own unprotected firsts from the Suns in 2027 and 2029 and one from the Mavericks in 2029. Lewis points out that those picks could greatly increase in value as the core in Phoenix becomes older and especially if Irving and Luka Doncic eventually decide to leave Dallas.

Lewis doesn’t expect Brooklyn to use any of its assets to chase players who are currently on the market such as Damian Lillard, Tyler Herro or James Harden. The front office wants to be fully stocked in case a major star such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell or Doncic eventually becomes available.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks risk missing out on other opportunities if they decide to wait for the possibility of an Antetokounmpo trade, Ian Begley of SNY.tv states in a mailbag column. He points to Raptors forward OG Anunoby as an example of a useful talent who might be available through trade, but New York can’t make a bid for him if the front office is determined to preserve its assets for a run at Antetokounmpo. Begley also notes that Antetokounmpo could ultimately decide to stay in Milwaukee or force his way to another team.
The Knicks appear to have Josh Hart penciled in as their backup power forward, Begley adds. New York hasn’t signed anyone to replace Obi Toppin after trading him to Indiana, and using Hart in that role could open up playing time for free agent addition Ryan Arcidiacono.
The attention being focused on a potential Lillard deal is holding up any progress the Sixers could be making on a Harden trade, Derek Bodner states on the latest PHLY Sports podcast. Philadelphia talked to the Trail Blazers about a Lillard deal this summer, Kyle Neubeck adds, but he cautions that doesn’t mean the teams were ever close to a deal.