Nets Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Udoka, Durant, Embiid, Raptors

November 7th, 2022 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets may be having second thoughts about hiring Ime Udoka as their next head coach, tweets NBA reporter Marc Stein, who hears that “strong voices” are warning owner Joe Tsai about the potential move. Udoka emerged as the “strong frontrunner” for the job almost immediately after the decision to part ways with Steve Nash was announced last Tuesday.

However, league sources tell Stein that people close to Tsai are warning him to reconsider any commitment to Udoka considering the atmosphere of turmoil in Brooklyn. Udoka would bring additional baggage after being suspended for the season as Celtics head coach following an affair with a team staffer.

Jacque Vaughn continues to serve as interim coach and has led the Nets to a 2-1 record, with back-to-back road wins over the weekend.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets star Kevin Durant is interested in being part of the ownership group for the NFL’s Washington Commanders if the team is put up for sale, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. Durant is a long-time fan of the team, but he might have competition from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and recording artist Jay-Z if current owner Dan Snyder decides to sell. “Our market is incredible,” Durant said. “There’s a lot of support in D.C., a lot of money in D.C. to be made. … Regardless of what’s going on, they pretty much built that team up, built that stadium, built the brand up pretty nicely. I know we’ve had some losing seasons, but it’s starting to come around for us. I’m excited as a fan. I’m excited about the sale. I’m excited to see who they bring in and who they sell the team to and see how we move forward with it.”
Sixers coach Doc Rivers believes there’s a “75% chance” Joel Embiid will return tonight after missing three straight games with an illness, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “He looked good,” Rivers said after watching Embiid at Sunday’s practice. “I mean listen, he had the flu and it’s hard. Your lungs are burning and he [still] looked pretty good.” Rivers plans to run the offense through Embiid while James Harden is sidelined with a strained tendon in his right foot. Harden is wearing a walking boot, and the foot is currently non-weight-bearing, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Raptors will need someone to replace the contribution of Pascal Siakam while he’s out of action with an adductor strain, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Veterans Thaddeus Young and Otto Porter looked good in Sunday’s win over the Bulls. “They just know kind of where to be … so that felt like the right move, playing those guys tonight just because the schemes were pretty tricky,” coach Nick Nurse said.

And-Ones: Durant, McCollum, Load Management

November 6th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder potentially selling the NFL team, Nets star Kevin Durant said he’d be interested in joining an ownership group, as he told ESPN’s Nick Friedell.

“In a perfect world, I would be a part of it,” Durant said. “I would love to do it. I would love to give a little bit of my money to be a part of the Commanders, but we’ll see.”

Durant has been a longtime fan of Washington’s NFL team, which is another incentive for him to be part of an ownership group.

“I would probably stay more of a fan than try to get involved with the team,” Durant said. “And it would be something nice for my family, and just to have in our family, that would be incredible to be a part of that group. Just get a little closer to the team if I were to be able to be in that position.”

We have more from the basketball world:

Addressing the Kyrie Irving controversy, NBPA president CJ McCollum said players have to be careful regarding what they do on social media, he told Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “The important thing to learn about this situation is you have a platform. You have to be careful with how you use it,” he said. “You have to vet everything you post. I think this is a situation we can all use as a learning experience for all of us as players. … You have to be careful with what you’re posting.”
The NBA must do a better job of addressing the issue of load management, Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune opines. In Walker’s view, it’s unfair for many casual fans who buy tickets to see the opponent’s star players, only to have them sit out. While NBA commissioner Adam Silver has stated that he’s cognizant of fans’ frustration with players being rested, Walker believes the league needs to take more action.
In case you missed it, we listed all of this season’s G League “affiliate players” here.

Pacific Notes: Davis, LeBron, Irving, Wall, Suns

November 5th, 2022 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James were told to skip Friday morning’s shootaround, but the health issues for both players appear to be easing up, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Coach Darvin Ham plans to have Davis and James in the lineup for both games of the back-to-back Sunday and Monday against the Cavaliers and Jazz.

Davis played nearly 35 minutes Friday despite a lingering back issue that has already caused him to miss a game. He said it felt “pretty good,” and the Lakers believe he’s not risking further damage by playing. James saw 34 minutes of action Friday despite a stomach virus that has been bothering him all week.

“I lost my rhythm when I kinda got this bug,” he said. “Not only the threes, but a couple of layups have been short around the rim. Just feel like my rhythm has been off. Haven’t had an opportunity to get on the practice floor because I’ve been kinda told – not just told to stay away but advised to stay away to save my energy for the games.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kyrie Irving‘s latest controversy is a reminder that the Lakers were fortunate not to get him when they were shopping Russell Westbrook, contends Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. She points out that Westbrook is doing everything the coaches have asked, including adapting to a bench role, while Irving continues to destroy the Nets‘ culture.
Clippers guard John Wall bounced back strong on Friday night after his revenge game in Houston fizzled out, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Wall admits to being angry that he only played a season-low 15 minutes against the Rockets, who kept him sidelined for all of last season, but he recognizes that it’s bad for the team if he decides to be selfish. “I knew I had to get back to being myself, being the guy this team needs if I’m playing 15 or 24 minutes,” Wall said. “It is what it is. You have to accept that and come with the sacrifice of what this team with different guys got to take and make it on this team.”
In the wake of Cameron Johnson‘s possible meniscus tear and Jae Crowder‘s continued absence, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports identifies some possible trade targets for the Suns to consider. He points to the Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma, the Bucks’ Grayson Allen, the Celtics’ Derrick White, the Raptors’ Thaddeus Young, the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum, the Spurs’ Josh Richardson and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as players who might be available in a Crowder deal.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Clifford, Irving, NBPA, Durant

November 5th, 2022 at 10:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons missed the Nets‘ last four games with a knee problem, but the mental health issues that contributed to his 16-month absence appear to be under control. In an interview with Konrad Marshall of The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia, Simmons said being traded to Brooklyn in February gave him a much-needed fresh start.

“I had a terrible year,” he said, “so I know how to handle my emotions and what I need to be doing to get on track. If I’m worried or sad or frustrated or angry, I feel like I’m better able to deal with that now. It took time, but I’m at peace with who I am and what’s going on around me. I know what my priorities are, and what I need to do every day. Besides that, I just want to be me.”

Simmons admits a degree of responsibility for everything that went wrong when he was with the Sixers, but he feels like he didn’t have the support of team leaders. He refers to coach Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid and their failure to defend him after losing a series to the Hawks in 2021.

“I definitely didn’t handle it the right way after the season, but there’s two sides,” Simmons said. “Your teammates are supposed to have your back. Your coaches are supposed to have your back. And I didn’t have that at all.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, who spent last season as a consultant with the Nets, defended Steve Nash‘s performance in the face of difficult circumstances, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN. Clifford pointed to the high number of missed games by key players last season and said he hopes Nash will visit Charlotte later this season to offer advice. “There’s always things you can do better as a coach, but the problem there was not coaching,” Clifford said. “Nor receptiveness to the way we did things. I totally disagree with any of that and sometimes it’s just health.” (Twitter link)
The players’ union plans to meet with Kyrie Irving to address his latest controversy, the Celtics’ Grant Williams, an NBPA vice president like Irving, told Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis also talked to Wizards forward Deni Avdija, who’s believed to be the league’s only Jewish player, about Irving’s decision to promote an antisemitic film. “I think he [made] a mistake. But you need to understand that he gives [an] example to people. People look up to him,” Avdija said. “You can think whatever you want, you can do whatever you want. I don’t think it’s right to go out in public and publish it, and let little kids that follow you see it, and the generation to come after to think like that.”
The Nets have back-to-back road wins since Irving’s suspension was announced, and Kevin Durant suggested that sometimes the games can be a relief from other distractions, Lewis tweets. “Everybody was just waiting to get back to playing,” Durant said. “We also lost three or four games before that, so we just felt some pride and wanted to come out here and get some W’s. So it’s good for our character.”

Nets Set Conditions For Kyrie Irving To Return

November 5th, 2022 at 7:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tonight marks the second game of Kyrie Irving‘s suspension, and Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports has learned of the requirements established by the Nets that Irving must meet before he can play again.

Sources tell Goodwill that Irving must go before reporters and provide a verbal apology for sharing a link to an antisemitic film. On Thursday, Irving posted a statement on his Instagram account expressing regret for his actions, but management wants him to apologize in person for promoting the film and to indicate that he understands its message is “harmful and untrue.” Irving must share the apology on social media.

Goodwill’s sources say Irving will also be required to complete whatever sensitivity training the team decides is necessary and to meet with Jewish leaders in the Brooklyn area.

Once those requirements are achieved, Irving will have to sit down with owner Joe Tsai and provide a guarantee that he won’t exhibit any more disruptive behavior for the rest of the season, Goodwill adds. This is the final season of Irving’s four-year contract, and he will be a free agent next summer.

An NBA spokesperson told Goodwill that the league wasn’t aware of all the Nets are asking Irving to do before he can be reinstated. The players union declined to comment, Goodwill adds.

Irving will also be required to participate in antisemitic sensitivity classes and to donate $500K to causes that stand up against hate, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Nets Notes: Irving, Udoka, Simmons, Durant, Curry

November 5th, 2022 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

In an in-depth report for ESPN, Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski go into more detail on Wojnarowski’s earlier assertion that Nets owner Joe Tsai faced pressure from the NBA and from Nets management to take a more punitive approach following Kyrie Irving‘s promotion of an antisemitic film and initial refusal to apologize.

As ESPN’s duo outlines, Tsai hoped the incident could become a teachable moment for Irving, but ultimately gave up and decided to suspend Irving following his media session on Thursday. Irving’s refusal during that session to apologize or outright deny that he held antisemitic views convinced the Nets owner that Kyrie’s joint statement with the team and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) had been insincere.

Another source of frustration for Tsai, according to ESPN’s report, was that he wasn’t able to communicate directly with Irving, with communication being channeled “completely” through Kyrie’s stepmother and agent Shetellia Riley Irving.

When Tsai and the Nets ultimately decided to suspend the star guard for at least five games, the team sent an email to Irving’s agent describing the steps he needed to take to be reinstated, including taking training sessions on the dangers of hate speech, per Shelburne and Wojnarowski.

Although it has been Irving’s off-court behavior that dominated headlines in the last week, the situation seemed to affect him on the court as well. According to Shelburne and Woj, teammates and opponents privately described Irving as “disengaged and seemingly ‘in another world'” on Tuesday when he went scoreless for three quarters vs. Chicago.

Among the other recent developments in the Irving saga? Nike has suspended its relationship with the seven-time All-Star, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN; the Nets and the ADL sent a letter to Jeff Bezos and Amazon leaders asking the website to either remove the book and movie that Irving promoted from its platform or add more details about the misinformation it contains (Twitter link via Shams Charania of The Athletic); and Irving’s former teammate LeBron James said he doesn’t condone Kyrie’s comments, telling reporters that they “caused some harm to a lot of people” (link via Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times).

Here’s more on the Nets:

Brooklyn continues to work through the final stages of vetting the potential hiring of Ime Udoka as head coach, sources tell Shelburne and Wojnarowski.
An MRI on Ben Simmons‘ troublesome left knee came back clean, the Nets said on Friday, per Friedell at ESPN.com. While that MRI didn’t show any serious damage, Simmons has experienced some swelling and had the knee drained this week. He has been ruled out at least through Saturday’s game.
Wojnarowski said on Friday during an appearance on NBA Today that he believes Simmons has been a “source of frustration” for Kevin Durant and others on the Nets (video link via Clutch Points). “He has been unable – now he’s unable – to stay on the floor with a knee injury, but prior to that, he has shown that he is a long way away from being back to being an impactful player,” Wojnarowski said. “I think it’s a big part of the reason why the Nets are at the very bottom of the league defensively.”
If the instability in Brooklyn continues, the Nets will have to be concerned about the possibility that Durant revives the trade request that he dropped in August, Wojnarowski said in another TV appearance on Friday (video link). In the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast (video link), ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggests that other teams will be hoping for that outcome: “The vultures are going to circle on Durant. Those vultures expect the Nets to put on a strong face for a while. To not rush it, to posture – probably honestly – that, ‘No, he has four years left on his contract. … We control the situation, we’re trying to win, we don’t want to do this.'”
While neither Wojnarowski nor Lowe expects Durant to request a trade again in the near future, Howard Beck of SI.com argues that the Nets should blow things up anyway and move on entirely from the Durant-Irving era in Brooklyn.
Seth Curry, who has played just once this season as he returns from left ankle surgery, is expected to be available on Saturday vs. Charlotte, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Pacers Rumors: Turner, Hield, Theis, Smith

November 4th, 2022 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files said he believes the Pacers originally intended to move Myles Turner rather than Domantas Sabonis at last season’s trade deadline. However, Turner went down with an injury and an opportunity arose to acquire Tyrese Haliburton using Sabonis, so Indiana jumped at it.

Although Turner remains with the Pacers for now, Agness believes it’s more likely than not that he and Buddy Hield finish the 2022/23 season with another team.

The Lakers have been the team most often mentioned as landing spot for the veteran duo, but Agness thinks Indiana will want to hold firm to its reported asking price of two unprotected first-round picks for Turner and Hield. As Agness notes, the small-market Pacers won’t have forgotten that the Lakers previously tampered with Paul George and won’t be eager to give them what they want.

It’s unclear whether the Nets have any interest in Turner, but Scotto says that general manager Sean Marks recently spoke to Pacers executives Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Happy Walters when the two teams faced one another in a back-to-back set in Brooklyn on Saturday and Monday.

Here are a few more highlights from the conversation between Agness and Scotto:

Agness and Scotto both believe Turner will be seeking at least $20-25MM annually on his next contract, with Scotto citing Atlanta big man Clint Capela as a point of comparison (Capela’s most recent extension was worth $21.5MM per year). Agness, meanwhile, suggests that Turner would like to get more individual recognition for his play – including leading the NBA in blocks per game multiple times – which could be a factor in his free agency decision next summer.
While Turner and Hield are the Pacers veterans most frequently mentioned as trade candidates, Agness says center Daniel Theis should be added to that group too. The veteran center has yet to play for Indiana this season, with the team citing right knee soreness on its injury reports.
According to Scotto, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has referred to Jalen Smith as an “important part of our future.” As Agness details, Carlisle flew to Maryland during free agency to meet with Smith and have dinner with him and his parents.

Nets Notes: Irving, Simmons, Tsai, Udoka, Snyder

November 4th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Neither Kyrie Irving nor Ben Simmons will be available for the Nets this weekend, as Irving begins to serve a suspension levied against him by the team and Simmons remains sidelined due to a knee issue. Still, while Irving has disappointed the franchise off the court and Simmons hasn’t looked like his old self on the court, a trade involving either player is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the most recent episode of his Lowe Post podcast that Irving is essentially “radioactive” as a potential trade candidate (hat tip to RealGM): “Even if you drop the price to nothing, the baggage is just too much.”

As for Simmons, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports stated on his own podcast – Please Don’t Aggregate This – that he doesn’t believe the former No. 1 overall pick has any trade value either.

“I was talking to the team who has designs to rebuild Monday night when I was at Barclays Center,” Fischer said, per HoopsHype. “And like I asked that question, and I was told pretty point blank that they would have been interested in him before the season started and seven or eight games later now that interest has dissipated.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Addressing the apology to the Jewish community that Irving posted on Instagram late last night, Nets general manager Sean Marks said today that it was “a step” in the right direction, but that he still wants to have Irving meet with the team and Jewish leaders before being reinstated, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). Marks added that Brooklyn has not considered waiving Irving.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt also referred to Irving’s apology as an “encouraging step,” but said the ADL still isn’t accepting Irving’s donation, as he first announced on Thursday (Twitter links).
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Friday during an appearance on Get Up (video link) that Nets owner Joe Tsai had initially hoped Irving’s misstep could be a “teachable moment,” without any significant team discipline required, while Nets management and the NBA had pushed Tsai to be more punitive. Following Irving’s repeated refusal to apologize or to clarify that he isn’t antisemitic, Tsai realized a more serious step was necessary.
Although Marks has denied that any decisions have been made about the Nets’ next head coach, the team is believed to be in the final stages of negotiations with Ime Udoka, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who notes that Marks and Udoka have the same representatives at CAA and says he expects those talks to conclude in the coming days. Despite Quin Snyder being considered a potential target for Brooklyn following Steve Nash‘s exit, the team had no substantial contact with Snyder to gauge his interest in the job, sources tell Fischer.
In a roundtable for The Athletic, Alex Schiffer, Jay King, and Jared Weiss discuss why the Nets would hire Udoka following his ugly exit from Boston. Meanwhile, Ian O’Connor of The New York Post argues that rushing into a deal with Udoka will be Brooklyn’s latest losing bet.

Kyrie Irving Apologizes For Sharing Offensive Film

November 3rd, 2022 at 11:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Just hours after the Nets announced that they would be suspending star point guard Kyrie Irving for at least five games without pay for sharing a link to a film filled with extreme antisemitic lies, leaving it up for days, and then struggling to exhibit contrition through a series of contentious media interactions, Irving has now issued a statement on his personal Instagram account, directly apologizing for his recent actions and behavior.

“While doing research on YHWH, I posted a Documentary that contained some false anti-Semitic statements, narratives, and language that were untrue and offensive to the Jewish Race/Religion, and I take full accountability and responsibly for my actions,” Irving wrote. “To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize. I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary.”

“I want to clarify any confusion on where I stand fighting against Anti-[semitism] by apologizing for posting the documentary without context and a factual explanation outlining the specific beliefs in the Documentary I agreed with and disagreed with,” Irving continued. “I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate. I am learning from this unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between us all. I am no different than any other human being. I am a seeker of truth and knowledge, and I know who I Am.”

What further actions Brooklyn expects from Irving now remains to be seen. It seems possible that previously rumored conversations with the team’s majority owner Joe Tsai, league commissioner Adam Silver, and perhaps Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt may be required before the 2-6 Nets, who desperately need him on the court, welcome Irving back into the fold. Still, this letter marks an encouraging step for Irving’s eventual return to Brooklyn and the NBA.

Nets Suspend Kyrie Irving At Least Five Games

November 3rd, 2022 at 6:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets have announced in a press statement (via Twitter) that they have suspended Kyrie Irving for at least five games, without pay.

After Brooklyn’s starting point guard promoted a film peddling a variety of falsehoods that has widely been criticized as antisemitic on his personal Twitter account last week, pushback was decidedly muted at first. The NBA and NBPA both issued statements denouncing antisemitism broadly, without mentioning Irving by name (Irving is a vice president on the NBPA). Nets majority owner Joe Tsai expressed his disappointment with Irving, noting he would like to “sit down” with Irving to discuss why amplifying hateful media can be hurtful.

Irving then had a combative exchange with reporters, specifically Nick Friedell of ESPN, during a Saturday postgame presser, having left the offending tweet online. Irving ultimately relented, deleting the post on Sunday. The Nets subsequently opted to withhold Irving from further media interactions for the next several days, with team president Sean Marks claiming he wanted to let the seven-time All-Star “simmer down” before speaking with reporters further.

The Nets and Irving issued a joint statement with the Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday, in which both the point guard and his team pledged to donate $500K each to the ADL. Irving at no point in his comments issued a formal apology to the Jewish community. NBA commissioner Adam Silver criticized that statement today with a response of his own, like Tsai saying he intended to meet with Irving to discuss the hurtful content of the documentary and his lack of a full apology.

Today, during his first remarks to the press since the weekend, Irving still stopped short of actually formally apologizing, Friedell writes. “I take my responsibility for posting that,” Irving told gathered reporters. “Some things that were questionable in there, untrue. Like I said in the first time you guys asked me when I was sitting on that stage, I don’t believe everything that everybody posts — it’s a documentary.”

Regarding the film’s lie that the Holocaust did not transpire, Irving did make a point of acknowledging that was inaccurate.

“Those falsehoods are unfortunate,” Irving allowed. “And it’s not that I don’t believe in the Holocaust. I never said that. Never, ever have said it. It’s not come out of my mouth. I never tweeted it. I never liked anything like it. So the Holocaust in itself is an event that means something to a large group of people that suffered something that could have been avoided.”

Friedell notes that reporters then inquired as to whether Irving himself possessed any antisemitic beliefs, and he somewhat danced around a direct response.

“I don’t know how the label becomes justified because you guys ask me the same questions over and over again,” Irving said. “But this is not going to turn into a spin-around cycle — questions upon questions.. I told you guys how I felt. I respect all walks of life and embrace all walks of life. That’s where I sit. … I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from.”

Despite Irving’s pledge to the ADL, sources inform Adam Zagoria of NJ.com that Irving has yet to actually meet with the ADL for a conversation. The ADL’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, responded to the Nets point guard’s Thursday remarks (Twitter links).

“The answer to the question ‘Do you have any antisemitic beliefs’ is always ‘NO’ without equivocation,” Greenblatt wrote in part. “We took @KyrieIrving at his word when he said he took responsibility, but today he did not make good on that promise. Kyrie clearly has a lot of work to do.”

That brings us to the present, and the Nets’ decision.

“Over the last several days, we have made repeated attempts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, which began with him publicizing a film containing deeply disturbing antisemitic hate,” Brooklyn’s statement began. “We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity – but failed – to clarify.

“Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets. We have decided that Kyrie will serve a suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct and the suspension period served is no less than five games.”

Greenblatt, meanwhile, issued a statement saying that the ADL will not accept Irving’s $500K donation since it’s clear he feels “no accountability for his actions” (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).

Irving is currently earning $36,503,300 for the 2022/23 season. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link), he will forfeit $251,747 for each game of his suspension — 1/145th of his total salary.

The open-ended nature of Brooklyn’s penalty suggests that the club may require some level of quantifiable contrition before Irving is allowed to return.

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