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Nets Rule Out Noah Clowney For Rest Of Season

April 2nd, 2025 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Noah Clowney‘s second NBA season has come to an early end, according to Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who said on Wednesday that the big man is in a walking boot as he recovers from a right ankle sprain and won’t play again this spring (Twitter link via C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News).

It was an injury-plagued year for Clowney, who had two extended absences earlier in the season due to left ankle sprains. He made a total of 46 appearances (20 starts) and averaged 9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 22.7 minutes per game.

Clowney showed some promise during the final few weeks of his rookie season, but struggled to carry it over on a consistent basis in his second year. The 20-year-old made just 41.4% of his two-point shots and 33.3% of his three-point tries in 2024/25 for an overall shooting percentage of 35.8%.

Clowney will be entering the third year of his rookie scale contract, which will pay him $3.4MM in 2025/26. Brooklyn will have to decide by the end of October whether or not to exercise his $5.4MM team option for the ’26/27 season.

As Holmes relays, the Nets also provided two more injury updates on Wednesday, indicating that Cameron Johnson (lower back contusion) will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday, while Day’Ron Sharpe (right knee sprain) will soon be reevaluated. Sharpe has been inactive for the club’s last four games.

Nets Notes: Timme, Etienne, Johnson, Clowney, Draft

March 30th, 2025 at 9:43am CST by Rory Maher

Big man Drew Timme, who recently signed a two-year deal with the Nets, recorded a double-double — 11 points and 10 rebounds — in 25 minutes off the bench on Friday in his NBA regular season debut, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“I was nervous as crap out there. But it was awesome. It was a dream come true,” Timme said. “And I like this feeling. I don’t want it to end. So I got to keep working hard so I can keep doing this.”

Guard Tyson Etienne, who is on a two-way contract with Brooklyn, also made his NBA debut in Friday’s lopsided loss to the Clippers, Lewis adds. The 25-year-old grew up in New Jersey and had several family members on hand. He finished with eight points and an assist in 10 minutes.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Timme followed up his solid debut by putting up 19 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes during Saturday’s victory over Washington, helping Brooklyn snap a six-game losing streak, per Net Income of NetsDaily.com. Timme, who was credited for the game-winning basket when his layup attempt was goaltended, tied Derrick Coleman for the Nets’ franchise record for most points by a player in his first two games (30).
While the players and coaches were happy to snap the six-game skid, the victory could prove harmful in the long run, notes Lewis of The New York Post. Starters Cameron Johnson (hard fall on his back) and Noah Clowney (right ankle) were both injured late in the fourth quarter, and perhaps more importantly, the win put Brooklyn a half-game behind Philadelphia in the NBA’s reverse standings, potentially reducing the team’s odds of landing the top pick in June’s draft.
The Nets officially secured a lottery pick when they were eliminated from postseason contention on Thursday. It’s been a long and difficult wait for Brooklyn to get to this point, as Lewis writes in a subscriber-only story. June will be the first time general manager Sean Marks will have a chance to make a top-20 selection in his nine-year tenure with the team.
The Nets control five total picks in the upcoming draft, the most of any team. In addition to their own first- and second-rounders, they also hold the rights to the first-round picks from Milwaukee, New York and Houston. It’s possible they could look to move one or two of those selections to add to their 2026 total, but don’t expect the lottery pick to change hands, according to Lewis, who takes a look at what would happen if Brooklyn and Philadelphia tie for the league’s fifth-worst record.

Nets Notes: Tsai, Johnson, Thomas, Free Agency, Sharpe

March 25th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While his team is in tank mode this season, Nets owner Joe Tsai says his commitment to winning hasn’t wavered, NetsDaily.com relays.

“For a sports owner, the return season after season is winning. Every season, you’re trying to win the championship, so you want to win games, right?” Tsai said at a CNBC conference in Singapore (hat tip to Sports Illustrated’s Wilko Martinez Cachero). “You’re not looking at the income statement of the team from season-to-season, so I guess the final payoff for me is less financial — even though the financial aspects are important, I have to make sure that the bottom line investment can make sense — but at the end of the day, it’s through the love of sports. I have a passion for sports. That’s why I invested in these teams.”

Tsai holds a 3% interest in the Miami Dolphins, but he’s not looking to become a majority owner in the NFL until he delivers in Brooklyn, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“No, I still don’t feel like I’m an NFL owner,” Tsai said. “I’ve got to take care of the Brooklyn Nets first, which means you need to win first in the sport that you’re already involved in. So you’ve got to take care of business here.”

We have more on the Nets:

Cameron Johnson was considered a prime trade candidate before February’s deadline. He remained on the roster and feels responsible for making his younger teammates better, he told Lewis. “It’s not like I’m out there barking at them every day about this, about that. But anytime I can help them, or seen something that I’ve been through that I see they’re going through, I try to help,” Johnson said. “And [we have] a good group of guys willing to listen, willing to compete. Maybe our record isn’t what we want it to be, but we’re in a lot of these games because we compete at a high level, we play hard. And that’s a starting point.”
The trade rumors regarding Johnson could crop up again in the offseason and the Nets have numerous other decisions to make with the current roster, Lewis writes in a subscriber-only article for The Post. Cam Thomas, who won’t play again this season due to a hamstring injury, is due to become a restricted free agent if the team extends a qualifying offer. Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams are also eligible for restricted free agency, while Maxwell Lewis has a partially guaranteed deal and Trendon Watford will be an unrestricted free agent.
Sharpe won’t play against Toronto on Wednesday due to a right knee sprain, Collin Helwig of NetsDaily.com tweets. Johnson will also sit out as the coaching staff will rest him.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Rotation, Lewis, C. Johnson

March 20th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Cam Thomas was limited to just 25 appearances this season due to a series of hamstring injuries, but he believes he has shown enough when healthy to prove that he can be a foundational piece for an NBA team, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“Yeah, of course. When I got major minutes, I feel like I’ve been one of the best guards in the league in my position,” Thomas said earlier this week. “I feel like I’ve shown that. So, nothing really to talk about with that. But I feel like when I do have the minutes in a featured role, the sky’s the limit for me. We’ve seen that these past two years.”

Thomas will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer and one league source who spoke to Lewis speculated that the high-scoring guard, who has averaged 22.9 points per game in 91 outings since the start of the 2023/24 season, could command a contract in the range of $20-22MM per year. For his part, Thomas said he hasn’t thought much about free agency and isn’t necessarily excited about going through the process.

“I don’t really care. It’s just part of the business. Whoever wants me, hopefully it’s here (in Brooklyn). I’d love to come back. But it is what it is. It’s just part of the business,” he said, per Lewis. “I’m just going to take it day by day. It’s a long time from now, so I’m not really worried about that.”

We have more on the Nets:

In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Lewis considers how Thomas’ latest absence will impact his Nets teammates. Cameron Johnson once again becomes Brooklyn’s top scoring option, Lewis writes, while Keon Johnson figures to hang onto his spot in the starting lineup and Maxwell Lewis gets a shot to play rotation minutes.
Speaking of Lewis, the second-year forward – acquired from the Lakers in December’s D’Angelo Russell/Dorian Finney-Smith trade – has been making an impression on the franchise with his recent contributions, Lewis notes in another Post story. After scoring a total of just 21 points in his first 47 career NBA outings, Lewis has scored 28 in his last three and was a +30 in 57 minutes during that three-game stretch. “I like what I saw,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said of Lewis on Tuesday. “… His energy is contagious. And you can tell his teammates on the bench every time he does something positive, they celebrate. That’s the most important thing. You see that chemistry.” Lewis’ minimum salary for next season is partially guaranteed for just $100K, so he’ll be motivated to earn his 2025/26 roster spot.
Cameron Johnson was one of the NBA’s most notable in-season trade candidates who didn’t end up being moved prior to the February 6 deadline. Speaking to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Johnson admitted that it was a stressful period for him, knowing he could be sent to a new team any day. “(It’s) probably not as fun as it is watching,” he said of the trade deadline. “Everybody, you want to know what’s going on in life. Uncertainty can be difficult.” The veteran forward also pointed out that he thought the Nets might be “just in a sale mode” after they traded Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder, so he interpreted the team’s decision to hang onto him as a sign that the front office remains high on what he brings to the team. “I do appreciate maybe the value that they associated with having me on the team versus getting rid of me,” Johnson said.

Nets Notes: Hayes, Martin, C. Johnson, Giannis

February 21st, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Killian Hayes made his Nets debut on Thursday, recording five points, three assists and a block in 21 minutes off the bench. A former lottery pick, the French guard was recently given a 10-day contract by Brooklyn after spending the entire season with the team’s G League affiliate in Long Island.

“I felt very grateful,” Hayes said, per Collin Helwig of NetsDaily. “I felt like a lot of work got put into this, and I’m just very grateful for this opportunity.”

As Helwig notes, the last game of Hayes’ 10-day deal is March 1 against the Pistons, the team that cut him last February after spending most of four seasons in Detroit. For now, the 23-year-old says he’s trying to take things one day at a time.

“My goal is to stay in the NBA, make a mark for myself,” Hayes said. “But I think my short-term goals are, you know, just be a team player, show what I can do in these 10 days I have, and just keep going from there. Just helping my teammates, being a great teammate, being a great locker room guy, and just do what I have to do.”

Here’s more from Brooklyn:

Hayes wasn’t the only player who earned a promotion on Thursday, as Tyrese Martin was also converted from his two-way contract to a two-year, standard deal. Martin’s career has taken a circuitous route to reach this point, and he admits a weight was lifted after learning of the news, according to Helwig. “Just coming in every day, with a great mindset, just trying to get one percent better,” Martin said of his journey. “You know, being a great person and just being the best teammate I could be even when things might not be going how I want them to go. So I just stuck to those three things and, you know, it just panned out the way for me the way I wanted it to.” Head coach Jordi Fernandez praised Martin for his work ethic and character, Helig adds, stating that the 25-year-old wing has consistently done an “amazing job” since he’s been with the team.
Veteran forward Cameron Johnson was heavily involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, but the Nets wound up hanging onto him. Explaining that decision in a team-produced interview (YouTube link), general manager Sean Marks praised Johnson’s fit both on and off the court. “With Cam, there was a lot of interest in him just as there was with a lot of our guys but we like Cam and we think Cam fits multiple builds that we are doing,” Marks said (story via NetsDaily). “He’s a voice of reason. He’s well-respected within that locker room. He’s a pro’s pro. So if people can learn from somebody, they learn from Cam Johnson. That’s a great guy to pick up habits from.”
If the Bucks decide to entertain offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, the Nets could be the frontrunners to land the two-time MVP due to all the draft assets they control, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “You have to be poised and position yourself to be able to have that opportunity,” Marks told The Post earlier this season. “We’re going to give ourselves the best chance to do that. Now, on whom and when, that’s TBD.” As Lewis writes, Shams Charania of ESPN recently reported that Antetokounmpo won’t be content if Milwaukee suffers another early postseason exit, though there’s no indication that he’d request a trade in that scenario. “Everyone knows Giannis Antetokounmpo loves the Bucks, but I’m here to tell you, he loves winning more,” Charania said. “That’s why everyone in that Bucks organization knows what’s at stake: the pressure. Every summer, when Giannis looks around and looks at the Bucks’ roster, he looks at sustained, long-term winning and where he would be able to find that. And he has said audibly on the record that if he feels like that’s not attainable anymore in Milwaukee, he will look elsewhere.”
In case you missed it, we passed along a handful of other notes related to the Nets on Thursday night, including that Cam Thomas is nearing a return from a left hamstring strain that has kept him on the shelf since Jan. 2.

New York Notes: Anunoby, Knicks Lineup, Mitchell, Towns, Johnson, Simmons

February 10th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks could get one of their starters back in the lineup on Tuesday. Forward OG Anunoby is listed as questionable to play against Indiana (Twitter link via New York Basketball). Anunoby has missed the last three games due to a right foot sprain suffered during a non-contact play on Feb. 1.

The fact that Anunoby’s status was upgraded came as somewhat of a surprise, since ESPN’s Shams Charania reported over the weekend that the three-and-D standout was expected to return after the All-Star Game. Of course, the upgrade in his status doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll return on Tuesday.

We have more on the New York teams:

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau went with a smaller lineup in the second half against Boston on Saturday, inserting guard Miles McBride in place of forward/center Precious Achiuwa, the New York Post’s Peter Botte notes. New York did rally from a 13-point deficit to cut the Celtics’ lead to three, but Boston then took command and won by 27. “That was part of the reason why we put Deuce in the second half just to get the shooting, because of the help that was coming from the back side, just to try and open it up for [Karl-Anthony Towns] a little bit more,” Thibodeau said.
On the flip side, the Knicks might go with a big lineup once center Mitchell Robinson finally returns to action, Botte reports. Towns could move to power forward once Robinson, who’s hopeful of suiting up by March 1, settles in. Towns is excited at that prospect. “Just a tall lineup, and it’s gonna be exciting to kind of explore that lineup,” Towns said. “It should give me … I have some familiarity with it with Rudy (Gobert), so it’ll be something that I’ll tap into that kind of potential well.”
Cameron Johnson was prominently mentioned as a trade candidate for months but ultimately the Nets wound up retaining him. He can breathe easier until the offseason. “At least there’s gonna be a little cushion, where it’s gonna calm down and then, who knows? Maybe it picks up again,” Johnson said, per Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. “But I just can’t give my energy towards that, I gotta focus on what we’re doing here.” Johnson has been dealing with trade chatter since the Nets-Knicks Mikal Bridges blockbuster last offseason. “It was just different, it was a completely different experience for me,” he says. “I think that the rumors have been moving quickly since Mikal got traded, and maybe even before then. Every time my agent called me over the summer, it’s like, ‘Oh, is something going down? I don’t know.’”
Ben Simmons gave back $1,082,061 in his buyout agreement with the Nets, Hoops Rumors has confirmed, which is the exact amount he’ll earn on his new minimum-salary deal with the Clippers. NetsDaily first reported (via Twitter) that Simmons was giving up a prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum.

Cavs Notes: Hunter, Tyson, Jerome, LeVert, Niang

February 8th, 2025 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Long, athletic, and skilled wings have given the Cavaliers trouble this season, which is why – despite Cleveland’s 42-10 record – the front office explored the trade market leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline in search of someone who could help the club deal with that type of player, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes (subscription required).

According to Fedor, Cameron Johnson, Lonzo Ball, Marcus Smart, and Jerami Grant were among the potential targets who intrigued the Cavs. But the asking price for the Nets forward was too high, the Bulls guard agreed to an extension, there were injury concerns about the Grizzlies guard, and the Trail Blazers forward’s $29.8MM cap hit was too challenging to accommodate.

As the Cavs weighed their options, they kept coming back to Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter, who had been on their radar for years, Fedor reported earlier this week. Cleveland’s front office spoke to several trusted sources about Hunter, including former Cav and current Hawk Larry Nance Jr., who was a strong advocate for his teammate, Fedor writes.

The Cavs also spent time analyzing Hunter’s defense, evaluating how he might match up with top Eastern Conference wings like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mikal Bridges, Pascal Siakam and others, ultimately concluding he would be an asset on that end of the court, per Fedor.

With Hunter and Caris LeVert as the centerpieces, the Cavaliers and Hawks discussed various trade constructions, with Cleveland resisting the inclusion of its 2031 first-round pick and rookie Jaylon Tyson. The two teams thought they might need to involve a third club as a facilitator in order to make sure they both got below the tax line, but that issue was addressed when Atlanta worked out a separate deal to send Cody Zeller to Houston.

The Cavs ultimately agreed to send LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and a pair of pick swaps to the Hawks. According to Fedor, Cleveland believes that Hunter will be a better postseason fit than the outgoing players and that he’ll be a key contributor for years to come, turning the team into a more serious title contender.

“The acquisition of De’Andre Hunter and the potential impact a player of this caliber can bring to Cleveland is immeasurable,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement after the deal was finalized. “We were presented with a great opportunity with this trade, one that was beneficial for the short- and long-term future of this franchise.

“While it’s always difficult to part ways with players who have meant so much to our success, we believe De’Andre, at 27-years-old, aligns with our long-term vision of sustainable success and ultimately competing for championships.”

Here’s more on the deal:

It’s unclear whether Hunter will immediately become Cleveland’s starting small forward, but Altman lauded the forward’s versatility and believes he’ll be able to slot seamlessly into several different kinds of lineups. “We’re going to play him all over the floor,” Altman said, per Fedor.
According to Fedor (subscription required), Hunter and his former University of Virginia teammate Ty Jerome talked “almost every day” since they entered the NBA in 2019 about the possibility of one day playing together. Shortly after they learned about the deal sending Hunter to Cleveland, they got on the phone and started “screaming with excitement,” Fedor writes. “It’s surreal,” Jerome said on Friday. “It’s wild. Obviously, it was more of a joke because we’re both on our individual journeys in this league, but we talked about it all the time. Like, ‘How cool would it be to play together?'”
Although Jerome said he “couldn’t be more excited” about the addition of Hunter, he made it clear he’s sorry to see LeVert and Niang go. “I don’t want to undersell the value Caris and Georges brought to us and just how close I was to those guys,” Jerome said, according to Fedor. “Those two guys meant a lot to us on and off the court. It’s a tough business, and I’ve seen it many times in my six years. It sucks to lose those guys. At first, I was like, ‘(Expletive), it’s Caris and Georges. They’re dealing with the emotions of leaving this group and we’re dealing with losing them.’ And then it’s like, ‘Oh (expletive), we got De’Andre and I’m playing with one of best friends since 2016 again.'”
Interestingly, when Hunter and Jerome entered the league in 2019, they thought there was a chance they’d be drafted by the same team, Fedor writes. That team was the Cavs, who had the fifth and 26th overall picks in that draft. But Hunter was selected fourth overall by Atlanta, leaving Darius Garland for Cleveland at No. 5. Jerome was drafted by Phoenix at No. 24, two spots before Cleveland’s pick. “Clearly worked out,” Jerome said on Friday with a smile. “Now, they’ve got all three of us.”

NBA Announces Three-Point Contest, Skills Challenge Participants

February 7th, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced the participants for the All-Star Saturday festivities in San Francisco on February 15, revealing today (via Twitter) which players will compete in the three-point contest and the skills challenge. Here are the details:

Three-Point Contest:

Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
Tyler Herro (Heat)
Buddy Hield (Warriors)
Cameron Johnson (Nets)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Norman Powell (Clippers)

Among this year’s participants, Powell (43.1%), Garland (42.9%), and Johnson (41.7%) have been the most accurate three-point shooters so far this season, while Herro (39.3% on 9.7 attempts per game) has been the most prolific.

Lillard won the event in both 2023 and 2024 and will be looking to become the first player since Craig Hodges in 1992 to claim the three-point title for a third consecutive year. Larry Bird was also a three-time winner, having achieved the feat in the first three years the NBA held the event (1986-88).

Hield is the only other player in this year’s field to have won the contest before, having done so in 2020. The Warriors wing will be the home team’s representative next Saturday.

Skills Challenge:

Team Cavs: Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley
Team Rooks: Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks) and Alex Sarr (Wizards)
Team Spurs: Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama
Team Warriors: Draymond Green and Moses Moody

It appears the NBA will be tweaking the format of the skills challenge again in 2025, with the event set to feature four teams of two players apiece instead of three players per team.

Mobley was part of the Cavs team that won the event in 2022, along with Jarrett Allen and Garland. He’ll be teaming up with Mitchell this time around.

The NBA also officially confirmed the participants of the dunk contest earlier this week (Twitter link). Those four players, who had been previously reported, are Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis, Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, Bucks guard Andre Jackson, and Magic two-way guard Mac McClung.

Like Lillard in the three-point contest, McClung will be looking to three-peat in his event next Saturday night.

Eastern Notes: Middleton, Wizards, Cavs, Walker, Johnson, Buzelis

February 5th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards don’t have a second deal lined up for Khris Middleton, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), who says Washington’s plan for the time being will be to hang onto the veteran forward after acquiring him from Milwaukee.

As Mannix and Varun Shankar of The Washington Post outline, the Wizards were willing to trade Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin, and a first-round pick swap for Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a second-round pick because they like Johnson, wanted to open up more playing time for young wings like Kyshawn George and Justin Champagnie, and will create some additional financial flexibility in 2026 (Kuzma was signed through ’26/27).

I wouldn’t expect Middleton to have a long-term future in D.C., but if he can use the second half of this season to get closer to full health, he could have a little trade value in the offseason — he holds a player option for 2025/26 and would be on an expiring contract if he opts in, which seems likely.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (via Twitter), Middleton’s 2024/25 cap hit for the Wizards will adjust from $31.7MM to $31MM because his bonus for making the playoffs is no longer considered “likely” (because Milwaukee made the playoffs last year, whereas Washington didn’t). That will also cause the cap hit for next season’s player option to dip from about $34MM to $33.3MM.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference with the trade deadline just over 24 hours away:

Jason Lloyd of The Athletic advocates for the Cavaliers to make an effort to duck below the luxury tax line at this season’s trade deadline, pointing out that delaying the repeater taxpayer clock for another season could pay off for the franchise in the long run. Shedding the minimum-salary contracts of Tristan Thompson and Sam Merrill would do the trick, Lloyd notes, though Merrill has been a part of the regular rotation.
Jarace Walker has been in and out of the Pacers‘ rotation as of late, getting his first DNP-CD of the season on Saturday. The second-year forward acknowledges that his inconsistent role hasn’t been easy to deal with, but head coach Rick Carlisle lauded Walker for the effort he has shown during workouts and practices, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “I wish all top 10 picks in the NBA could learn about being the pro the way that he is learning about it and the way he’s adapting and the way he’s managing everything in his life to stay ready,” Carlisle said. “His teammates trust him. The coaching staff trusts him. Trust is earned and not given. I got a lot of respect for that kid. For where he came from his first year to the early parts of this year to now, he’s a man.”
Cameron Johnson, who had missed six straight games due to an ankle sprain, is no longer on the Nets‘ injury report, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Barring a last-minute development, that suggests Johnson should be available for Wednesday’s game vs. Washington. In case you missed it, multiple reports this week have indicated that the Brooklyn forward appears increasingly unlikely to be traded.
On the heels of trading two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, the Bulls had to be encouraged by what they saw from rookie forward Matas Buzelis on Tuesday, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. One of the club’s long-term building blocks, Buzelis enjoyed the best game of his NBA career in a win over Miami, scoring 24 points on 10-of-10 shooting (4-of-4 three-pointers). “My confidence right now is high, but you’ve got to stay humble,” Buzelis said after the game. “My dad always tells me the sun comes up tomorrow, so you’ve got to go back to work. You guys can call it [a breakout game], it doesn’t matter to me. Breakout, I’m going to play the same way every night.”

Trade Rumors: Johnson, Martin, Sixers, Lakers, Jazz

February 5th, 2025 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

It seems increasingly likely that Cameron Johnson will remain in Brooklyn beyond the trade deadline, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who has consistently heard that the Nets are willing to field calls about the veteran forward but aren’t actively shopping him.

While the Nets moved quickly this season to trade Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, both of whom can reach unrestricted free agency this summer, Johnson is under contract for two more years beyond this one, so there’s no urgency in Brooklyn to move off of him at this point — especially since the team still projects to have substantial cap room for next season even with Johnson’s $20.5MM salary on the books.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv also reported on Tuesday that a Johnson trade may not happen this week.

We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:

There’s a chance that KJ Martin, whom the Pistons agreed to acquire from Philadelphia, could be rerouted to another team prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. If Detroit were to acquire Martin using cap space rather than the room exception, his salary could be aggregated with one or more other players in a subsequent deal.
According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Guerschon Yabusele are among the veterans who continue to draw interest for the Sixers, who already traded Caleb Martin in addition to KJ Martin. However, Philadelphia is reluctant to move Yabusele, preferring to find a way to retain him beyond his current one-year, minimum-salary contract, Stein and Fischer say.
Grant Afseth of RG.org takes a look at the Lakers‘ hunt for another center, suggesting that – despite Rob Pelinka‘s comments downplaying the urgency to find more than a stop-gap – the team is still considering a wide range of possible targets.
Tony Jones of The Athletic checks in on the Jazz‘s plans ahead of the trade deadline, writing that John Collins and Jordan Clarkson are considered more available than Collin Sexton and especially Walker Kessler. Utah values Sexton and has set a “very high” asking price for Kessler, Jones explains.