D’Angelo Russell Rumors

Nets Notes: Russell, Thomas, Hayes

March 16th, 2025 at 8:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

D’Angelo Russell has said he’d like to extend his second stint in Brooklyn, a team with whom he has spent 152 games with during his career. He’s on an expiring $18.7MM contract and spoke again about his impending free agency with the New York Post’s Brian Lewis.

“I don’t think it’s in my control, to be honest,” Russell said. “I’ve been on the team before where everybody was free agents, too. So they’ve got the leverage, they’ve got the cards. If they decide to bring me back, cool. If not, we’ll figure it out.”

Since being traded to the Nets ahead of this year’s deadline, Russell is averaging 13.3 points and 5.7 assists. Brooklyn saw the point guard blossom into an All-Star in his age-22 season in 2018/19, then signed-and-traded him to Golden State during the 2019 offseason as part of the team’s Kevin Durant acquisition.

“Hope? Yeah. [But] I just want to be in the NBA,” Russell said when asked if he hopes to remain with the Nets. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a free agent. I look back on it, I’ve never been. For me, it’s a weird feeling, but see how it goes. I signed an extension with the Lakers, two years — one-plus-one, player option. I just never hit [free agency]. So I’m excited to see.”

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Like Russell, Cam Thomas is also set to be a free agent this summer, though he’ll be restricted rather than unrestricted. “It’s a business, but at the end of the day,” Thomas said, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter video link). “I would love to be back and get that straightened out to keep playing in front of the fans and keep building the relationships I’ve built here because I was drafted here.”
Thomas is averaging 24.0 points and 3.8 assists this season while shooting 34.9% on 7.8 three-point attempts per game. However, he was limited to just 25 games this season before being shut down due to his latest hamstring injury. Head coach Jordi Fernandez discussed Thomas’s summer and what the plan is for him moving forward, per Scotto (Twitter link). “Cam’s been great for the group,” Fernandez said. “He’s worked every single day. He’s built relationships. We all know his superpower of being a very good scorer. The way we played through him, I thought the team was playing at a high level. We’ll go through the summer together. We have a plan in place. The plan is going to be a team that wins consistently, and we’re going to get there together.“
Killian Hayes rejoined the Nets’ G League affiliate in Long Island after not getting a second 10-day from Brooklyn earlier this month (though that could still be an option down the line). As Scott Mitchell of NetsDaily observes, Hayes had a career game on Friday, scoring a professional career-high 38 points along with eight threes. Even though he’s playing for Brooklyn’s affiliate, the veteran guard is eligible to sign with any NBA team.

Nets Notes: Russell, Thomas, Clowney, Skid Ends

March 11th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

D’Angelo Russell is in his second stint with the Nets after being traded from the Lakers this season. Russell becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and is hoping to re-sign with Brooklyn, he confirmed to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“Why wouldn’t I? I keep seeing stuff coming out. I’ll tell you. Heck yeah. I want to be wherever I’m at,” Russell said. “I’m here. I love these guys. I appreciate this, and I would love to be back.”

Russell feels he has developed a solid relationship with first-year coach Jordi Fernandez.

“I’m at the point in my career where I’m not going out and scoring 25 points every night and wowing with numbers,” he said. “It’s a point where I’m trying to gravitate towards doing it the right way, and how I can contribute to winning is my priority. (Fernandez) lets me do that. He trusts me already, so I can imagine getting to training camp for something like that and having that under my belt with the guys. I think the sky’s the limit.”

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Cam Thomas is eligible to become a restricted free agent after the season. While he’s a proven scorer, Thomas still leaves much to be desired in other aspects of his game, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Fernandez has challenged him to become more efficient and well-rounded, especially as a defender and facilitator. However, he’s still very much a work in progress. Lewis notes that Charlotte aggressively trapped Thomas during the Nets’ fourth-quarter collapse on Saturday. The fourth-year guard has also struggled to stay on the court, missing 81 games over the last three seasons due to injury.
Brooklyn snapped a seven-game losing streak by upsetting the Lakers on Monday and Noah Clowney played a big role with a team-high 19 points and five rebounds. Clowney was playing in just his second game since recovering from an ankle injury that caused him to miss 15 games. The 2023 first-round pick has been a backup at power forward, but it would behoove the organization to give him steady minutes to see if he can be their starting power forward over the long haul, Lewis suggests.
Fernandez was pleased with the effort the team put forth against one of the Western Conference’s elite teams on Monday vs. the Lakers, according to Lewis. “So happy for the guys, proud of the guys, because after losing seven in a row … it’s just good to get back to winning,” he said. “It’s a good reward for the work. And obviously, after a bad one, it’s a good feeling.”

D’Angelo Russell Interested In Re-Signing With Nets?

March 5th, 2025 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Nets acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers in the Dorian Finney-Smith trade in December, the veteran point guard was included primarily because of his $18.7MM expiring contract, not because Brooklyn was specifically looking to reunite with the former Net.

However, Russell has been a stabilizing force in Brooklyn’s backcourt for the last two-plus months. While his individual numbers – 13.7 points and 5.7 assists in 24.1 minutes per game on .380/.313/.887 shooting – aren’t great, the Nets are 8-10 in games he has played and 1-10 in the ones he has missed.

The team also has a -1.2 net rating in D-Lo’s 434 minutes on the court, compared to a -13.2 mark in the 963 minutes he hasn’t played since the trade.

Russell, who expressed enthusiasm in the wake of the December trade about returning to an organization he was familiar with, is believed to have told people around him that he’d like to stick with the Nets beyond this season, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

While there’s no guarantee that will happen, it seems more viable now than it did when he was first acquired, according to Lewis, who notes that it remains unclear how Nets general manager Sean Marks plans to use his cap room this summer with so few top-tier free agents on track to reach the open market.

If Brooklyn doesn’t need all $60MM+ of its cap room for trades or outside free agents, or if the front office decides to roll that room over to the 2026 offseason, it could make sense for the team to offer a one-year contract or a two-year deal with a team option to Russell, Lewis writes.

That may appeal to Russell too, Lewis adds, given that there are so few teams projected to have cap room — the veteran point guard seems unlikely to receive a substantial offer from another suitor.

How the Nets use Russell over the season’s final weeks could provide a hint at their offseason plans. One subplot to watch, Lewis suggests, will be how the 29-year-old meshes in the backcourt with Cam Thomas. The two guards, neither of whom are known for their defense, have missed time with injuries since Russell’s arrival and played together for just the second time on Tuesday.

Like Russell, Thomas is on an expiring contract. The fourth-year shooting guard will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

Eastern Notes: Quickley, Holiday, D-Lo, Harris, Dosunmu

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The five-year, $162.5MM contract that Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley signed in free agency last July was viewed by several fans and analysts at the time as an overpay. It hasn’t become any more team-friendly over the course of this season as Quickley has battled one injury after another and has seen his production decline a little even when he’s been healthy.

However, the 25-year-old provided a reminder in Sunday’s win over Orlando of what he’s capable of, scoring 17 of his team-high 24 points (and handing out a pair of assists) during a five-minute barrage at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to help seal the victory, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. While Quickley was happy about his performance, he disagreed with the notion that it will help build confidence for him going forward, Grange adds.

“Confidence is also a choice, a decision,” Quickley said. “Mindset is choice, confidence is choice. I try not to think like that. That’s how I used to think early in my career. And I’ve kind found out elite players don’t think like that. They don’t think that good plays give them confidence, or bad plays don’t give them confidence. Confidence is a choice. You choose confidence.”

It has been a fairly forgettable season overall for Quickley, but the Raptors remain confident that he can be an elite point guard, according to Grange, who notes that Sunday’s outburst was one of the few times this year that he has looked the part.

“That stretch in the third (and fourth) quarter, he was our engine,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He was getting us organized, he was touching the paint, he was scoring. He did a lot for us there and he was really efficient, everything came on the move, everything came with a minimum number of dribbles and when he plays that way, efficiently, it’s good for the whole team.”

Here’s more from around the East:

Veteran guard Jrue Holiday has missed the Celtics‘ past two games due to an injury known as mallet finger. Although his right pinky finger is technically broken, Holiday won’t require surgery and will aim to eventually play through the injury, which is keeping him on the shelf for now, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “Trying to figure out — I’m going to be in a splint for a minute but figuring that out since it’s on my shooting hand,” Holiday said. “… I mean, I’m shooting, dribbling, catching, it’s probably all pretty weird or, I mean, honestly, inconvenient. I haven’t tried so far to catch a ball because of the pain, but I will soon.”
Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell, who has missed the past five games due to a sprained right ankle, is no longer on the team’s injury report, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. That’s an indication Russell will be active on Tuesday in San Antonio.
Pistons forward Tobias Harris is unavailable for personal reasons as Detroit opens a four-game road trip in Utah on Monday, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).
Ayo Dosunmu‘s shoulder issue, which will require season-ending surgery, is an old injury that was discovered via imaging, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. Although the Bulls guard aggravated it when he sustained a shoulder stinger vs. New York on Feb. 20, he’s not sure when the initial injury occurred, Johnson adds (Twitter link).

Nets Notes: Thomas, Sharpe, D-Lo, Clowney, Williams, Draft Picks

March 1st, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing nearly two months due to a left hamstring strain, the Nets‘ leading scorer, Cam Thomas, returned to action on Friday and had what he called a “decent first game back,” scoring 16 points in 21 minutes, Brian Lewis writes for The New York Post.

“Obviously, missed some shots I normally make when I’m in rhythm and playing, but it’s just the nature of being on for a while and coming back and playing first game,” said Thomas, who was 7-of-17 from the floor in the 19-point loss to Portland. “So shots, not really worried about that; that’s going to come. But it feels good to finally finish a game and have no pain. So that’s the main thing I’m pleased with. So just got to keep building and keep going.”

Thomas will be held out of the second game of Brooklyn’s back-to-back on Saturday in Detroit due to hamstring injury management, tweets Lewis. Trendon Watford, who missed time earlier this season with a hamstring injury of his own, will be inactive with the same designation.

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Day’Ron Sharpe, who will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end, returned to the second unit on Friday but was excellent in his first start of the season on Wednesday, racking up 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks vs. Oklahoma City. He was a +20 in 31 minutes in a game Brooklyn lost by eight points. “I’m just a beast on them boards. I don’t really think nobody can mess with me in the paint when it comes to that,” Sharpe said, according to Lewis. “Like I tell y’all every time, no matter how big, no matter how tall, its just what I do. You know what I’m saying? You’re gonna have to send three people to box me out. But I just play hard.”
D’Angelo Russell (right ankle sprain) and Noah Clowney (left ankle sprain) will remain on the shelf for Saturday’s game, which will be Russell’s fifth straight absence and a 13th consecutive missed game for Clowney. However, head coach Jordi Fernandez says both players are doing “great” and should resume practicing soon, Lewis writes for The Post. “We’ll probably talk about having them on the court at some point next week,” Fernandez said. “They’re progressing well, they’re around the group and they’ve been [helpful]. They’re great energy when we have them around. We need their presence. It’s good, because it seems like if everything goes well next week we’ll see where they’re at, and just try to keep working on that and have them get some contact and have them back on the court.”
Ziaire Williams, who had averaged 29.2 minutes per night in Brooklyn’s last 11 games entering Friday, played just 10:28 against Portland and wasn’t sure why, according to Lewis. Asked after the game if Fernandez, who has been encouraging Williams to shoot more three-pointers, pulled him early due to his unwillingness to pull the trigger more often, Williams replied, “Y’all know better than me, man. I got no idea.”
No team has more tradable first-round picks than the Nets, as RealGM details. Net Income of NetsDaily takes a closer look at what that means for the organization.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Martin, Hayes, Russell

February 20th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Nets guard Cam Thomas hasn’t played since January 2, but he’s nearing a return that’s sure to help boost Brooklyn and allay their shooting woes, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Thomas was expected to play in five-on-five scrimmages on Thursday.

“We know (what) he does offensively so, there’s no question. We all know exactly what Cam Thomas is going to do when he gets back out there. I think all our offensive struggles will come to an end as soon as he steps foot out there,” Trendon Watford said.

Watford went on to say Thomas is the best pure bucket-getter he has ever played with. In 19 games this season (17 starts), the fourth-year wing has averaged 24.7 points per game while shooting 44.8% from the floor and 37.5% from three.

“It’s always a process, but I just see it as a positive. He was so impactful and so good for the group, and I always see it as a positive,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’ve had so many different lineups, and when you bring somebody as talented as he is, it’s just positive … we just know he’s going to make us better.”

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The Nets converted Tyrese Martin to a standard contract this week. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link), the Nets signed Martin to a two-year, $2.83MM contract. That deal includes a team option for the 2025/26 season and a rest-of-season salary that’s slightly above the minimum. Brooklyn used a small portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing.
Brooklyn also added guard Killian Hayes to its roster by signing him to a 10-day contract. He suited up for the team on Thursday, recording five points and three assists. Before the game, coach Jordi Fernandez commented on the signing, per Lewis (Twitter link). “Having a traditional backup point guard is good for us,” he said. “This 10 days is important not just for him but also for us if he can do the things we’re asking him to do. But we know who he is; thats the reason we brought him in the first place.” Fernandez coached Hayes in training camp before he was waived and began the year in the G League.
Point guard D’Angelo Russell exited Thursday’s game against the Cavaliers and was later ruled out due to a left ankle sprain, as relayed by Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much time he’ll miss due to the injury. Prior to the game, Cavs head coach and former Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson called Russell a star and was complimentary of the veteran, according to Lewis (Twitter link). “He must be in the perfect place now,” Atkinson said. “He’s seen it all. He’s at that age where I assume he’s the alpha in that locker room. I’m a big fan of the player, big fan of the leader, big fan of the person.“

Eastern Notes: Williams, Russell, Suggs, Banchero, Knicks

February 18th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an ironic twist, Hornets center Mark Williams is listed as probable to play against the Lakers on Wednesday, Charlotte’s PR department tweets.

Williams would be playing in his first game since the Hornets-Lakers trade was rescinded after he failed to pass Los Angeles’ physical due to “multiple issues.” The probable status is due to “return to play reconditioning.”

The Lakers front office thought it had solved their starting center issue by acquiring Williams. They had agreed to give up rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap. Knecht and Reddish returned to the Lakers along with the draft capital when the team decided to void the deal.

Williams, who has battled injuries throughout his young career, is averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in 22 contests this season.

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While the Nets gave all the appearances of tanking earlier this season, their young core isn’t cooperating. They are within range of a play-in spot, trailing the 10th-place Bulls by just 1.5 games. They’ve gotten a boost from D’Angelo Russell in his second stint with the organization. Russell led them to an unlikely postseason berth five years ago and it could happen again, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Russell is averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 assists in 16 games since he was acquired from the Lakers. “Last time it just … kind of happened,” Russell said. “So I think if it’s gonna happen, it will. We definitely have the chance. We definitely have a nice group, definitely have all the coaches and everything to give it that. So we’ll keep preparing like that’s in the plans. But as far as getting ahead of myself and trying to do things out of the ordinary, that’s not really … it’s kind of out of my control, I would say. So [we’ve] just got to go one game at a time, one win at a time.”
Even with added rest and recovery time, Jalen Suggs is still not 100 percent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) on Tuesday that the Magic guard was “able to go through running portions of practice but no contact still.” Suggs missed the last nine games before the All-Star break due to a left quad contusion.
Expect better results from Paolo Banchero after the All-Star break, Beede opines as he examines five storylines to watch for the remainder of the Magic‘s season. After missing 34 games due to a torn right abdominal muscle, Banchero has averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 turnovers per game while shooting 28.9% from 3-point range over the past 18 contests. Banchero said his main issue after recovering from the injury was getting back into top shape to play with the same energy and effort on a nightly basis.
The Knicks got good grades on their midseason report card. The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy gives Josh Hart an A-plus, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns earning As.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics All-Star Bid, Claxton, Russell, Watford, Dadiet

February 17th, 2025 at 5:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics’ bid for an All-Star Game remains under consideration even though the team is up for sale, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports.

The All-Star Game hasn’t been held in Boston since 1964. The Celtics’ bid had been put on hold as the league determines other scheduling commitments, Washburn adds.

With the refurbishing of Boston’s TD Garden and the construction of additional hotels over the past several years, commissioner Adam Silver has previously stated that the city would be an ideal candidate for a future All-Star weekend.

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Nic Claxton has reestablished himself as the Nets’ defensive anchor in recent weeks, Andrew Crane of the New York Post writes. After averaging 1.1 blocks per game in his first 40 games this season, Claxton has swatted an average of 3.1 attempts in the last seven contests, including a five-block night against Philadelphia. Claxton is in the first year of a four-year, $97MM contract.
Following the departure of Ben Simmons via a buyout, Brian Lewis of the New York Post anticipates that D’Angelo Russell and Trendon Watford will soak up more minutes. After missing six weeks due to hamstring injury, Watford returned on January 29. He has averaged in 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes per game this month for the Nets.
Knicks rookie Pacome Dadiet has renewed his Ivorian citizenship, according to Basketnews.com. That could pave the way for Dadiet to play for Ivory Coast in international competitions. Dadiet has represented France at various youth international levels. Dadiet, a late first-round selection, has appeared in 13 games this season.

Pacific Notes: Richards, Russell, Christie, Ballmer

January 18th, 2025 at 10:12am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Suns addressed a position of need by trading for Nick Richards on Wednesday, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes. According to Bourguet, the Suns value the Kentucky product for his athleticism, defense, rebounding and size, along with the fact that he’s under contract for next season at a team-friendly price (a non-guaranteed $5MM).

In recent games, Phoenix has been at a disadvantage on the offensive glass, which Richards will help address. The former Hornet is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 56.1% from the field in 21 games (nine starts) this season.

Suns players and coaches expressed excitement about being able to add Richards into their organization, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Head coach Mike Budenholzer said Richards was expected to meet the team Friday in Detroit and that he foresees the center making his Suns debut Saturday against the Pistons.

“We’re excited about adding Nick and what he can bring to our team and how he can impact the game defensively around the rim,” Budenholzer said. “On the boards on both ends of the court. Screen setter. Just that kind of seven-foot size, athleticism can always be impactful.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

On Friday, ahead of his first matchup with the Lakers after being traded back to Brooklyn, D’Angelo Russell expressed that he was appreciative of his time with Los Angeles, but that he was ready to move on, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). He called his second stint with the Lakers a “blur.” Russell scored 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the matchup on Friday night but missed a potential game winner.
Kings head coach Doug Christie is a massive part of the franchise’s history, having been a key starter and contributor for the 2001/02 Sacramento team that fell in the Western Conference Finals to the Lakers. Now, under the interim Christie, the Kings have climbed from 13-19 to 21-20 and are firmly back in the postseason picture following the departure of coach Mike Brown. The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson explores Christie’s journey from his tenure as a player to his time as an assistant for the team beginning in 2021.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie Ballmer, co-founders of the Ballmer Group, pledged an initial $15MM to help combat the Los Angeles wildfires, they announced on their website. “We love L.A. and are committed to supporting the communities affected by the devastating wildfires,” the statement reads. “In coordination with our local partners, Ballmer Group will contribute to addressing immediate food and shelter needs in the community and supporting our first responders.  … We’ve dedicated an initial $15 million in emergency funding for the many people impacted by these fires, particularly in the historic, racially diverse community of Altadena.” The full list of organizations and efforts they’re providing support for can be found on their site.

Atlantic Notes: Quickley, Boucher, Robinson, Nets

January 15th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year contract with the Raptors features annual base salaries of $32.5MM, with $2.5MM in additional bonuses per year.

However, those incentives, which are based on various individual and team benchmarks, were considered unlikely to be earned this season and will remain that way in 2025/26, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who reports (via Twitter) that Quickley won’t play in enough games this season to earn any of his bonuses. That means his ’25/26 cap hit will remain at $32.5MM.

Quickley has dealt with injuries all season long, appearing in just nine of Toronto’s first 40 games in 2024/25. The former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is currently day-to-day with what the team is calling a left groin strain, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). He missed Monday’s game against Golden State and has been ruled out for Wednesday’s contest against Boston as well.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Atlantic Division:

Chris Boucher‘s days with the Raptors may be numbered, given that the 32-year-old is on an expiring contract and probably doesn’t have a place in the rebuilding team’s long-term plans, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Those circumstances make him an in-season trade candidate, but if these are Boucher’s final days in Toronto, he’s making the most of them. As Koreen and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca detail, the longest-tenured Raptor has averaged 18.3 points in 22.9 minutes per game across his past three outings and led the Raptors to a Monday victory over Golden State with 17 fourth-quarter points.
While Mitchell Robinson‘s recovery from an offseason ankle procedure has taken longer than anticipated, Ian Begley of SNY.tv says there’s still a “solid belief” that the Knicks center’s return isn’t too far off (Twitter video link). Begley suggests it could happen in “early February.” Getting a healthy Robinson back to fortify the center spot would probably be a best-case scenario for the Knicks, according to Begley, but he mentions Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas as a possible trade target to watch if the club isn’t confident in Robinson’s health.
Cameron Johnson, who had missed five consecutive games due to a right ankle sprain, and D’Angelo Russell, who had been sidelined for four straight with a right shin contusion, both returned to action for the Nets on Tuesday and led the team to a win over Portland, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Johnson is considered Brooklyn’s top remaining trade candidate, so it was good news for his market value that he picked up right where he left off, scoring 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting in 27 minutes against the Blazers.