Kyrie Irving Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyrie Irving Out For Remainder Of Season

February 20th, 2020 at 5:19pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyrie Irving will miss the remainder of the season, Nets general manager Sean Marks said today, as Marc Stein of the New York Times relays (Twitter link). The point guard will undergo a procedure on his shoulder.

His last game came on February 1 against the Wizards, where he injured his knee. That ailment appears to be fine, but his shoulder woes, which he attempted to play through while taking a cortisone shot, will cause his debut season in Brooklyn to end.

Irving, who signed a big-money, four-year contract with the Nets last summer, has been limited to just 20 games in his first season with the club, primarily due to those shoulder issues. He has been his usual productive self when he has been healthy, averaging 27.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 5.2 RPG with a shooting line of .478/.394/.922, as own Luke Adams detailed earlier today.

The point guard’s best game of the season came in a 54-point performance in which Irving said he had the “Mamba Mentality,” dedicating it to the late Kobe Bryant.

Irving will return next season alongside Kevin Durant, who reiterated that he will not play this season. Durant inked a four-year deal with Brooklyn last summer.

Kyrie Irving Likely To Undergo Procedure On Shoulder

February 20th, 2020 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

2:39pm: Irving is considering treatment options – including surgery – and will make a decision within the next few days, according to Malika Andrews and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The expectation in Brooklyn over the past few days is that Irving will miss the rest of the season, sources tell Charania.

2:09pm: Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who visited a specialist this week to get another opinion on his troublesome right shoulder, will likely undergo a procedure on that shoulder and miss an “extended period of time,” league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Irving, who signed a big-money-, four-year contract with the Nets last summer, has been limited to just 20 games in his first season with the club, primarily due to shoulder issues. He has been his usual productive self when he has been healthy, averaging 27.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 5.2 RPG with a shooting line of .478/.394/.922.

Although Charania’s report doesn’t provide specifics on Irving’s recovery timeline, it may be time to start wondering how much more he’ll actually contribute to the Nets this season. With Kevin Durant confirming he won’t play this season, Brooklyn isn’t a legit championship contender in 2019/20, so the team won’t want to rush Irving back.

At the very least, it seems likely he’ll miss the Nets’ second game in Boston on March 3, depriving Celtics fans of the opportunity to welcome him back this season following his free agency departure.

Regardless of when Irving is able to return to action, the 25-28 Nets, who currently rank seventh in the East, are in position to clinch a playoff spot. The team has a 17-16 record in games without Irving so far this season.

Kevin Durant Reiterates He Won’t Play This Season

February 20th, 2020 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

Since back on Media Day last September, the Nets‘ decision-makers and Kevin Durant himself have been insisting that there are no plans to have the star forward return to the court this season. Durant, who continues to recover from a torn Achilles suffered last June, reiterated that point in a conversation with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks (video link), ruling himself out for 2019/20 in the most definitive terms yet.

Asked by Rooks if there’s any chance of a return this season, Durant initially replied, “No, I don’t think so.” When Rooks pointed out that his reply left the door open, KD promptly closed it: “No! No. The best thing for me is to continue to rehab, get as strong as I can and focus on next season.”

It would have been fascinating to see the seventh- or eighth-seeded Nets get Durant back for the postseason and suddenly become a dangerous sleeper, but that scenario was never realistic. Brooklyn knew when it signed Durant to a four-year, maximum-salary contract that he almost certainly wouldn’t suit up for the club until year two.

While Durant’s absence was expected, the Nets have also been without their other star free agent signee for much of the season. Kyrie Irving has been limited to 20 games and reportedly re-aggravated his shoulder injury this week.

There have been no updates yet on Irving’s visit to a specialist, but Brian Lewis of The New York Post wonders if the ailment might ultimately bring Kyrie’s season to an early end. As Lewis notes, Irving previously opted for a cortisone shot over arthroscopic surgery. If the latest specialist recommends surgery, Irving could join Durant on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.

Kyrie Irving To See Specialist, Out Indefinitely

February 18th, 2020 at 5:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyrie Irving, who is nursing knee and shoulder injuries, isn’t expected to return to the court anytime soon, as Malika Andrews of ESPN.com relays. The Nets‘ point guard is scheduled to see another specialist for this shoulder this week.

“That’s about all I can tell you,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “His shoulder continues to bother him. That’s about the extent of it now.”

Irving missed 26 games earlier this season because of shoulder woes. He should have a clearer timetable for a return after seeing the specialist.

Atkinson said that Irving didn’t re-aggravate the injury on a specific play or during a specific practice. It’s something that has been lingering.

“A cortisone shot lasts as long as it can,” Irving said back in December. “You either continue to get cortisone shots, which is obviously detrimental to your health and your muscles, or you go get arthroscopic surgery. For me, it’s just about being able to go back out there after the right amount of rehab, the right amount of rest and recovery and see what we can do for the rest of the season and then re- evaluate after a few months.”

The Nets inked Irving to a four-year deal during the offseason. He has missed a total of 33 games for the club because of his various ailments.

Kyrie Irving Elected As NBPA Vice President

February 17th, 2020 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Kyrie Irving was elected to the executive committee of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today, replacing Pau Gasol as one of the union’s vice presidents, per an official release. Gasol’s three-year term as VP had expired.

“This was the right time for me to run for a leadership position in the NBPA,” Irving said in a statement. “I have been an observer and a participant in union affairs for a while, but for the most part, I was off on the sidelines, supporting our Executive Committee as they made important decisions. At this point in my career, I wanted to join forces with those guys and take a bigger role outside of the basketball court and within our union.

“I want to help move the union forward with innovative ideas, not only on social issues but also with business ventures into a new space. I am honored to be elected by my peers and I cannot wait to work with everybody to make an impact.”

Irving will join an executive committee led by union president Chris Paul and first vice president Andre Iguodala. The Nets star will be one of six NBPA VPs, along with Bismack Biyombo, Malcolm Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, CJ McCollum, and teammate Garrett Temple.

Irving, who has missed Brooklyn’s last five games with a knee injury, is believed to be nearing a return, though the team has yet to announce whether or not that will happen this Thursday in Philadelphia.

Nets Notes: Lineups, Bryant, Claxton, Levy

February 17th, 2020 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

As the Nets prepare for Kyrie Irving‘s return to action, the team seems to be mulling the idea of leaning more heavily on small-ball lineups, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. While it’s possible not all of Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Caris LeVert will be in Brooklyn’s starting five, there’s a chance that all three guards could play together at the end of games.

“The big question, the big thing is who’s going to finish; that’s the one, how do you finish?” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We have opportunities to play small, really small, too. That’s within our possibilities. We’ll just figure it out. It’s hard to know until you have it in your hands what exactly you’re going to do.”

As Lewis notes, a lineup that features the Nets’ top three guards alongside Joe Harris at the four and Jarrett Allen at the five has only played 18 minutes together this year, but it has been one of the club’s most effective five-man units, outscoring opponents by 20.5 minutes per 100 possessions. Harris told Lewis that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Brooklyn opts for smaller lineups more often the rest of the way.

“I would’ve never thought in my life I’d be playing power forward in the NBA, but that’s the direction the NBA is going,” Harris said. “And as the year wears on, teams are doing whatever it takes to win games. Sometimes that’s going with a smaller lineup.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Alex Schiffer of The Athletic takes a look at how Travon Bryant, who had a decade-long career as a player in international leagues, has become a key member of Atkinson’s coaching staff. Bryant, who works with Brooklyn’s frontcourt players, has had an impact on rookie big man Nicolas Claxton this season. “I enjoy working with him every single day,” Claxton said. “I have to give some credit to him. He’s extremely knowledgeable of the game, and I think he’s going to be a good coach in this league for a while.”
Back in November, the Nets parted ways with CEO David Levy after just two months. Speaking recently to Ira Boudway of Bloomberg (hat tip to Brian Lewis of The New York Post), Nets owner Joseph Tsai explained that he and Levy had different expectations for what that job would entail. “He was already looking ahead at how to grow the J Tsai sports portfolio, but we also needed someone to do the nuts and bolts,” Tsai said. “Maybe he thought that he wanted to do something that’s bigger and he could just bring in other people to do it, and I’m of a view that before you outsource something you should do it yourself.”
After getting a week off for the All-Star break, the Nets will make a concerted effort to avoid a repeat of their post-Christmas-break struggles, Lewis writes in a separate story for The New York Post. Following a four-day Christmas break, Brooklyn lost seven consecutive games and 12 of 14. A similar post-All-Star run could jeopardize the club’s hold on a playoff spot.

Eastern Notes: Williams, Kyrie, Raptors

February 12th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marvin Williams is making his debut for the Bucks on Wednesday night and ESPN’s Eric Woodyard (Twitter link) passes along the team’s initial plan for the veteran’s first appearance.

“We’re going to play him a little bit and see how it goes,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I’m excited about having him be a part of our group and how he can help us.”

Williams agreed to a buyout with Charlotte last week and inked a deal with Milwaukee over the weekend. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Williams gives the Bucks another viable rotation option, making them an even deeper team, Alex Boeder of NBA.com writes. The former No. 2 overall pick’s shooting from outside should be particularly helpful for Milwaukee.
Coach Nick Nurse went on ESPN’s PTI today and was asked about one player behind the Raptors‘ success. “Kyle Lowry,” the coach said. “I’ve never seen a guy play harder on the court.”
Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link) asked Nets coach Kenny Atkinson if Kyrie Irving will return after the All-Star break and he got an interesting response. “There’s a lot of days and I don’t want to go out and say something that I’d regret later,” Atkinson said. “When we get back, those first couple practices will determine where he is.”

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, B. Brown, Sixers, Kyrie

February 11th, 2020 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics guard Kemba Walker, who was teammates with Marvin Williams for five seasons in Charlotte, said he spent several weeks trying to convince the veteran forward to join him in Boston when he was eventually bought out by the Hornets, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. After Williams joined the rival Bucks instead, Walker called up his longtime teammate to congratulate him on his new deal.

“He said that he wished he could have gotten to Boston with me, but I’m just happy for him,” the Celtics’ All-Star point guard said, per Himmelsbach. “That’s my guy, man. That’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever been around. That’s my vet. I was upset that we didn’t get the chance to get him, but I’m happy for him. He deserves it. He’s been in the league for a very long time. He works hard. He deserves to be on a winning team.”

The Celtics figure to keep a close eye on the buyout market in the coming weeks, though they’ll have to waive a player from their 15-man roster if they want to bring anyone in.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Following last week’s trade deadline, Sixers general manager Elton Brand said he believes in Brett Brown‘s ability to lead the team. However, as Malika Andrews of ESPN writes, the 76ers’ GM stopped short of guaranteeing Brown would keep his job for the rest of the 2019/20 season. “I’m not going to play what-ifs,” Brand said. For what it’s worth, the team was mired in a four-game losing streak at the time of Brand’s comments and is 2-0 since then.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer explores what sort of roles newly-acquired bench pieces Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III will play for the Sixers, suggesting that Robinson may end up with a more defined role.
Kyrie Irving‘s right knee sprain will sideline him through the All-Star break, according to Malika Andrew (Twitter link), who says the Nets have ruled out the star point guard for Wednesday’s game vs. Toronto.

Nets Notes: LeVert, Irving, TLC, Kurucs

February 10th, 2020 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Having returned to the Nets‘ starting lineup last week when Kyrie Irving was sidelined, Caris LeVert is thriving. He has averaged 29.7 PPG and 6.3 APG with a .517/.688/1.000 shooting line in those three games (30.6 MPG). As Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, it may be hard for the team to send him back to the bench when Irving is ready to return.

“[LeVert’s] one of the best players in the league,” teammate Spencer Dinwiddie said. “He’s our third star, one of the best iso players in the league.”

Of course, it could also be Dinwiddie, not LeVert, who loses his starting job when Irving returns, despite averages of 21.0 PPG and 6.5 APG this season. Starting Irving, Dinwiddie, and LeVert is a possibility for the Nets, but that might not be the most optimal way to stagger the club’s rotation, given how good all three players are with the ball in their hands.

Brooklyn may have to make that lineup decision soon. Although Irving has been ruled out for Monday’s game, head coach Kenny Atkinson said there’s still a chance the star point guard could return before the All-Star break on Wednesday, when the Nets host Toronto.

“There’s a chance he could play. Knowing him, he’ll want to play if he’s cleared. We just don’t know yet,” Atkinson said, per Lewis. “We’ve got to wait until we get back (to Brooklyn) and see how it’s going.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

After starting the season on a two-way contract and then signing a pair of 10-day deals with the Nets, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot got a rest-of-season guarantee following the trade deadline and is thankful for the opportunity he has received in Brooklyn. “It’s just amazing,” Luwawu-Cabarrot told Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “When people trust you and give you that confidence, it’s amazing. That’s when you are the best version of yourself, and when you are confident. It’s great to call Brooklyn home, for sure.”
Luwawu-Cabarrot’s new deal isn’t guaranteed at all for 2020/21 for now, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The former first-round pick will get a $150K partial guarantee if he remains under contract through early August, and that guarantee would increase to $250K on opening night.
In a separate New York Post story, Lewis takes a look at how Rodions Kurucs has regained his confidence on the court and become one of the NBA’s most accurate three-point shooters this season.
In case you missed it, three Nets players – Irving, Kevin Durant, and Joe Harris – were among the 44 finalists announced by USA Basketball for this summer’s Olympic roster.

USA Basketball Announces 44 Finalists For 2020 Olympic Roster

February 10th, 2020 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has formally announced a preliminary group of 44 players who are candidates to be part of the program’s roster for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The final roster will only consist of 12 players, so most of these finalists won’t actually play for Team USA at the Olympics. Some will likely withdraw from consideration, while others simply won’t make the final cut. However, these players have all expressed interest in being involved in the process.

“This is the first step in USA Basketball identifying the 12 players who will represent the United States as members of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team in Tokyo,” said USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo.

“… Over the course of the remainder of the NBA season we’ll continue to monitor all of the athletes. Selecting the 12-man USA roster will obviously be an extremely challenging and difficult process, and we will again attempt to select the very best team possible to represent our country and who we hope will be successful in our difficult mission of repeating as Olympic champions for a fourth consecutive Olympics.”

Although the U.S. men’s team has won three consecutive Olympic gold medals, the program had a disappointing showing at last year’s World Cup, finishing in seventh place. Team USA will be looking for a bounce-back performance in Tokyo this summer, with many players from that World Cup squad among the 44 finalists announced today.

Here’s the full list of players who are candidates to play for Team USA at the 2020 Olympics:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
Harrison Barnes (Kings)
Bradley Beal (Wizards)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Mike Conley (Jazz)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)
Andre Drummond (Cavaliers)
Kevin Durant (Nets)
Paul George (Clippers)
Draymond Green (Warriors)
James Harden (Rockets)
Montrezl Harrell (Clippers)
Joe Harris (Nets)
Tobias Harris (76ers)
Gordon Hayward (Celtics)
Dwight Howard (Lakers)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Nets)
LeBron James (Lakers)
Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Blazers)
Brook Lopez (Bucks)
Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
JaVale McGee (Lakers)
Khris Middleton (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
Victor Oladipo (Pacers)
Chris Paul (Thunder)
Mason Plumlee (Nuggets)
Marcus Smart (Celtics)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Klay Thompson (Warriors)
Myles Turner (Pacers)
Kemba Walker (Celtics)
Russell Westbrook (Rockets)
Derrick White (Spurs)