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Nets Notes: Lopez, Lin, Dinwiddie, Nicholson, McDaniels

February 24th, 2017 at 10:43pm CST by Milo Taibi

Nets GM Sean Marks spoke to the press about Brooklyn’s trade deadline activity. While the team held onto Brook Lopez and Trevor Booker (each of whom have another year left on their contract), Marks was involved in a few lower-profile transactions.

“We’re very familiar with Andrew [Nicholson]…he’s a system fit for us,” Marks said. “He’s a stellar young man and another guy with high character and that’s exactly we’re trying to do.”

The Nets acquired Nicholson along with a first-round pick and Marcus Thornton (who was subsequently waived) in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough. Bogdanovic performed well for the 9-47 Nets, but was a restricted free agent-to-be, and was dealt for an invaluable draft pick. Marks spoke about his team’s position in the upcoming draft.

“Now having two first round picks, it all helps,” Marks said. “It helps give us another vehicle where were can be systematic with the draft and see what happens. We obviously value the draft or we wouldn’t have done it. It’s about being strategic and having two picks now gives us an opportunity to move up with those picks, you can hold them where you are if your players are there at the time.”

More from Brooklyn…

  • One of the reasons Marks held onto Lopez at the deadline was to see how well he played with Jeremy Lin, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Lin has been limited to just 13 games this season due to injury, and hasn’t had an opportunity to be properly assessed by coach Kenny Atkinson. “To have a healthy Jeremy and a healthy Brook out there together with this team, it’ll be nice to evaluate that,” Marks said. “It’s something we started the season off with, and unfortunately, we only got a handful of games under our belt seeing that. We all know what those two bring to the table: They lift everybody else’s play.”
  • Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post profiled Spencer Dinwiddie, a former collegiate star at University of Colorado Boulder. Dinwiddie suffered a torn ACL during his junior year at CU, falling to the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft. Still just 23 years old, Dinwiddie has averaged more than 20 MPG for the first time in his career with Brooklyn. “He’s steadily getting better,” Atkinson said of Dinwiddie. “He played pretty well before the all-star break, started shooting it better and getting to the rim. We like his defense. He’s been a pleasant surprise, quite honestly.“
  • Nicholson and K.J. McDaniels– each acquired at the deadline- are ready to step in right now for the rebuilding Nets. “I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me,” McDaniels told Greg Logan of Newsday. “I’ll be able to show Brooklyn what I do, and play both ends of the court and just try to bring energy.” McDaniels’ acquisition was commended by writers across the league. Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post gave the trade an “A” grade, describing the transaction as low-risk, high-reward. “If he doesn’t do anything, the Nets can simply decline his option for next season. If he does something, then it’s found money. For a team with no talent or assets to speak of, it’s a good move to make — and saves them money to boot, as they were below the salary floor.”
  • Dan Favale of Bleacher Report echoed Bontemps’ sentiments, praising Marks for taking a flier on McDaniels. “Getting K.J. McDaniels for absolutely nothing is a great encore to parlaying Bojan Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough into Andrew Nicholson and a first-round pick,” Favale wrote. “Although McDaniels is beyond raw, he has the length and lateral gait to be a lockdown defender across all wing positions.”
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Nets Waive Marcus Thornton

February 23rd, 2017 at 2:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Thursday, 2:49 PM: Brooklyn has officially waived Thornton, according to a team press release.

Wednesday, 8:04 PM: The Nets will waive Marcus Thornton, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reports (Twitter link). Thornton came to Brooklyn in the Bojan Bogdanovic deal earlier today.

Thornton is on a one-year, $1.3MM deal, which is fully guaranteed. He was seeing regular minutes for the Wizards before rookie Sheldon McClellan took his role off the bench and the 29-year-old shooting guard didn’t play in Washington’s last 21 games.

In the 33 appearances this season, Thornton averaged 6.6 points and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 35% from the field. He’s also sported a 10.5 player efficiency rating.

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Nets Trade Bojan Bogdanovic To Wizards

February 22nd, 2017 at 7:53pm CST by Luke Adams

7:53 PM: The trade is official, according to a Nets’ press release.

3:01 PM: The Nets and Wizards have agreed to a deal that will send Bojan Bogdanovic to Washington, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Wojnarowski had previously identified the Wizards and Kings as teams with interest in the Brooklyn sharpshooter.Bojan Bogdanovic horizontal

In exchange for Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough, who will also head to Washington in the deal, the Nets will receive Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton, and the Wizards’ 2017 first-round pick, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter links). The pick will be lottery protected, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

Bogdanovic, who will turn 28 in April, was the 31st overall pick in the 2011 draft and eventually arrived stateside to join the Nets in 2014. The 6’8″ forward is is enjoying a career year this season, with 14.2 PPG and a .357 3PT% in 55 games so far.

Although Bogdanovic is on an expiring deal, he’ll be eligible for restricted – rather than unrestricted – free agency this summer. His matching rights will now be held by the Wizards, rather than by Brooklyn, and that has some value. The Nets know first-hand that it can be difficult to steal an RFA away from another team — the club had offer sheets for Allen Crabbe, Tyler Johnson, and Donatas Motiejunas matched in 2016.

Depending on whether the Wizards want to commit to Bogdanovic beyond the 2016/17 season, they may have to worry about re-signing two key RFAs in the summer, as Otto Porter is also on track for restricted free agency.

From the Nets’ perspective, the club gets another first-round pick in what’s expected to be a deep and talented draft. That probably makes the deal a win for GM Sean Marks, even though the Wizards’ pick currently projects to fall just 24th overall, as our reverse standings show. The Nets, of course, don’t have their own first-rounder, but they’ll also get Boston’s pick, setting them up for two selections in the 20s.

As for the financial details of the trade, the Nets had been well below the salary floor, but they’ll inch about $2.3MM closer to that mark by taking on Nicholson and Thornton, who combine to earn more than $7MM. Meanwhile, the Wizards will cut costs a little by taking on Bogdanovic ($3.57MM) and McCullough ($1.19MM). Washington should also be able to create a traded player exception in the deal worth about $2.5MM.

While Bogdanovic and Thornton are free agents at season’s end, Nicholson and McCullough are controllable through the 2018/19 season. McCullough will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of ’19, while Nicholson has a player option for the ’19/20 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Southeast Notes: Thornton, Hawks, Heat, Hornets

January 17th, 2017 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Following a 2015/16 campaign in which he was waived in February and finished with a shooting percentage south of 40%, Marcus Thornton managed to land a guaranteed one-year deal with the Wizards this past offseason. However, when it comes to Washington’s rotation, Thornton currently finds himself on the outside looking in, as Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic.com details. One report last week suggested that Thornton is the Wizards player most likely to be waived if the team wants to add someone to the roster.

Here’s more from around the Southeast division:

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Wizards Notes: McClellan, Thornton, Wall

January 10th, 2017 at 5:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Sheldon McClellan, whose contract with the Wizards became fully guaranteed over the weekend, is earning the trust of the team’s coaching staff, J. Michael of Comcast Sportsnet writes. Washington’s bench was an area of concern heading into the season, but it appears McClellan is on his way to solidifying a role in the second unit.  “I like what Sheldon has been able to do. He plays hard,” coach Scott Brooks said. “When you play hard it gives you a chance to stay on the court and make good things happen for your team. I think he does that”

Here’s more from Washington:

  • If the Wizards decide to open up a roster spot, Marcus Thornton is the player most likely to be waived, Michael writes in a separate piece. McClellan’s success has pushed Thornton to the bench, leaving the 29-year-old without any minutes over the team’s last two games.
  • Daniel Ochefu‘s roster spot appears to be safe, Michael contends in the same piece. The Wizards are still waiting for Ian Mahinmi to recover from a pair of knee injuries, which leaves the team in need of frontcourt players.
  • Rival executives don’t view John Wall as a franchise player in the same way they view other team’s top players, such as Russell Westbrook and James Harden, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical relays (Twitter video link). Marks also examines the 2011 draft where the Wizards took Jan Vesely with the No. 6 overall pick and wonders what the team would look like had it selected Klay Thompson or Kawhi Leonard.
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Southeast Notes: Beal, Wall, Bazemore, Augustin

November 6th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal called out his Wizards teammates for a lack of defensive effort after Saturday’s loss in Orlando, relays Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The fifth-year shooting guard, who signed a five-year extension over the summer worth nearly $128MM, hinted that lineup changes could be coming soon if things don’t change. “The biggest thing we can control is our defense and that’s all about effort and wanting to play,” Beal said. “I think coach [Scott Brooks] is pretty fed up with the way we’re playing and I think he’s going to start playing guys who want to play and guys who want to show up.” The Magic were able to make up a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter when reserves Trey Burke, Marcus Thornton, Kelly Oubre and Jason Smith were on the court together, so those are probably the players Beal is talking about.

There’s more this morning from the Southeast Division:

  • The Wizards are being careful with point guard John Wall after two offseason knee surgeries, which will put a greater burden on Beal, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Wall sat out Saturday’s game, which was the second night of a back-to-back, a situation where Wall will likely be held out as a precaution, at least for a while. Washington has three more back-to-backs on the schedule in November and two in December. “Trey and Tomas [Satoransky] got to step up as well and lead us as point guards,” Beal said. “I just got to be aggressive, play my game. Not take over and feel like I’ve got to do everything. I can’t do it by myself.”
  • Hawks guard Kent Bazemore is off to a rocky start after signing a four-year, $70MM contract this summer, notes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He shot just 28% from the floor during the team’s first five games and is trying to find other ways to contribute until his scoring touch returns. “That’s one of the main reasons they brought me back, my tenacity and my love and passion for the game,” Bazemore said. “At times I’ve gotten a little down on myself. I’m human. It’s good that I can finally recognize that there is a time and place for everything and the middle of a game is not the time to get down on yourself.”
  • D.J. Augustin‘s scoring has been a pleasant early-season surprise for the Magic, writes John Denton of NBA.com. The veteran point guard, who signed a four-year deal with Orlando this summer, is averaging 7.8 points per game off the bench in limited minutes. “He’s really grown,” said Orlando coach Frank Vogel. “I had him a couple of years ago [in Indiana] and he’s improved as a player. He’s not just a catch-and-shoot guy. He’s making good basketball plays with the pass and his creativity with creating his own shot as well has improved. So he’s given us a big lift.’’
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Players Who Can Veto Trades

October 4th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, and they became even rarer this offseason, when several players with those clauses in their contracts either called it a career or signed new deals. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, who all opted for retirement, had no-trade clauses last season, and so did Dwyane Wade, who doesn’t have the same protection on his new contract with the Bulls.

Nonethless, while the list of players with explicit no-trade clauses may be dwindling, there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year contract with an option clause – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals, though no restricted free agents signed their QOs this year.

Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2016/17 league year:

No-trade clauses

Players whose offer sheets were matched

Players accepting qualifying offers

  • None

Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)

Information from Basketball Insiders and Yahoo! Sports was used in the creation of this post.

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Wizards Re-Sign Marcus Thornton

July 28th, 2016 at 12:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

JULY 28: The Wizards have issued a press release announcing their deal with Thornton, which is a minimum-salary pact.

JULY 7: The Wizards have agreed to a deal with Marcus Thornton, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports (Twitter link). It will be a one-year, $1.3MM arrangement that is fully guaranteed, Scotto adds.

The 29-year-old had indicated back in March that he hoped to return to Washington in 2016/17, and it appears that Thornton’s wish has been granted. The veteran will compete for minutes off the bench with Tomas Satorasnky, Kelly Oubre and Trey Burke. You can view the Wizards’ current depth chart here.

Thornton made 14 appearances for Washington last season, averaging 8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.0 minutes per outing. His slash line was .393/.333/.762.

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Southeast Notes: Winslow, Howard, Bazemore

July 17th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Arthur Hill

Pat Riley anointed Justise Winslow as the Heat’s starting small forward for next season, but he hasn’t addressed the larger question of power forward, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Riley expressed his confidence in Winslow during a news conference Saturday, saying the rookie will be penciled in as the starting three for 2016/17. But if Chris Bosh isn’t medically cleared to play, that leaves Josh McRoberts, Luke Babbitt and Udonis Haslem as candidates to start alongside Winslow and Hassan Whiteside on the front line. Riley said even though Winslow is only 20, he’s ready to be an NBA starter. “I remember when James Worthy came to the Lakers and Jamaal Wilkes was incumbent,” Riley said, “and then there came that time, there came that time when it was just a matter of time when James Worthy was going to take his position.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Dwight Howard hopes his return home to Atlanta will revitalize his career, according to Steve Hummer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 30-year-old center, who signed a three-year deal worth $70.5MM with the Hawks, has even changed his number to 8 to signify “a new beginning.” Howard insists that his back, which required surgery in 2012, is no longer a problem. “My back hasn’t been an issue,” he said, “and I don’t think I’ll ever have an issue out of my back for the rest of my career.”
  • Kent Bazemore‘s comments at the press conference after he re-signed with the Hawks showed how much he wanted to stay in Atlanta, relays K.L. Chouinard of NBA.com. Bazemore, who landed a four-year, $70MM contract in free agency, said it was important to remain with the team he joined two seasons ago. “This is one of the high points of my life,” he said, “and I couldn’t choose a better place to be. I said I wasn’t going to get emotional, but I just love it here, you know. People have just embraced me and it just feels like home, man.”
  • It’s hard to understand why the Wizards re-signed Marcus Thornton so early in free agency, writes Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic. Thornton, who received a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, projects as a fifth guard, Standig contends, adding that it’s unusual for teams to fill roster spots with those type of players before Summer League begins.
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Eastern Notes: Thornton, Wroten, Wood

March 14th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards brought in Marcus Thornton because they needed someone healthy, coach Randy Wittman said, but Thornton is hoping that he’s more than just a stopgap measure, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post relays. The two-guard is on a minimum-salary deal through the end of the season, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders confirms, but Thornton indicated that he’d like to re-sign once he hits free agency in the summer.

“It’s about me going to some place I can fit in right away,” Thornton said. “And it could be long term. … Hopefully I could find a home here.”

He’ll be asked to make an impression with his shooting, observes J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Thornton is a career 35.9% 3-point shooter. See more from around the Eastern Conference:

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