Ziaire Williams

New York Notes: Towns, Hart, Williams, Schroder

October 31st, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks’ bold move to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns paid off in a big way on Wednesday. The former Minnesota big man, who averaged 15.3 points in his first three games with his new team, erupted for 44 points in a victory over Miami.

Towns had 25 field-goal attempts after not attempting more than 11 in the first three games.

“I think we did a good job of just feeding the hot hand,” Jalen Brunson told the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “He was hot and we were just playing through him. He was making the right reads and when they doubled he either got fouled or he made the right play. We trust him. We trust him.”

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Josh Hart was listed as questionable entering the contest after getting accidentally kicked in the shin by Cleveland’s Caris LeVert on Monday. He wound up playing 42 minutes and contributing 10 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. “That’s what you love about him,” coach Tom Thibodeau said, per Bondy. “There’s no other agenda other than winning. So whatever you ask him to do he’s going to give you everything he has.”
Ziaire Williams was thrilled to get some revenge on his former team on Wednesday, as the Nets beat the Grizzlies on the road. Williams, a 2021 pick, was dealt to the Nets over the summer in what was essentially a salary dump. He contributed 17 points, three assists and four steals in the 13-point win. “Oh, man, it feels great. I wanted this one bad, man,” Williams told Brian Lewis of the New York Post . “It was a weird feeling just being out there on the other side. It’s still all love, yeah, miss those guys. But nah, I was definitely happy I was able to talk some smack and more importantly get the win.”
Dennis Schröder, an unrestricted free agent next summer who’s hopeful of re-signing with the Nets, poured in 33 points — including 11 in the fourth quarter — against the Grizzlies. He’s averaging 24.6 points and 8.2 assists per game. “At one point, he said, ‘Just give me the ball. I’ll take care of this.’ And that’s what he does. He’s a leader,” coach Jordi Fernandez said, per Lewis. “He puts everybody in place. If he has to score, he scores. And he finished the game. So it’s really, really, really good to have him on the court.”

Atlantic Notes: Nets Big Lineup, Simmons, Towns, Barnes

October 29th, 2024 at 6:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have experimented with a bigger lineup and thus far, the results are promising, Bridget Reilly of the New York Post notes. The frontcourt of Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams and Noah Clowney has posted a plus-24.3 net rating.

“It’s great because Noah was committed to shoot the three. Ziaire will let it fly. And if you look at those three guys it’s like a lot of length, size,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’ve been talking about how small we’ve been, but right now, you see those three guys on the court and you’re like, wow, there’s no room. They’re flying around. Their effort has been amazing. They’re long, so very, very happy to see those guys working well together and doing the right things for the team.”

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Ben Simmons didn’t suit up for Tuesday’s game against Denver. Simmons was ruled out on Monday due to lower back injury management, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. The former No. 1 overall pick has posted modest stats in three outings this season — 5.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Simmons, who is making over $40MM this season, will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
What does Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson think of the Knicks’ acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns? A whole bunch, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “What an incredible pickup for the Knicks. I mean, as soon as I saw that, I said they are championship contenders, because he’s that good,” Atkinson said. “I think he’s really improved. His defense has improved since his first couple of years [in the NBA]. Heck of a player.”
The Raptors won’t have their top player against the Hornets on Wednesday. Scottie Barnes didn’t travel with the team on Tuesday to Charlotte. He’s undergoing medical assessments after taking an elbow to his right eye in the fourth quarter of Monday’s loss to Denver, Marc J. Spears of ESPN tweets. His condition will be updated on Wednesday.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Young Players, Wilson, Arena

October 26th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Cam Thomas wasn’t one of the 11 players from 2021’s draft class who signed a rookie scale extension prior to Monday’s deadline, but if he can consistently play like he did in the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday, he should have no problem cashing in as a restricted free agent next summer.

As Steve Lichtenstein writes on his Substack, Thomas racked up 36 points despite frequently being defended by Dyson Daniels, but it was his other contributions that were even more encouraging. The 23-year-old, viewed by critics as a one-dimensional player, filled up the box score by also contributing five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in his 34 minutes of action, and earned praise from head coach Jordi Fernandez for both his shooting efficiency and his performance on the other side of the ball.

“It was great, very efficient, shot over 50 percent from the field and from three, five rebounds,” Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). “And I thought that his physicality defensively was there, too. He worked on both sides of the floor.”

Thomas made just 7-of-17 shots from the field in his second game of the season on Friday, but hit 3-of-5 three-pointers and once again contributed in other ways, grabbing six rebounds and handing out three assists.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Although the Nets traded away Mikal Bridges over the summer, the team didn’t fully tear down its roster, with veterans like Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schröder, and Cameron Johnson remaining in Brooklyn. Still, as Lewis writes in a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, the club is carving out plenty of minutes for its younger players in the early going this season, with Thomas, Nic Claxton, Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams, and Noah Clowney all part of the rotation.
While not everyone from the Nets’ current group of youngsters will be part of the team’s long-term core, Wilson recognizes that there’s an opportunity for those players to show they deserve to be in the club’s plans. “Orlando was at a point in time where they were young and they lost a lot of games,” Wilson said, referring to Brooklyn’s Friday opponent. “The same guys came back and they’re just getting better. So you see the process; we’ve just got to buy into it, continue to grind, continue to show up even when days may be tough. And that’s part of the process really.”
Fernandez is giving Wilson, who scored 16 points on Wednesday, a mandate to improve on defense and is confident the 23-year-old will show more on that end of the court. “Every time I challenge him and I tell him, he always responds,” Fernandez said, according to Lewis. “So I know J-Wil will be a very good player on both ends, a two-way player. But that’s what I’m going to demand. If I see one day that he’s not, I’m going to let him go. And that goes for everybody, too.” Wilson doesn’t have a fully guaranteed contract, so he’s still vying to earn a full-season roster spot.
BSE Global, the Nets’ parent company, announced a five-year, $100MM plan to “enhance (the) fan experience” at Barclays Center, which will include upgrading the arena entrances and installing a new state-of-the-art sound system, among other changes.
As we relayed earlier this afternoon, the Long Island Nets agreed to acquire Colin Castleton‘s returning rights from the South Bay Lakers in a deal that sent the No. 5 pick in today’s G League draft to L.A.’s affiliate, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (via Twitter)

Extension Rumors: Nets, Hyland, Mitchell

October 21st, 2024 at 1:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Three Nets players — Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams — are eligible for rookie scale extensions until Monday at 5:00 pm CT. Sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link) that none of the three are expected to reach agreements, which means the trio will hit restricted free agency next summer if they receive qualifying offers.

Thomas, who turned 23 years old last week, led Brooklyn in scoring last season (22.5 PPG) and could see his role expand further after the Nets traded Mikal Bridges in the offseason. Sharpe has spent most of the past three seasons as Brooklyn’s backup center, while former lottery pick Williams was acquired in an offseason trade with Memphis (it was a salary dump for the Grizzlies).

The Nets project to be one of the few teams with significant cap room in 2025 free agency, so Lewis’ report isn’t exactly surprising, but it’s certainly noteworthy that they seem to be aiming to preserve as much financial flexibility as possible heading into the 2025/26 league year.

Here are a couple more rookie scale extension rumors heading into today’s deadline:

Fourth-year guard Bones Hyland will not be signing an extension with the Clippers, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Hyland only appeared in 37 games last season, posting career lows in most major statistics, and was reportedly unhappy with his limited role. He’ll earn $4.16MM in ’24/25 ahead of possible restricted free agency next summer.
The Raptors and point guard Davion Mitchell are not expected to reach an agreement on an extension, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The No. 9 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Mitchell was sent to Toronto from Sacramento in a salary-dump deal over the offseason. As Grange observes, holding off on a new contract makes some sense for both parties — Mitchell will get a chance to prove his value, while the Raptors will get a full season to evaluate whether the former Baylor star should be in their plans going forward. Like the other players mentioned, Mitchell will be a RFA in 2025 if he’s tendered a qualifying offer.

New York Notes: Achiuwa, Anunoby, Simmons, Williams

October 10th, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Dana Gauruder

Precious Achiuwa had to wait until the end of July to re-sign with the Knicks as a free agent due in part to the team’s salary cap issues. Achiuwa will hit the free agent market once again next summer after signing a one-year, $6MM deal but he could pump up his value in a reserve role this season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Achiuwa projects as the main frontcourt reserve until Mitchell Robinson returns from ankle surgery.

“I know I’m versatile. Playing the power forward, the center, the versatility of my game stands out the most,” Achiuwa said. “And last year I was able to show a lot of people that I was able to do a lot of different things.”

Robinson’s tentative timeline to get back in action is sometime in December or January.

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OG Anunoby missed chunks of time in the regular season and postseason due to injuries after the Knicks acquired him from the Raptors last season. The defensive ace is healthy this preseason and coach Tom Thibodeau basically looks at it as a fresh start. “He missed a lot of time last year. … So we still got to get reacclimated to everything we’re doing,” he said of Anunoby, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “Obviously you start at a zero base and you build. And that’s where we are. We’re building right now, but we have to understand that you build together. And so you’re asking everyone to share the floor, share the ball, and then be committed together defensively. And so that’s what we’re working on.”
The Nets’ Ben Simmons will be a free agent after this season but that’s not what he’s thinking about. He just wants to be a productive player and good teammate, he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “We have a younger team that I want to help these guys get better. I want to lead by example. I want to compete,” Simmons said. “(Head coach) Jordi (Fernandez) is coming in first year. It’s a big year for him. I want to be a leader on this team. So (screw) what happens next year, and what contract I get, if I get a contract. I want to do my job while I’m here and be professional and help these guys in any way I can. So who knows? I want to play as long as my body will allow me. So if it’s one year, five years, six years, I don’t know what it is. But I just want to keep going until I can’t anymore.”
Ziaire Williams had 10 points and three steals in 23 minutes during the Nets’ preseason game on Tuesday. He was acquired from Memphis in a salary dump and is looking to establish himself in the league, Lewis writes. “I’m trying to reinvent myself, show people that I belong in this league,” Williams said. “I’m trying to work my hardest every day. Just put all my heart, my soul out there on defensive, and carry that over to the offensive end.” Williams is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 21, the day before the season begins.

Nets Notes: Schröder, Simmons, Claxton, Williams, Hayes, Sharpe, Watford

October 5th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons will both be in the starting lineup Tuesday when the Nets open the preseason against the Clippers, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Much of the training camp discussion has been focused on which player will be used as the starting point guard, but coach Jordi Fernandez has decided to try them together.

“It’s something that it gives us a different look right now, playing with size, but not a true big and a lot of play-making and shooting,” Fernandez explained. “So it’s going to be fun. It’s going to very fun to give it a look.”

Schröder wanted to be used in tandem with Simmons after being acquired from Toronto in February, but Simmons’ back issues limited them to 16 total minutes together in three games. Schröder believes they have skills that complement each other.

“He wasn’t healthy the last couple of years, but when he’s healthy, we know what he can do,” Schröder said. “He’s an All-Star-type player, so he’s going to push the ball. (He’s) unselfish. On the defensive end, he’s playing with grit. And that’s what we need here. So, a lot of speed. He can bring it up, I go to the corner. If not, me and him in pick-and-roll, him setting the screen or me setting the screen. I think we can do a lot of things. And today we worked on it, and we try to keep building forward, going forward, try to build. Yeah, we’re going to keep working.”

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Nic Claxton will be held out of the preseason opener due to hamstring soreness, according to Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Fernandez called the move precautionary, adding that Claxton also didn’t participate in a scrimmage at Thursday’s practice. “We’re not concerned about it,” he said. “We’re just more aiming [for] the first game of the season and doing what we believe is best just for him to be ready there.”
Former lottery picks Ziaire Williams and Killian Hayes have a chance to revive their careers after being let go by their original teams, Reilly notes in a separate story. Williams was traded to Brooklyn in July after three years in Memphis, and Hayes was signed last month after Detroit waived him in February. “A fresh start is good, but at the end of the day, you need consistency because you cannot keep having fresh starts,” Fernandez said. “You cannot say, ‘Oh, I’m done here. I’ll go somewhere else.’ Sometimes, when you get hit in the mouth, it’s good to recover and then start and look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What did I do wrong that I can fix myself?’”
Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford remained in Brooklyn to be evaluated for injuries rather than accompanying the team to San Diego for training camp, Lewis tweets. Updates on both players are expected soon.

New York Notes: Bridges, Washington, Towns, Nets, Williams, Thomas

October 2nd, 2024 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

After making an NBA Finals and being part of a 64-win season in Phoenix, new Knicks forward Mikal Bridges admitted it was a difficult adjustment to be on a Nets team that went just 44-65 during his season-and-a-half with the franchise. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Bridges also viewed his Nets tenure as a useful learning experience.

“Yeah, it was tough in Brooklyn, we were losing. Even personally, I think I didn’t handle it as well as I could,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “I always preach mental toughness and never losing your spirit. But it was just something I never dealt with like that. And, I think it was just a lot just for that team in general when I was there and the expectation for everybody and I think I didn’t handle it as good as I should have.”

Having been traded to Brooklyn’s cross-town rivals, Bridges is more optimistic about what the 2024/25 season holds, while Knicks star Jalen Brunson is excited about reuniting with his former Villanova teammate in New York’s starting lineup.

“I know how he plays, he knows how I play,” Brunson said. “The chemistry is still there.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

According to reporting from Bojan Brezovac of MozzartSport, the Serbian club Partizan Belgrade could receive a payment worth up to $1MM for letting Duane Washington out of his contract in order to be signed-and-traded by the Knicks to the Hornets for salary-matching purposes in the three-team Karl-Anthony Towns trade. The Knicks could pay up to $850K of that amount with no cap impact — any additional buyout money on top of that would come out of Washington’s NBA salary. The veteran guard is expected to be waived by Charlotte so he can return to Partizan after the trade.
Fred Katz of The Athletic explores how the Knicks might deploy Towns in order to optimize his unique skill set and considers what assets New York still has left for a possible in-season trade.
After being traded from the Grizzlies to the Nets in July, Ziaire Williams said on Monday that he feels like “a loose bird finally let out of his cage” (Twitter video link via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints). “Some days, I just kind of felt like I was trapped,” Williams said. “I definitely feel a lot more free (here). … It’s definitely a blessing in disguise.” Brian Lewis of The New York Post takes a look at the opportunities that Williams and former lottery pick Killian Hayes have for fresh starts in Brooklyn. Williams has a guaranteed $6.1MM salary for 2024/25, while Hayes is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal and is fighting for a roster spot.
Nets guard Cam Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 21, but he seems more likely to reach restricted free agency next summer than to sign a new contract before the season begins, according to Lewis. “I’m pretty sure my agent will have conversations with them, but I’m just worried about the season,” Thomas said. “This is the opportunity I’ve been wanting since I got into the league: to play, be free, so I’m just gonna make the most of it, and whatever happens, happens.”

Nets Notes: Simmons, Finney-Smith, Bogdanovic, Williams, Johnson

September 30th, 2024 at 1:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets only got 15 games from Ben Simmons last season, but he told reporters at Monday’s media day that he’s feeling good with training camp about to open, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Trainer Chris Brickley recently proclaimed that Simmons has fully overcome the back problems that have hampered him over the last three years and is ready to be an All-Star again. While Simmons didn’t make any promises, he seemed to agree with Brickley’s assessment.

“Yeah. I feel like when my body is healthy, that’s the confidence I always have, and that’s where I’m at right now,” he said. “I feel great and ready to go. … I’d have days where I’d have a tough day of playing. The next day I’d be locked up in my back. I haven’t had one of those setbacks since I’ve been back playing (over the summer).”

Simmons’ lack of availability combined with his huge contract have made him a liability in Brooklyn since he was acquired from Philadelphia in 2022. That contract is now a $40.3MM expiring deal, and Simmons understands that he has one last chance to make a positive impression before free agency next summer, Lewis adds (Twitter link).

“For me it’s important just to be healthy,” he said. “I want to play basketball I love and get the most I can out of my body. That’s the focus. The money’s nice and all that, but I want to play and play healthy.”

There’s more from Brooklyn’s media day:

After seeing Mikal Bridges get traded this summer, Dorian Finney-Smith knows there’s a strong chance he might not be with team all season, Lewis tweets. Finney-Smith holds a player option for 2025/26, and at age 31, he doesn’t fit the timeline of the rebuilding Nets. “It’s part of the business,” he said. “Nothing surprises me no more. I was with Mikal (when he got traded). There was a chance I may be moving, but all I could do was be professional and just come in ready to play.”
Bojan Bogdanovic confirmed that he hasn’t been cleared for 5-on-5 play, per Lewis (Twitter link). After undergoing offseason surgeries on his left foot and wrist, the veteran swingman said the wrist is fully healed but his foot needs more time.
Ziaire Williams is eager for a fresh start after being traded to Brooklyn in July, Lewis adds (Twitter link). The 2021 lottery pick felt like his career had stagnated in Memphis. “I feel like a loose bird let out its cage,” he said. “Some days I just felt like I was just trapped. So I definitely feel a lot more free, happy to be here.”
Cameron Johnson, who’s believed to be another strong trade candidate, has talked to general manager Sean Marks about his future with the team, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “The conversations, from my point, without going too deep into it was just letting him know that I understand the business first and foremost,” Johnson said. “For me, I said there’s never a hard feeling on anything that happens. I like Sean a lot and I appreciate Sean a lot. That won’t change if I was traded two months ago, two months from now, and if I remain a Net the rest of my career. I really appreciate Sean. After that, it’s just let me know what’s going on. I’d like to be in the loop of what can happen and what he’s thinking, and that’s that. He was very good to have that conversation with. He gave me a lot of good feedback as well.”

New York Notes: Towns Trade, Knicks, Simmons, Nets

September 29th, 2024 at 8:43am CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are still working through the details of their blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, which has yet to be finalized. Why did they choose to go all-in on the 28-year-old big man?

For starters, president of basketball operations Leon Rose was Towns’ representative when he was the head agent at CAA, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Knicks executive William Wesley is also close with the Towns family, per Begley — clearly there’s an affinity between the two sides.

As Begley writes, the Knicks view Towns as an ideal complementary piece to their core roster, particularly on offense with Jalen Brunson. Towns’ presence should create more driving lines for Brunson and make it more difficult for opponents to trap him.

Begley confirms New York has coveted Towns for some time, but trade talks with Minnesota didn’t pick up steam until the Knicks signaled a willingness to include Donte DiVincenzo in the package. Begley isn’t sure why the Knicks changed their mind — they were opposed to dealing DiVincenzo for the majority of the offseason.

According to Begley, DiVincenzo wasn’t thrilled with the idea of playing a reduced role this season after he had a career year in 2023/24. Still, Begley doesn’t think that had much to do with New York’s decision. He speculates that Julius Randle‘s contract situation (he can be a free agent in 2025 if he declines his 2025/26 player option) and Mitchell Robinson‘s injury absence were likely bigger factors.

Here’s more on the two New York-based teams:

While all eyes will be on Towns with training camp about to begin, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post believes Mikal Bridges is the “most intriguing” player the Knicks acquired this offseason. Bondy projects a starting lineup of Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Towns, with Miles McBride likely the team’s sixth man. With major roster changes and some players coming off injuries, Bondy expects the Knicks to look sluggish in preseason.
Ben Simmons‘ health is the biggest storyline to watch for the Nets as they enter training camp, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons has appeared in just 57 of 246 regular season games over the past three seasons — including 15 in 2023/24 — and is coming off a second back surgery. However, he’s fully cleared for camp and has been one of the team’s standouts in pickup games, sources tell Lewis. Second-year big man Noah Clowney and offseason acquisition Ziaire Williams are two other players who have played well in informal games ahead of camp, Lewis adds.
In a pair of stories for The New York Post, Lewis examines the other Nets storylines ahead of training camp and provides a rundown of their 20-man roster, which is one player shy of the offseason limit.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Simmons, Bogdanovic, Core, Barrett

September 27th, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

Cam Thomas took a big step forward as a scorer last season, increasing his points per game from 10.6 in 2022/23 to 22.5 in ’23/24 without a significant dip in efficiency — his .554 TS% last season was only a tick below his .567 mark from the year before.

With Mikal Bridges no longer in Brooklyn, Thomas figures to take on even more offensive responsibilities in his fourth NBA season, and new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters on Thursday that he’s looking forward to helping Thomas take on that challenge.

“Development is the No. 1 thing. For everybody, not just the young guys, but also the veterans. Everybody has to get better, there has to be a plan,” Fernandez said, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “And my conversations with Cam are ‘Can I help you be more efficient of a scorer?’ If you look at his numbers, the less he dribbles, the more efficient he is. Like, to the top of the NBA. It’s impressive.

“His superpower is to score the ball, and what we need to do is to help him do that, but in an efficient way. Same as his play-making, because he attracts so much attention, teams are going to try to blitz him, load to him, how he can kick that and create more assists. It’s on me and the rest of the coaching staff to help him, and we believe he can take that next step.”

Thomas, who is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract, is eligible to sign an extension at any time up until October 21. If he doesn’t sign a new deal by that point, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.

According to Lewis, the Nets aren’t believed to have engaged in contract negotiations yet with either Thomas or Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams, who are also extension-eligible. General manager Sean Marks didn’t get into specifics when asked about the possibility of new deals for one or more of those players.

“In terms of extension talks, there are several guys on our team that we could be having those same conversations with. So we’ll certainly engage with agents and the players,” Marks said. “It’s important to always have that door open. The window will certainly close on the extension if we can’t get something done, but it’s important for those players to know we care about them, and here’s where we see them, whether the timing is right this year or if it’s next offseason from an organizational standpoint and also from their standpoint.”

We have more on the Nets:

The Nets confirmed on Thursday that Ben Simmons – who underwent back surgery earlier this year – has been cleared for the start of training camp, as his agent recently announced. However, veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic will be unavailable as he continues to recover after undergoing offseason surgeries on his left foot and wrist, Lewis writes for The New York Post. Although Bogdanovic was essentially just a salary-matching piece in the Bridges trade with the Knicks, he’s not believed to have had any discussions with Brooklyn about a buyout, Lewis notes.
Making sure Simmons is fully healthy will be the Nets’ top priority for the former No. 1 overall pick, new head coach Jordi Fernandez said on Thursday, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. As long as Simmons can stay off the injured list, Fernandez is optimistic about how the three-time All-Star will fit in his scheme. “We wanna play fast. He’s still one of the best play-makers to be able to do that,” Fernandez said. “If you can play fast, touch the paint, move the ball, reverse the ball, all that stuff, Ben really fits all that. Now, are playing like this because of Ben? No. We’re playing like that because that’s the style of play we want for our team.”
Although the Nets can’t realistically have championship aspirations in 2024/25, Marks observed on Thursday that it will be an important year for determining which of the team’s current players can be part of the long-term core. “For me, myself, from the front office side, we’re looking at it from, ‘Who are the next Nets?'” Marks told reporters, including Evan Barnes of Newsday (subscriber link). “Who do we look at and say, OK, this person can be part of this rebuild and this person is on the team for the next two, three years. That’s going to be important for us.”
NetsDaily has a full transcript of Marks’ and Fernandez’s comments from Thursday’s press conference.
Jordan Greene of NetsDaily spoke to Bronx native Andre Barrett, who was hired by the Nets as a scout this summer, about his new position, how he ended up in Brooklyn, and his thoughts on the team’s offseason moves.

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