Nets Rumors

Siegel’s Latest: Turner, Bucks, Pacers, Nets, Cavs, Alvarado

December 19th, 2025 at 6:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Multiple reporters have indicated that the Bucks are looking to add win-now help in the coming weeks despite an 11-17 start to the season. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints has heard similarly, writing that people around the NBA are wondering if Myles Turner could be a trade candidate after signing a four-year, $108.8MM contract with Milwaukee over the summer.

As Siegel explains, the Bucks have a limited number of assets to work with, and Turner would likely draw “significant interest” if he’s made available due to his ability to stretch the floor on offense and protect the rim on defense. The same was true of last season, when Turner was on an expiring contract as a member of the Pacers, per Siegel.

It’s worth pointing out that Turner ($25.3MM) is one of only two Bucks making between $14MM and 54MM in 2025/26, with the other being Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM). According to Siegel, a trade involving combo forward Kuzma, who is having a modest bounce-back season after a disappointing ’24/25, remains more likely than a potential move including Turner.

While it’s unclear how much interest Kuzma would generate on his own, league sources tell Siegel the Bucks are hopeful they’d be able to deal the 30-year-old because there is currently a dearth of wings available on the market and Kuzma has one additional year left on his contract, which will pay him $20.4MM in ’26/27.

Here are a few more highlights from Siegel’s latest trade rumor round-up:

The Pacers have shown a willingness to discuss Bennedict Mathurin in trades ahead of his 2026 restricted free agency, according to Siegel, who reports that Indiana appears reluctant to make a lucrative long-term investment in the fourth-year wing. While Siegel calls Mathurin the Pacers’ top asset ahead of the February 5 deadline, he also hears that forwards Jarace Walker and Obi Toppin have popped up in early trade talks as Indiana looks for frontcourt upgrades.
Forward Michael Porter Jr. and guard Cam Thomas are a couple of names worth monitoring for the Nets, Seigel writes. Porter, who is thriving as Brooklyn’s top offensive option, is expected to draw interest from contenders. Thomas, meanwhile has the ability to veto trades and there doesn’t seem to be much interest in the 24-year-old, who continues to be sidelined with a left hamstring strain that cost him most of last season. Still, Siegel speculates that Brooklyn might be able to receive a second-round pick or two for the high-scoring guard, even if he’s only a rental — Thomas will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Although the 15-13 Cavaliers have been one of the most disappointing teams to open the season, Cleveland has been plagued by injuries in ’25/26 and has thus far shown no willingness to engage in discussions involving Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, both of whom have drawn interest from multiple teams, sources tell Siegel. The Cavs have been frustrated by their play and there’s a rising sense of urgency around the team after falling into the play-in picture, but they’re optimistic they’ll be able to turn their season through a combination internal improvements and getting players back from injuries, Siegel adds.
The Hawks are among the teams who have registered interest in fifth-year guard Jose Alvarado, who appears to be the Pelicans player most likely to be moved ahead of the deadline, says Siegel. Indiana and New York have also checked in with New Orleans about Alvarado, Siegel notes.

Evaluators Split On Keon Ellis’ Value

December 19th, 2025 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Within a look at potential Lakers trade targets, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports that league sources believe the current asking price for Kings guard Keon Ellis is a protected first-round pick.

Ellis, who will turn 26 next month, has a reputation as a solid defender, is a career 41.8% three-point shooter, and is earning just $2.3MM in 2025/26, making him an appealing option for teams not well positioned from a cap perspective to acquire a player on a larger contract.

However, there’s not a consensus on Ellis’ value, according to Woike.

One league source who spoke to The Athletic referred to the fourth-year guard as “maybe the most divisive player in the league,” pointing out that rival scouts are high on him but neither Mike Brown nor Doug Christie has been comfortable leaning on him consistently in Sacramento. After starting 28 games and averaging 24.4 minutes per game last season, Ellis has made two starts and averaged 17.6 MPG in 2025/26.

As Woike explains, some skeptics believe Ellis’ defensive skill set is more suited to generating turnovers than to actually slowing down opposing offensive offensive players, while others have reservations about his size and ability to hold his own against bigger guards.

It’s also worth noting that Ellis will reach unrestricted free agency in July if he doesn’t sign an extension before then (he’ll become eligible on February 9), so a team acquiring him would risk losing him for nothing during the 2026 offseason.

Still, Woike believes Ellis is one of the possibilities being considered by the Lakers, who could badly use another defensive-minded player in their rotation. Pelicans forward Herbert Jones, Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., Nets guard Terance Mann, Hornets wing Josh Green, and Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu are among the other potential targets Woike mentions, though he cautions that not all of them will be available, especially for a price the Lakers would be comfortable meeting.

Los Angeles only has one tradable first-round pick (in either 2031 or 2032) and one movable second-rounder (2032). The team could also offer a handful of first-round pick swaps. The trade value of Dalton Knecht, a 2024 first-rounder, has slipped since last season, as he has fallen out of JJ Redick‘s regular rotation this fall.

Nets Notes: Wolf, Porter Jr., Hauser, Highsmith

December 18th, 2025 at 5:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets big man Danny Wolf lasted until the No. 27 pick in the June draft and he’ll use that as motivation the rest of his career, he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post (subscription required).

“Obviously, I’d be faulted to say I don’t have a chip on my shoulder to not only prove others wrong and prove teams or guys picked ahead of me wrong and just prove myself right, that I know what I can become,” Wolf said. “I’m going to have that chip on my shoulder as long as I’m in this league. … So I use it [for] motivation, but all I’m going to do is work, as I have done.”

The biggest concern regarding Wolf coming out of Michigan was his ability to defend at the NBA level. He has shown thus far that he can more than hold his own at that end, according to Lewis, who notes that Wolf’s defensive field goal percentage (40%) ranks first among rookies who have defended at least 30 shots.

“There were a lot of questions from teams and front offices as to who I could guard. I took that as a chip on my shoulder to prove that I can more than guard in this league,” Wolf said. “But it’s a work in progress, and I need to continue to get quicker and stronger.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Michael Porter Jr. is posting career-high numbers and the New York Daily News’ C.J. Holmes uses more advanced statistic measures to lay out Porter’s All-Star case. However, the fact that Porter is playing for a rebuilding club certainly hinders his chances. Holmes notes the Nets are 6-3 when Porter scores 30 points or more. “I mean, just look at what we look like when he’s on the court versus when he’s not on the court,” center Nic Claxton said. “He does so much. He creates so many opportunities for himself, for other teammates. His averages are off the charts, so he definitely should be an All-Star.” Porter is averaging 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
Former Michigan State forward Joey Hauser, brother of the Celtics’ Sam Hauser, is working as a video assistant with the Nets this season, according to NetsDaily (Twitter link). Joey played for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, last season. He also briefly had a two-way contract with Utah.
Haywood Highsmith, who has yet to make his Nets debut due to a knee injury, was on the court during pregame warmups on Thursday working out with the coaching staff, but he has yet to be cleared for contact, Lewis tweets. Highsmith was acquired from the Heat in mid-August.

Scotto’s Latest: Markkanen, Hornets, Murphy, Walker, Kuminga, More

December 18th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

Utah will send its 2026 first-round pick to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top eight, and if the season ended today, the 10-15 Jazz would have the NBA’s 10th-worst record, making their first-rounder likely to change hands. Given that context, executives around the league are wondering if Utah’s front office will be active on the trade market in the hopes of weakening the roster in the short term and ensuring the club keeps that pick, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

However, according to Scotto, the Jazz continue to signal that they want to build around forward Lauri Markkanen, despite trade interest in the star forward. In the past, rival execs have viewed the Pistons, Spurs, and Grizzlies as potential suitors for Markkanen if he’s made available, Scotto notes.

As for Utah’s plans beyond this season, the team hopes to use its 2026 cap room to improve its roster, either via free agency or the trade market, Scotto writes. Retaining Walker Kessler still appears to be a priority too — the Jazz turned down a trade offer for Kessler from the Lakers similar to the one L.A. made for Mark Williams, sources tell HoopsHype. The Jazz could carry a cap hold of about $14.6MM for Kessler next summer before going over the cap to re-sign him at a starting salary higher than that.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Hornets are hoping to get an extended look at their roster with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Miles Bridges all healthy and available. Still, Scotto hears that Miller’s inconsistent availability has executives around the NBA wondering if the former No. 2 overall pick might not be as untouchable in trade discussions as he once was.
The Warriors and Trail Blazers are among the teams who are high on Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, but rival executives believe Golden State would prioritize making a run at Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo before giving up significant assets to land Murphy, Scotto writes. There’s also still plenty of skepticism that New Orleans would part with Murphy at all, with some execs speculating that it might take a package similar to what Memphis got for Desmond Bane.
Following up on his previous report stating that the Pacers are among the teams with interest in Keon Ellis, Scotto notes that Indiana forward Jarace Walker came up in trade discussions with the Kings. However, Scotto cautions that it’s unclear which team brought up Walker’s name in those talks that he describes as “exploratory.”
Checking in on Jonathan Kuminga, Scotto says the Kings continue to monitor the Warriors forward, but confirms that the Suns‘ interest level has decreased and that the Nets were never all that interested. The Pelicans have also been linked to Kuminga in the past, but it’s unclear whether they have interest now, Scotto adds.
Partizan Belgrade, the Serbian team recently linked to Malik Beasley, has also expressed interest in free agent point guard Cameron Payne, sources tell HoopsHype. As for Beasley, he has also drawn interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague, as well as the Chinese Basketball Association teams Liaoning, Guangdong, and Shanxi, per Scotto.

Trade Rumors: Nets, Thomas, Mavs, Suns, Sabonis, Pacers, More

December 16th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

As the only NBA team with cap room, the Nets figure to be active on the in-season trade market and will be open to taking on unwanted salary if it comes attached to a more valuable asset. However, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes (subscription required), there will be over-the-cap teams around the NBA with the ability to accommodate salary dumps using various exceptions, so Brooklyn will have competition in that space.

“It’ll be interesting. There’s other teams in the market for taking on money: Utah will be in that market, Washington will be in that market,” an assistant GM told Lewis. “We’ll see if the Nets — again, it’s worked out for (general manager) Sean (Marks) in some respects — but the Nets have often charged a premium for (that). They’ve wanted to hold to their valuation and get a number they feel really good about. So we’ll see if they get undercut in that salary dump market, if other teams want to do it cheaper.”

According to Lewis, the Nets are also expected to listen to inquiries on several of their own players, including guard Cam Thomas. But Thomas has the ability to veto any deal that involves him and it’s unclear whether there will be much of a market for him anyway, Lewis writes.

“Obviously, we’ve all seen him have these games where he can fill it up, and there’s a certain segment of the Nets fan base that is obsessed with him,” a veteran Eastern Conference executive said of Thomas. “And yet, I think this is another coaching staff now where it doesn’t seem like the coaching staff (is all-in on) him, doesn’t seem like he helps the team win.

“But I try to value every player around the league, to understand what other teams are going to do. And I wonder if anybody is going to pay him a mid-level. I know he thinks he’s worth a lot more than that, but he won’t get more than that. I feel like I wouldn’t be interested in really having him on my team at all. But also, as you say that, then you play against him and he scores 30 points … in one of those games where shots are going in and you feel like an idiot for saying it.”

Here are several more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Checking in on the Mavericks‘ trade plans, Christian Clark of The Athletic says the team is willing to listen on several of its veterans, but wants to be competitive and isn’t inclined to hold a fire sale prior to this season’s deadline. Clark also spoke to multiple sources with rival teams who think Dallas is more likely to hang onto Anthony Davis through the deadline than trade him on or before February 5.
Sam Amick of The Athletic recently suggested that the Suns have had interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis in the past and could be among his suitors if he’s on the trade block this season. However, Gerald Bourget of Suns After Dark (Patreon link) hears from a source that Phoenix isn’t interested in making a play for Sabonis.
Following up on rumors indicating that the Pacers are on the lookout for their center of the future, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star considers which players Indiana might target on the trade market.
Looking ahead to the trade deadline, Zach Harper of The Athletic considers which NBA teams should be preparing to buy, which will be sellers, and which will probably end up standing pat. Meanwhile, John Hollinger of The Athletic shares his “All-Deadline Team” for 2025/26, identifying several players he thinks will dominate trade rumors and be involved in deals this season. In addition to obvious names like Jonathan Kuminga, Hollinger spends some time discussing more under-the-radar trade candidates like Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng, Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, and Wizards guard CJ McCollum.
In his own look ahead at trade season, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports singles out a few potential candidates to be dealt and considers potential fits for some of them, speculating that Nets center Nic Claxton could be an option for the Warriors and suggesting that the Lakers will have interest in Kings guard Keon Ellis.

Players Traded After Tuesday Can’t Be Re-Aggregated By Feb. 5 Deadline

December 16th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

As we explain in our glossary entry on salary aggregation, when a team trades for a player by matching salaries or using a cap exception, that team is typically ineligible to aggregate the player’s salary in a second trade for the next two months.

However, the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement includes one exception to that rule. A player traded on or before December 16 can always be “re-aggregated” on the day before – or the day of – that season’s trade deadline.

Any player who is acquired in a trade via salary-matching or an exception after Tuesday will be ineligible to be aggregated at this season’s Feb. 5 trade deadline.

We saw this rule in action during the 2024/25 season when the over-the-cap Warriors acquired Dennis Schröder from Brooklyn on December 15, then re-aggregated him at the February 6 trade deadline as part of their package for Jimmy Butler. If Golden State had acquired Schröder from Brooklyn on December 17, his salary couldn’t have been aggregated with those of Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and Lindy Waters to match Butler’s incoming cap hit.

Now, there are two important points worth clarifying here. The first is what exactly it means to “aggregate” a contract.

Our glossary entry covers this rule in more depth, but aggregating a player’s salary with another salary means combining the two cap figures for matching purposes. For instance, a team operating over the cap and below the tax aprons can’t trade a $15MM player for a $35MM player, but that team could aggregate its $15MM player with a $20MM player in order to legally acquire the $35MM player.

Crucially, sending out multiple players in the same trade doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be aggregated. For example, if a team sends out a $15MM player and a $5MM player for a single player earning $15MM, there’s no need to aggregate the two outgoing salaries, since the $15MM player is enough to legally match the incoming $15MM salary on his own. So a player traded on Dec. 20 could still be flipped at the deadline in a multi-player trade — his salary simply couldn’t be combined with another player’s for matching purposes within that deal.

Only teams operating below the second tax apron are permitted to aggregate salaries, meaning this rule – and the Dec. 16 exception to it – won’t matter much for the Cavaliers, the NBA’s lone second-apron team this season. Even if the Cavs were to trade for a player today, that player couldn’t be aggregated at the deadline unless Cleveland was able to shed enough salary to move below the second apron.

The second point worth clarifying is that this restriction doesn’t apply to players who are acquired using cap room. The Nets are the only club currently operating under the cap, but they have more than $15MM in space, meaning they’re in a great position to trade for one or more players without sending out any matching salary.

Let’s say the Nets use their remaining cap room to acquire a player earning $14MM. Even if they make that trade on February 5, they could turn around and aggregate their new player’s salary with, say, Terance Mann‘s $15.5MM cap hit the very next day in order to acquire a player earning $30MM. Because the $14MM player was acquired using cap room and not using an exception or by salary-matching, Brooklyn wouldn’t face the two-month aggregation restriction.

There has been no indication that any trades are on the verge of being completed in the next 15 hours, but if they are, it’s worth keeping this rule in mind, since it could be a key reason for the timing of the move.

Nets Notes: 45-Point Win, Hetzel, Demin, Powell, Porter, Rookies

December 15th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets didn’t look anything like a tanking team in Sunday’s 127-82 win over Milwaukee, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 45-point margin tied the record for the largest victory in franchise history, and it provided the first career win for assistant Steve Hetzel, who was filling in because head coach Jordi Fernandez was ill.

“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Just watching how well we played as a team. Normally, (Michael Porter Jr.) has been carrying us offensively, and then you see how spread out the points are. … I don’t think anybody that stepped on the court played poorly,” Hetzel said. “It was a great feeling.”

It was the fourth win in six games for Brooklyn, which has recovered from an 0-7 start to move to within three games of a play-in spot. Four of the team’s five first-round picks played significant roles in the game, and Milwaukee was held scoreless for the final 7:04.

“You hold any team to no points for six minutes, that’s elite,” Noah Clowney said. “This is the NBA. You don’t do that often to anybody. … That’s probably the best form of hoops when everybody eats and everybody’s playing well, everybody’s making shots. It’s just a good camaraderie.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Rookies Egor Demin and Drake Powell both responded with quality performances after being criticized by Fernandez following Friday’s loss to Dallas, Lewis states in a separate story. Demin had 17 points in 25 minutes, while Powell came off the bench for 13 points in 23 minutes. “(Fernandez) challenged Egor, he challenged Drake, and they both responded beautifully, with an edge,” Hetzel said. “It’s another step in their progression. They took a big step in having a bad game and then responding. And that’s what the NBA’s all about. You play 82 of them. You got to be quick to forget about the last one, move on and play better, which they both did.”
Porter has tended to carry the scoring load in his first season with Brooklyn, but Fernandez is concerned that isn’t the best approach for his young team, Lewis adds in another piece. While the veteran forward had 34 points on Friday, the Nets’ other players couldn’t respond when Dallas started sending multiple defenders at him in the fourth quarter. “We kept looking at Mike instead of using him and others taking or making the shot,” Fernandez said. “You can control if you take a good shot, you cannot control if it goes in.”
Hetzel serves as the Brooklyn’s Summer League coach, so he has extensive experience dealing with the team’s rookies, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Before Sunday’s game, he offered his thoughts on each of them and the progress they’ve made since the draft.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, George, Martin, Wolf, Demin

December 13th, 2025 at 11:09am CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid has produced well below his career rates for most of the season, but he flashed his former Most Valuable Player form on Friday, pouring in 39 points in the Sixers‘ 10-point win over Indiana.

“He’s worked at it,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “The practices this week have helped. His own individual work away from practice has helped. I think him being able to do all of that is a great sign that he’s starting to feel good. I have always said that he’s best when he’s driving. I think he drove a lot to draw fouls early. The best thing was his variety. The 39 points were great, but they came with him scoring through a lot of different schemes. He read the different stuff most of the night, pretty good.”

Friday’s game was the Sixers first in five days, and Embiid believes his knees have held up better when he has more time in between appearances.

“I feel good,” Embiid said. “I’ve been able to be consistent, and that’s the big thing. I’ve been able to do the same thing over and over again this week and not have to take a break. I’ve talked about this before, but the plan of having me play a game and then having two days off seems to be working. So, I’ve been able to get on the court and do a lot of work.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nurse has increasingly used Paul George as a point forward, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. George has racked up 13 assists over the last three games. “I’m comfortable with the ball,” George said. “I think more than anything, it’s just continue to prove to myself and remain confident as I continue to trust my body and gain confidence on the floor that my body can still produce. So it’s just adding to the confidence, and just chipping away at the work put into this season so far to get ready for this season.”
Earlier this week, Raptors two-way player Alijah Martin is the G League’s most recent Player of the Week, per the NBA (Twitter link). Martin averaged 26.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in three Raptors 905 wins. This year’s No. 39 overall pick has appeared in just two games with the NBA team.
Nets rookie big man Danny Wolf had 17 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Dallas on Friday. He’s averaging 13.5 PPG in his last six outings. Wolf benefited from a stint in the G League, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “When he had the opportunity to play with Long Island, he took advantage of his minutes,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And now that he’s in the rotation, he’s taking advantage of his minutes. So I’m very happy with him. He’s a special player because at his size he can do so many different things. And still trying to figure it out because he’s showing me what he’s capable of doing. He’s capable of doing a lot of things — good things.”
Another Nets rookie, Egor Demin, only played two-plus minutes in the fourth quarter on Friday as the team fell apart in crunch time, Lewis notes. “He was trying to fix mistakes by trying to make things happen. And this is not how you want to do things,” Fernandez said. “I need him to play with better readiness and better physicality. And this is not the way that the team needs him to play. So, he’s got to be better. Otherwise, the minutes are going to go down, and somebody else will take advantage. I know he cares; he’s always responded and punched back. So, he’s way better than what he performed.”

Nets Notes: Porter Jr., Trade Talk, Traore, 20-Game Outlook

December 11th, 2025 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Michael Porter Jr. was traded by a former champion to a rebuilding club. The former Nuggets forward doesn’t mind playing for the Nets. In fact, Porter would prefer to stick around Brooklyn rather than be on the move again, he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“Yeah, I love it here,” Porter said. “I love the staff, I love the energy of practice. Everyone gets along and has great vibes and great energy around the facility. So whatever team wants and appreciates what I bring to the table, then that’s where I want to be. And I feel like they do here.

“I don’t know their long-term plans; that’s above my pay grade,” he added. “But any good, successful team, you need a mix of young, developing guys with unlimited energy, and you need some older guys that have been there and done that and can hand it down and teach the young guys. So any team that thinks they’re going to win at a high level with only young players, it doesn’t really happen. But like I said, if they want me here, I’d love to be here.”

Porter Jr. has one season remaining on his contract after this one — he’s owed a guaranteed $40.8MM salary for 2026/27. He’s averaging a career-high 25.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

Here’s more on the Nets:

As the NBA’s trade season approaches, head coach Jordi Fernandez hopes his players can block out the noise and worry about winning games and improving their skills. “It’s that part of the year and we all have to deal with it. It’s not the most enjoyable part of the year, but we love our guys,” Fernandez told Dan Martin of the New York Post. “We’re gonna keep focusing on working and getting better and competing. We cannot control anything on the outside, even though we know things may happen. … We’re not the ones thinking or talking [about trades]. We want work, we want accountability [and] we want competitiveness. That’s what we focus on.”
The Nets recalled this year’s No. 19 pick from their G League affiliate in Long Island on Thursday and Nolan Traore could jump right into the rotation. Traore posted averages of 18.8 points and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from three-point range in 13 G League outings. “His superpower is speed,” Fernandez said of Traore, per C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News. “He’s been shooting the ball very well and confidently, which I loved. He’s been trying to be more vocal, that’s what you want your point guards to be… And then the assist-to-turnover [ratio]. I think he struggled a little bit with the turnovers at times and how he reacted to those turnovers, which turnovers will happen, and I don’t care as long as you move on to the next play, and he’s had impressive numbers, assist-to-turnover ratio over his past three, four games, so, very happy with where he’s at.”
The Nets have won three of their last four games heading into their road matchup against Dallas on Friday. “We’re 23 games in and we’re looking at the next 20 games,’’ Fernández said, per Martin. “Can we sustain [it]? Can we get better? Then we look at the next 20. The process is the most important thing for us and the development of the group, not just one player.”

Nets Notes: Clowney, Highsmith, First-Round Picks, Wolf

December 10th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

A change in attitude is leading Nets power forward Noah Clowney to a breakout season, writes Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Clowney admits being disappointed in the way he started his third NBA campaign, believing he was “too conservative” in his approach. That changed over the last 16 games, as he’s averaging 16.6 PPG while shooting 45% from the field and nearly 40% from three-point range.

“I didn’t want to mess up, so it got to a point where I just stopped caring. I was like, I’m either going to look crazy or look good doing what I’m supposed to do,” Clowney said. “I think my problem was at a time where I would be too worried about how I looked from the outside. I don’t really care no more because I had to realize the only people whose opinion I really care about and how I’m playing is my teammates and coaching staff that have seen me the whole summer. So, they know what I’m capable of so they weren’t having an issue with what I was doing. Just a matter of doing it and not halfway doing it.”

Clowney has become a fixture in the starting lineup and is playing a career-high 28.1 minutes per night on a Brooklyn team has become surprisingly competitive after an 0-7 start. He’s seeing more time alongside Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, which is creating better scoring opportunities. That trio has a +4.0 net rating in the 304 minutes they’ve been on the court together.

“It’s always easier to play with Mike because of the gravity he brings,” Clowney said. “You gotta respect him. If Mike is playing, the best defender is probably guarding Mike. I think he’s a focal point, obviously. So, he’s the focal point and I’m not a focal point. It’s a lot easier to get in the flow of the game and I think I’ve been able to thrive.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Haywood Highsmith was able to shoot free throws Tuesday at the team’s practice facility, but there’s no official update on when he might be able to return from offseason surgery to address a meniscus tear in his right knee, Reilly adds. Highsmith, who was acquired from Miami over the summer, suffered a setback in October and has yet to make his Nets debut. “We like how he’s progressing, we just don’t have any updates,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “But he’s doing very well.”
The Nets have an organizational plan for what they expect from their five first-round picks this season, Reilly states in a separate story. Fernandez wants them all to play between 50 and 70 games — whether it’s in the NBA or with the G League affiliate in Long Island — and to concentrate on building certain skills. Only No. 8 pick Egor Demin hasn’t spent time in the G League so far. “There are no emotional decisions here,” Fernandez said. “We have a schedule for these guys based on if they’re accomplishing certain things and what the team needs here to compete.”
Fernandez describes the relationship with Long Island as “two clubs, but one organization,” per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). The biggest beneficiary so far has been rookie big man Danny Wolf, who barely got off the bench early in the season, but returned as a different player after a dominant stretch at Long Island. He’s averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists over his last six games while shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc, and his versatility enables Fernandez to utilize taller lineups.

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