Nets Notes: Young, Sharpe, Claxton, Williams
The Nets were reportedly among the teams said to appeal to Trae Young before he was officially traded to the Wizards. While Brooklyn didn’t reciprocate that interest, it’s a positive sign for the team that a four-time All-Star like Young was intrigued by the possibility of joining the Nets in the middle of their rebuild, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
As Lewis observes, there were some rumblings about how attractive the Nets would be viewed by star players after the “big three” of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden all left Brooklyn. Mikal Bridges‘ exit to the crosstown rival Knicks only amplified those rumors, but evidently none of those factors deterred Young.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Backup center Day’Ron Sharpe made the most of his opportunities as a starter over the past three games with Nic Claxton missing the first two contests due to personal reasons, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. Although the Nets came up short in Wednesday’s overtime loss to Orlando, Sharpe did many of the little things that contribute to winning, including a key offensive rebound at the end of regulation that directly led to an Egor Demin game-tying three. “Yeah, he’s been fighting,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “Played really hard, helped us make winning plays. Everybody remembers the shot, but that rebound for the kick out was amazing. So, also proud of him, and I think his minutes have been valuable and his growth has been out there, so I’m very happy to see that.”
- As Holmes writes in another story, Sharpe could cut into Claxton’s minutes due to his impressive play, but Fernandez views that as a good problem for the Nets. “I think it’s very good because they’ve both been part of us getting better, and they’re both a big part of why our defense has been very good for a big stretch,” Fernandez said. “When both Nic and Day’Ron have good games defensively, we’re very good as a team defensively.” As expected, Claxton will return to the starting five on Friday vs. Los Angeles, tweets Lewis.
- Forward Ziaire Williams was a DNP-CD for the final two games of 2025, but he has played some of his best basketball of the season since the calendar flipped to 2026, according to Howie Kustoy of The New York Post. Fernandez wants the former lottery pick to be a consistent difference-maker on the defensive end. “He’s just a great positive energy to have around,” Fernandez said. “He shows up and works every day with a smile on his face. He competes at a high level. He’s about the right things. He’s very young. He’s improved in many things and he gives us that intensity defensively to change games. All those things mean a lot to us as a group. This is the Ziaire that we want, that we need, that we want him to sustain and we want him to get better.”
Trade Rumors: Morant, Ball, Bucks, Kings, Kuminga
The Hawks‘ return for a four-time All-Star like Trae Young may look awfully modest, but a scout who spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic suggests it may be equally difficult for other teams with defensively limited point guards to extract real value for them. That group includes the Grizzlies with Ja Morant and the Hornets with LaMelo Ball.
“Ja, Trae and LaMelo don’t have that much value because the game has changed around them,” that scout said.
According to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, rival executives have conveyed a similar sentiment, pointing to Young’s maximum-salary contract and the league-wide depth at the point guard spot as reasons why they think Atlanta made out reasonably well in the deal. Conversely, some of those execs questioned the Wizards‘ decision to trade for Young.
“I know from a value proposition why you look at it,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “But if I’m the Wizards, just keep being bad, and stuff will figure itself out. I’m not sure why they felt the need to do this.”
“Offense is so easy now,” a Western Conference executive added. “One of the worst teams in the league can still easily put up 115 points in a game. … It’s hard for these small point guards to have real value with how the game is played now.”
We have more trade notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- While the Bucks have been connected to multiple Kings players, including Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, there were no active discussions between the two teams as of earlier this week, league sources tell Amick. Amick also confirms that the Bucks are among many teams believed to have interest in Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and that they’ve conveyed interest in Anthony Davis, though they don’t appear to have a realistic path to a deal for the Mavericks big man.
- Checking in on the Jonathan Kuminga situation, Amick writes that the Kings are still widely viewed as the frontrunner to acquire the Warriors forward, but are no longer willing to offer the protected 2030 first-round pick that was on the table during the offseason, echoing a similar report from ESPN. Additionally, since Golden State has registered no real interest in Sacramento’s veterans, a third team may be necessary to make a deal that gets Kuminga to the Kings, Amick adds.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram suggest six hypothetical trades they think make sense for all involved parties, with cap expert Bobby Marks analyzing each proposal. Their ideas range from bigger moves like the Bucks getting Porter or the Warriors landing Trey Murphy III to more minor deals like the Raptors acquiring Brook Lopez.
Siegel’s Latest: Sabonis, Raptors, Bucks, Warriors, Nets, White, Lakers
After buying low on Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, could the Raptors seek out a similar move this February? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is one name that has been continually linked to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Sabonis was first reported in December by Jake Fischer and has since been corroborated by several other outlets.
Malik Monk is another player who has intrigued Toronto in the past, Siegel writes, noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted current Raptors veterans RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was in New York’s front office. While there’s no indication that the two teams have seriously discussed such a deal involving those four players, Siegel suggests that sort of framework could be worth keeping an eye on.
If Toronto does end up moving Barrett in that sort of bigger move, he’d likely draw interest from several teams besides Sacramento, Siegel writes, given the lack of high-level wing talent on the trade market. The Bucks, for example, expressed interest in Barrett last season, per Siegel.
Here’s more from Siegel’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors have internally discussed many possible center trade targets, including Myles Turner and Bobby Portis of the Bucks, per Siegel. A number of teams around the NBA are curious about Milwaukee’s plans for Portis, Siegel continues, with the Hornets and Suns also considered possible suitors, perhaps in multi-team scenarios.
- Suns guard Jalen Green is among the players the Bucks have inquired on, but Phoenix isn’t interested in moving him at this point, says Siegel. Given that Green has only played two games this season due to hamstring issues, the Suns view him as a sort of trade-deadline addition themselves, Siegel explains.
- Although the Nets are fielding inquiries on players like Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they aren’t actively looking to move them. In order for Brooklyn to consider a deal involving either player, the starting point for a package would have to be a “true” unprotected first-round pick, Siegel writes.
- The Mavericks and the Clippers are among the teams with interest in Bulls guard Coby White, sources tell Siegel, who reiterates that the Timberwolves also remain interested and notes that some league insiders have speculated that the Hawks could be a destination for White in the event of a Trae Young trade.
- With higher-level options like Herbert Jones potentially out of reach, players like Bulls forward Isaac Okoro, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Nets wing Haywood Highsmith are considered more realistic possibilities for a Lakers team seeking defensive help, according to Siegel. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall is another possible trade candidate to add to that group if Dallas commits to becoming a seller.
Nets To Retain Tyrese Martin, Jalen Wilson Through Guarantee Deadline
The Nets won’t waive wing Tyrese Martin or forward Jalen Wilson prior to this week’s salary guarantee deadline, according to reports from Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links) and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Both Martin and Wilson have non-guaranteed contracts, so Brooklyn could’ve avoided locking in their full-season salaries by placing them on waivers on Wednesday. However, the Nets won’t do so, which means Martin will earn his full $2,191,897 salary and Wilson will make his full $2,221,677.
Martin, a former second-round pick out of UConn, signed a two-way contract with the Nets ahead of the 2024/25 season, then was promoted to the standard roster last February.
After he averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on .406/.351/.793 shooting in 60 games (11 starts) last season, the 26-year-old has seen his production slip a little in 2025/26, but he’s still a regular rotation player, with averages of 7.4 PPG and 3.0 RPG on .385/.322/.708 shooting through 29 contests (six starts).
Wilson, selected by the Nets with the 51st overall pick in the 2023 draft, opened his NBA career on a two-way deal, but has been on Brooklyn’s standard roster since March 2024.
The 25-year-old averaged 25.7 minutes per night and started 22 of his 79 games in ’24/25, but has played a lesser role this season, coming off the bench in all 23 appearances averaging 13.9 MPG. He’s contributing 4.9 PPG and 1.0 RPG in his reserve role.
While many of the players on non-guaranteed contracts were considered locks to remain with their respective teams through the salary guarantee deadline, the Nets could conceivably made a move involving either Martin or Wilson, so their decision to hang onto both is noteworthy.
Brooklyn won’t open up a spot on its 15-man roster but still has more than $15MM in cap room that could be used to take on unwanted salary at the trade deadline. Both Martin and Wilson, meanwhile, will be eligible for restricted free agency during the 2026 offseason, assuming they finish out their current contracts.
Trade Rumors: Trae, Dillingham, Wizards, Kuminga, Warriors
The Wizards have been monitoring Trae Young‘s situation in Atlanta since the Hawks opted against extending him during the offseason and have engaged in “serious” discussions about a potential trade, confirms Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, Atlanta isn’t rushing into an agreement, since the front office wants to wait to see if other suitors emerge in the weeks leading up to the February 5 trade deadline.
So far, Fischer writes, it’s unclear whether any other teams have joined Washington in actively exploring a deal for Young. Fischer hears that the point guard’s camp has suggested the Timberwolves and Nets as two potential trade partners that would appeal to Young, but neither of those teams has reciprocated that interest to this point.
The Wolves, in fact, are unlikely to pursue any high-priced point guard, Fischer writes, explaining that Minnesota wants to upgrade the position but is more focused on players with more manageable cap hits.
Fischer points to Mike Conley‘s $10.8MM expiring deal and Rob Dillingham‘s rookie scale deal (which pays him $6.8MM this season) as contracts that the Wolves could use for matching purposes in that sort of trade, noting that they aren’t opposed to discussing Dillingham, who hasn’t yet developed into a reliable rotation player.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- If the Wizards and Hawks do make a trade involving Young, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the 27-year-old and his new team agree to a contract extension that replaces his $49MM player option for 2026/27 with a lower cap hit and tacks on at least a couple new years to his deal, Fischer writes. League insiders that Fischer spoke to about that subject suggested the extension offer would likely have to be worth $100MM+ to convince Young to decline that $49MM option.
- Ben Golliver of The Washington Post lays out the cases for and against a Wizards trade for Young.
- The Warriors have had many trade conversations about forward Jonathan Kuminga, but have yet to make “substantial movement” toward a deal, league sources tell Anthony Slater of ESPN. Team sources have said recently that Golden State would be willing to hang onto the 23-year-old beyond the trade deadline if no appealing offers materialize, according to Slater, though he notes that may be posturing. The Warriors have also been unwilling to take on contracts that extend beyond the current season if they consider them to have negative value, Slater adds.
- League sources tell Slater that the Warriors have “sniffed around” the center market. If Al Horford – who has played better since Christmas than he did earlier in the season – stays healthy and continues to improve, the front office may feel less inclined to target a big man at the trade deadline, Slater notes.
- Sam Quinn of CBS Sports takes a look at the teams currently operating in luxury tax territory and considers which ones are the best bets to try to duck below the tax line at the trade deadline — and which players could be on the move in those types of trades.
Jonathan Kuminga Unlikely To Play Again For Warriors During Trade Talks
There’s a general consensus in the Warriors organization that Jonathan Kuminga has played his final game in their uniform and will be traded before the February deadline, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reports.
Kuminga has not played over the last nine games, including seven DNP-CDs during that stretch. Part of the reason why is that Kuminga’s representatives don’t want to risk him getting injured, Siegel writes.
There’s apparently a mutual understanding between the Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives that a trade will be reached over the course of the next four weeks.
Kuminga will become eligible to be traded on January 15. He signed a two-year, $46.8MM extension as a restricted free agent at the beginning of October. His cap hit is $22.5MM this season, with a $24.3MM team option in year two. He’ll earn a trade bonus worth about $1.7MM if he’s dealt on the first day he’s eligible to be moved.
The two teams situated at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Kings and Pelicans, stand out as franchises that have held a strong interest in Kuminga since the summer, according to Siegel. Another recent report named the Mavericks as a team with some interest. The Bulls and Trail Blazers (per Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports) have also been been linked to the former No. 7 overall pick.
The Warriors remain hopeful they can get at least one player in a Kuminga trade who can immediately impact their postseason aspirations this season. Golden State’s main goal in trade talks involving Kuminga is to find a three-point shooting wing who can also blend with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green on the defensive end, according to Siegel.
They are willing to package Kuminga’s contract with either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield to achieve that goal of getting an impact wing. Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. is the type of player the Warriors are seeking, but Brooklyn reportedly isn’t interested in Kuminga, Siegel notes.
Scotto’s Latest: Trae, Risacher, AD, Zubac, Pacers, Celtics, Cavs
The Bucks, Timberwolves, and Clippers are among the teams that are monitoring Trae Young‘s situation along with Washington, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
While Dallas doesn’t appear to have any interest in the Hawks‘ point guard, the Mavericks are among the clubs that have called to inquire about former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, league sources tell Scotto. However, the Hawks have been opposed to including either Risacher or their top 2026 first-rounder (the most favorable of the Bucks/Pelicans picks) in any trade discussions involving big man Anthony Davis.
If Atlanta and Dallas do pursue a deal involving Davis, the Mavericks would likely be seeking expiring contracts like those belonging to Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM) and Luke Kennard ($11MM), according to Scotto, who notes that Hawks senior VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham is close with Davis dating back to their time together in New Orleans.
Here’s more from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:
- Although Ivica Zubac has drawn significant interest from potential suitors, the Clippers don’t appear inclined to become deadline sellers, especially after their recent run of seven wins in eight games. Earlier in the season, there was a sense that it would take at least two first-round picks for L.A. to consider parting with Zubac, Scotto writes, adding that the Pacers and Celtics both expressed interest in the big man. Those two clubs were previously linked to the Clippers center.
- In addition to Zubac, the Pacers have checked in on Nic Claxton of the Nets, Yves Missi of the Pelicans, Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks, and Walker Kessler of the Jazz as they seek out a long-term answer at center, league sources tell Scotto.
- The Celtics, meanwhile, have been unwilling to attach a first-round pick to Anfernee Simons to move off his contract, Scotto writes. Presumably, the Celtics would be more open to that idea in a deal that nets them a quality player, but not in a pure salary-dump trade for luxury tax purposes. Scotto goes on to say that Boston isn’t looking to take back multiyear salary in any Simons trade, so if the team were exploring a deal with a trade partner like the Nets, Day’Ron Sharpe ($6.25MM team option for 2026/27) and Ziaire Williams (ditto) would hold far more appeal than Terance Mann, who is owed $31.5MM over the two seasons after this one.
- The Cavaliers have rebuffed inquiries on their core players, but teams around the NBA – cognizant of Cleveland’s unfavorable cap/tax situation – are continuing to monitor the situation to see if that stance changes. According to Scotto, the belief among executives is that if the Cavs do decide to move someone like Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, it’s more likely to happen during the offseason than in the next month.
Trae Young Rumors: Wizards, Nets, Rockets, Wolves
While Washington looks like the “clear favorite” for Trae Young at this juncture, no trade agreement between the Hawks and Wizards is imminent, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who suggests Atlanta will continue to explore other trade scenarios involving the four-time All-Star guard in the coming weeks. The Hawks’ talks involving Young have been “minimal” so far, Siegel adds.
As ESPN first reported on Monday, the Hawks and Young are working together in the hopes of finding a trade partner. Ideally, Siegel writes, that trade partner would be willing to sign Young to a contract extension after acquiring him, though it’s unclear if the Wizards would be on board with that plan.
Exploring the possibility of a deal between Atlanta and Washington, Josh Robbins of The Athletic speculates that Wizards officials may view a hypothetical Young acquisition as a “one-year trial.” In that scenario, Young would presumably exercise his $49MM player option for the 2026/27 season, which Siegel notes is the most probable outcome if he’s not extended before then. An in-season extension would require Young to turn down that option.
As for what a trade agreement between the Hawks and Wizards might look like, Siegel says Washington is seeking draft compensation in addition to Young, while Atlanta would like to add young talent alongside CJ McCollum and his expiring $30.6MM contract. Siegel speculates that the Hawks are likely asking about players like Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Tre Johnson, though he cautions that the Wizards have signaled they don’t want to part with their top young talent in a deal for Young.
Exploring next steps for the Hawks and Young, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) wonders if there’s a way for both Atlanta and Washington to get what they want out of a deal. For instance, Gozlan suggests the Wizards could include a useful role player like Corey Kispert along with McCollum, while the Hawks could perhaps offer a first-round pick swap.
Here’s more on Young:
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps examines why the trade market for Young is limited, while in the same article, Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram pose four hypothetical trade offers for the Hawks guard. Bobby Marks’ favorite of the four proposals for Atlanta is one that would send McCollum, Malaki Branham, AJ Johnson, and Oklahoma City’s 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks for Young and a future second-rounder. However, Marks isn’t sure whether the Wizards would make that offer, pointing out that they may want more draft compensation from Atlanta for taking on Young’s potential $49MM salary for next season.
- While the Nets and Rockets have been connected to Young in the past, they don’t have interest in pursuing him at this time, Siegel writes for ClutchPoints. Sam Amick of The Athletic said the same of Sacramento on Monday.
- Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) views the Timberwolves as an unlikely suitor for Young. As aggressive as Tim Connelly is on the trade market, Young’s $46MM cap hit for this season and $49MM option for next season would make it difficult for the Wolves to put together a package they’re comfortable with — and to accommodate Young on their cap going forward.
Nuggets’ Gordon, Braun Will Return Sunday; MPJ Active For Nets
1:37 pm: Gordon and Braun will return to action on Sunday, according to DNVR Nuggets (Twitter link).
12:47 pm: The Nuggets could get a pair of starters back for Sunday’s contest at Brooklyn. They’ve listed Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun as questionable for the matchup with the Nets (Twitter link).
Both players are still considered questionable less than two hours away from tip-off, per the NBA’s latest injury report.
Gordon has been out since November 21 after suffering a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. The veteran forward was off to a terrific start to the 2025/26 campaign, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on elite efficiency (.536/.452/.879 shooting splits) while playing strong defense through his first 12 games (30.4 minutes per contest).
Fourth-year wing Braun, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since Nov. 12 due to a sprained left ankle. The former first-round pick averaged 11.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG on .484/.214/.778 shooting in 10 healthy games this season (30.8 MPG). He’s another key member of the rotation, particularly on defense, where he’s frequently tasked with slowing down the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer.
Cassidy Hubbarth of NBA on Prime reported a couple days ago that both players could return at some point during Denver’s road trip, which concludes Wednesday in Boston.
As for the Nets, leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. will return to action Sunday after missing the past two games because of an illness, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The 27-year-old forward said he’ll have a little extra motivation when he faces his former team, which traded him to Brooklyn over the summer.
“I definitely use everything I can as motivation,” Porter said. “It was just so much noise about me as a player…I knew if it was healthy coming here I’d be able to change the narrative around me.”
Nets Notes: Thomas, Porter Jr., Claxton, Sharpe, Traore
When Cam Thomas signed his qualifying offer with the Nets in early September, it guaranteed that he would become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Rockets star Kevin Durant believes whichever team signs him this offseason will get a superior talent, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
“I feel like Cam has a bright future. It just takes somebody to believe in his talent and his skill,” Durant said. “Scorers and guys that score the basketball at a high rate, they get taken for granted in this league a bit. We’re so used to loving defenders, play-makers, and guys that can be connectors. Sometimes scorers get taken for granted.
“Hopefully, somebody takes a chance on Cam and gives him what he deserves and puts the ball in his hands and builds around him and lets him grow into a player. What is he, 24? He’s still got a lot of time in this league to keep getting better. Hopefully a team puts some trust in him.”
Thomas, who was rested against the Wizards on Friday, is averaging 21.4 points per game in 11 appearances this season.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Brooklyn fell to 0-6 this season when Michael Porter Jr. doesn’t play. The Nets’ leading scorer sat out the second game of a back-to-back due to an illness as Washington blew them out by 20 points. They shot just 39.5% overall and 6-of-29 from three-point range while dropping their third straight. Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports takes a closer look at whether the Nets should deal Porter for assets prior to the trade deadline.
- Nic Claxton also didn’t suit up on Friday due to personal reasons and that led to expanded minutes for Day’Ron Sharpe. The latter was one of the few bright spots on Friday as he contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks in his first start this season. “One thing we know is Day’Ron is going to play extremely hard,” coach Jordi Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “And going from the minutes he’s played to pretty much 30 minutes, your body has to adjust to that. So it’s a great opportunity for him… but also being careful with that.” The Nets hold a $6.25MM club option on Sharpe’s contract for next season.
- Fernandez wasn’t happy with rookie Nolan Traore‘s shot selection on Thursday against the Rockets. Traore took five three-pointers and made one. He finished 1-for-8 from the field. “I need him to use his superpowers and touch the paint. And it felt like he got caught shooting the unders. And a lot of times it didn’t go … because that’s what they want you to do,” Fernández said. “And if you keep shooting and missing, then sometimes, if you keep doing the same thing and seeing the same results, that’s the definition of insanity. And I know how good he is.” Traore didn’t attempt a three on Friday while scoring 12 points in 26 minutes.