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Nets Officially Sign Tyler Cook To 10-Day Deal

February 24th, 2021 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Nets have signed G League forward Tyler Cook to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. No corresponding move was necessary, as Brooklyn opened up three spots on its 15-man roster on Tuesday night by waiving Iman Shumpert, Noah Vonleh, and Andre Roberson.

Undrafted out of Iowa in 2019, Cook spent time as a rookie on a two-way contract and a pair of 10-day deals with Cleveland before joining Denver for the NBA restart as a substitute player. He only appeared in 13 total NBA games, but played more for the Canton Charge and OKC Blue in the G League, averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 29 games (21.3 MPG).

Cook returned to the G League for the 2020/21 season and has been one of the standouts at the Walt Disney World bubble over the last couple weeks, averaging 20.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 4.4 APG in eight games (33.3 MPG) for the Iowa Wolves.

Cook’s 10-day contract, which will pay him approximately $99K, will run through the rest of the season’s first half. The Nets will have to decide after that point whether to bring him back on a second 10-day deal to start the second half.

Today’s move makes the Nets the first team to formally sign a player to a 10-day contract this season without utilizing a hardship exception to do so. Brooklyn is also expected to re-add Shumpert and Roberson on 10-day deals of their own, assuming both players clear waivers later this week.

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Nets Waive Roberson, Vonleh, Shumpert; Plan To Sign Cook

February 23rd, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets have announced via a press release that they have waived swingmen Andre Roberson and Iman Shumpert, as well as power forward/center Noah Vonleh.

Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that Shumpert and Roberson intend to ink 10-day deals with Brooklyn should they clear waivers this Friday. Releasing this triumvirate of players now frees the Nets from having to guarantee their contracts for the whole season. This year, players must be cut by tomorrow, February 24, to beat the February 27 guarantee deadline.

Waiving players on non-guaranteed deals and subsequently adding them via 10-day contracts is common practice for teams looking to avoid a full-season cap hit.

Beyond hoping to retain Roberson and Shumpert through a string of 10-day contracts going forward, the Nets also intend to sign power forward Tyler Cook to a 10-day deal as a Vonleh replacement, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). Cook is averaging a stellar 20.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 0.6 SPG for the Iowa Wolves across seven games on the 2021 NBA G League Orlando “bubble” campus.

Vonleh was signed earlier this month to address the Nets’ shortcomings in their frontcourt. The well-traveled 25-year-old had suited up for the Hornets, Trail Blazers, Bulls, Knicks, Timberwolves and Nuggets across seven seasons before arriving in Brooklyn this year. Vonleh appeared in just four games for the Nets, averaging 2.8 MPG.

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2021 NBA All-Star Reserves Revealed

February 23rd, 2021 at 6:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 2021 NBA All-Star reserves have been revealed. Below is the full rundown of the 14 players scheduled to join the previously announced 10 starters for the March 7 contest in Atlanta. All-Star reserves are selected by the league’s head coaches.

Eastern Conference Reserves:

Notable omissions this season include recent Heat All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, two-time Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton, recent Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young, Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, recent Pacers All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, and Sixers forward Tobias Harris.

Brown, LaVine, and Randle are making their All-Star debuts. Harden is the most decorated among the All-Star vets among the East reserves, as he will be appearing in his ninth All-Star contest.

Western Conference Reserves:

Lillard, who just barely missed out on a starting nod to Mavericks guard Luka Dončić, earns his sixth All-Star mention as he mounts a sleeper MVP campaign with the Trail Blazers. Paul will be playing in his 11th All-Star game, for a fourth different team (he did not earn an All-Star nod in either of his two Rockets seasons, but made it with the Clippers, New Orleans Hornets, and Thunder).

Snubs in the West include recent Suns All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker, Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, and 33-year-old Jazz point guard Mike Conley, the latter of whom may go down in history as the best NBA player never to make an All-Star team. Williamson, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, is a first-time All-Star. Last year, his teammate Brandon Ingram made his own All-Star debut.

Conley may still have his day in the sun, however. Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register notes that Lakers All-Star big man Davis, recovering from a right calf strain, will likely not be healthy in time to partake in the currently-planned All-Star game, and thus another Western Conference All-Star should eventually be named by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to replace the eight-time All-Star.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Kevin Durant Expected To Return Before All-Star Break

February 23rd, 2021 at 6:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets head coach Steve Nash indicated that the team anticipates getting All-Star forward Kevin Durant back on the court ahead of the All-Star Game but is being cautious with his return timeline, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 11-time All-Star will miss his fifth straight game (and eight of the last nine) for Brooklyn tonight due to a mild left hamstring strain. Prior to that, coronavirus-related health and safety protocols held Durant out for three games earlier in February.

The Nets have not missed Durant on the court during his two absences this month. Brooklyn is currently riding a six-game winning streak, and KD played in just one of those victories.

Durant’s fellow All-Star snipers Kyrie Irving and James Harden, along with swingman Joe Harris, have all stepped up in his absence. The win streak has propelled the Nets to a 20-12 record, good for the No. 2 seed in the East.

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Durant Showing Improvement, Won't Play Tuesday

February 22nd, 2021 at 6:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Kevin Durant‘s hamstring is showing improvement, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I reiterate we’re all optimistic and positive that he’s improving at a rapid rate, and will be back soon,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said. However, Durant will miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday, Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press tweets.
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Nicolas Claxton Set To Return For Nets

February 21st, 2021 at 6:01pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets center Nicolas Claxton is being listed as available to play Sunday against the Clippers for the first time in nearly a year, the team announced.

Claxton, who was selected by Brooklyn with the No. 31 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has been dealing with various injuries since entering the league. He only appeared in 15 games last season, averaging 4.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 12.5 minutes per contest.

It remains unlikely that Claxton sees time on Sunday, head coach Steve Nash said, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). Nevertheless, the 21-year-old could be used in the team’s backup center role at some point this year.

Claxton underwent arthroscopic labrum repair surgery last June and was ruled out for the NBA’s summer restart. His return from rehab comes as Brooklyn has won five straight contests and holds the second-best record in the East at 19-12.

The Nets will be playing without Kevin Durant (left hamstring strain), Iman Shumpert (left hamstring strain) and Tyler Johnson (left adductor tightness).

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Rockets Want Player, Not Picks, In Exchange For P.J. Tucker

February 21st, 2021 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is on the trade market, and the team wants immediate help in return, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Saturday night’s pre-game show (hat tip to Ben DuBose of USA Today’s Rockets Wire).

The Rockets are looking for “a player that they can plug back into their lineup,” rather than draft picks, he added.

Trade rumors have been swirling around the 35-year-old Tucker ever since Houston was unable to reach a contract extension with him during the offseason. He reportedly refused the team’s latest offer, and both sides agreed to table negotiations last month.

Tucker’s numbers have dipped this year, as he is averaging 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 30 minutes per night. However, he remains an elite defender and strong locker room presence, and could be a valuable addition for a contending team. At his age, he no longer fits with a Rockets team that has been trending younger since the James Harden trade.

Wojnarowski expects a “seller’s market” for Tucker, listing the Lakers, Bucks and Nets among many teams that are interested.

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Nets Notes: Shamet, Roberson, Claxton, Cousins

February 20th, 2021 at 10:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Playing against a former team isn’t a new experience for Nets guard Landry Shamet, who has already been traded twice in his brief NBA career, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. What’s odd for Shamet in his return to Los Angeles this week has been confinement to his hotel room because of COVID-19 restrictions.

“It is weird not going from the airport and taking the regular route that I would take to get back home,” he said. “But nonetheless, I’m here and I’m glad to be back here and kind of relive some of the memories, I guess.”

Shamet averaged 9.3 PPG as a part-time starter for the Clippers last season before being shipped to Brooklyn in a three-team deal in November. His experiences in Philadelphia and Los Angeles helped prepare him for a role on teams dominated by star players.

“Any team that’s ever been put together with that much talent isn’t going to just happen overnight and be perfect,” Shamet said. “I think that’s the biggest thing — time and patience and accountability. And if you have those things, over time you’re going to grow and you’re going to develop and turn it, hopefully, into what you wanted it to turn into. I think that’s what I’ve learned.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

  • Andre Roberson tells Chris Milholen of NetsDaily that the number of familiar faces in Brooklyn has made his transition to the team much smoother. Roberson, who signed with the Nets on Tuesday, joins a squad with former Thunder teammates Kevin Durant and Royal Ivey, who is now an assistant coach. Spencer Dinwiddie was a college teammate at Colorado. “It just shows you what kind of people and character you are walking into,” Roberson said. “I think it’s dope and kind of gives me a head start because I know what to expect. So far, so great, so I can’t complain.”
  • Center Nicolas Claxton is getting closer to returning from the knee tedinopathy that has sidelined him all season, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. Claxton is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, marking the first time all season he has appeared on the injury report.
  • Harden’s presence on the Nets might work against DeMarcus Cousins‘ chances of winding up in Brooklyn, notes Erik Bacharach of Heavy. Cousins was among the most outspoken players when Harden was trying to force a trade out of Houston, calling some of Harden’s comments “disrespectful.”
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DeMarcus Cousins’ Time With Rockets About To End

February 20th, 2021 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets are planning to part ways with veteran center DeMarcus Cousins, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sources tell Charania that the team wants to utilize a smaller and younger approach in the frontcourt once Christian Wood returns from an ankle injury. Making a move now will give Cousins plenty of time to catch on with another team.

A report on Friday indicated that Houston would guarantee Cousins’ veteran-minimum contract for the rest of the season. That means any team that claims him off waivers would inherit the remaining portion of the $2.56MM deal.

Sources confirmed to Mark Berman of KRIV-TV in Houston that Cousins will be traded or waived in the next few days (Twitter link). The front office gave him the salary guarantee as a show of appreciation “for his professionalism and how he went about his business,” Berman adds.

Cousins joined the Rockets in training camp on a non-guaranteed contract, hoping to prove he could still be effective after three serious leg injuries. He appeared in 25 games, making 11 starts, and averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 37.6% from the floor.

Several teams will likely be interested in adding the 30-year-old for the second half of the season. Cousins spent much of last year with the Lakers, although he wasn’t able to play because of an ACL injury, and continued to work out with the team after being waived in February. He played the previous season with the Warriors, who are short-handed in the middle after a recent run of injuries. The Nets, who have been looking for center help in free agency after parting with Jarrett Allen in the James Harden deal, also figure to be interested.

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Nets Notes: Durant, Roberson, Second Unit, Harris

February 20th, 2021 at 3:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday due to a left hamstring strain, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN. Durant, who missed all of last season while rehabbing a ruptured Achilles, did strengthening exercises on Saturday. “I don’t think this is a long-term thing,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “But there is elements of maybe it being, taking a few more days than we thought or just being cautious.”

We have more on the Nets:

  • Andre Roberson is relieved to get another NBA opportunity, as he told Tom Dowd of BrooklynNets.com. The former Thunder wing signed with the club on Tuesday. “I wasn’t ready to give up on my dream,” Roberson said. “I knew at some point, a door, an opportunity would open, whether it be this season or next season, so I was just gonna stay in shape as best I can. … I had some traction with other teams, but nothing really stuck, but the Nets called.”
  • Nash is happy to see reserves like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Landry Shamet and Tyler Johnson make a greater impact, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes. “They’ve all really played well. It makes our depth look a lot better,” Nash said. “The second unit’s been producing, holding or extending leads.”
  • Joe Harris, who re-signed on a four-year, $75MM contract over the offseason, is benefiting from being surrounding by stars, Joyce notes in another piece. Harris is taking more 3-pointers than he ever (6.6 per game) and is making a league-best 50.7%. Harris has knocked down 43 3-pointers in the last 11 games.
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