Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Seth Curry Returns Positive Test For COVID-19

January 7th, 2021 at 10:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers guard Seth Curry returned a positive test for the coronavirus today, which the team learned of during the first half of Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Curry, who was unavailable for the game due to a sore left ankle, immediately went into an “isolation room” and left the arena separate from the team shortly thereafter, says Wojnarowski. Before leaning of the positive test, Curry was on the 76ers’ bench for the first quarter, Woj adds (Twitter link).

As a result of Curry’s positive test, the Sixers will remain in New York tonight and commence contact tracing in the morning, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Wojnarowski (Twitter links). It remains unclear how many Philadelphia players might have to miss time due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

The Nets, who are scheduled to play the Grizzlies on Friday night, are still flying to Memphis, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Even though Curry didn’t play at all and likely wasn’t in close contact with Nets players, it’s possible some of those players will be affected by contact tracing protocols.

One Nets player who won’t make the trip to Memphis is Kyrie Irving, though his absence appears unrelated to COVID-19. As Malika Andrews of ESPN details, Irving didn’t play on Thursday night for personal reasons and will also miss Friday’s game. Head coach Steve Nash referred to it as a “private matter,” while Caris LeVert said Irving texted teammates before Thursday’s win.

Nash: KD's Quarantine Timeline A "Moving Target"

January 6th, 2021 at 10:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets coach Steve Nash contends that the schedule for All-Star forward Kevin Durant‘s return from his COVID-19 protocol-necessitated quarantining is a “moving target,” according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. On Tuesday, Durant commenced his quarantine, per NBA health and safety protocols, after being exposed to someone who tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The belief was that the quarantine would last seven days.

“My understanding is that it is a quarantine, so I don’t think there will be any on-court activity,” Nash said. “There’s negative tests, days from the contact tracing and all sorts of factors that go into it. So, I don’t really have an answer yet on how long.” The Nets crushed the Jazz 130-96 in their first test without Durant.

Nash: Adversity Is Good For Us

January 5th, 2021 at 6:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets are below .500 and won’t have Kevin Durant for as many as four games. But coach Steve Nash sees a silver lining, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “Plenty to clean up,” Nash said. “It’s early. We can’t lose our minds over it, and we can’t get overly frustrated. … And you know what? It’s good for us. It’s good to get a little tension. We’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable, so here we are.”

Kevin Durant To Miss Multiple Games Under COVID-19 Protocols

January 4th, 2021 at 4:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets star forward Kevin Durant is listed out Tuesday against the Jazz due to NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, the team’s PR department tweets.

Durant’s faces a seven-day quarantine because of exposure to a positive COVID-19 case, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews report. That means Durant would also have to sit out three more games. He has continued to register antibodies and has tested negative in multiple recent tests, Wojnarowski adds.

No other player on the team was listed as out for the same reason.

Durant tested positive for the virus back in March, shortly after play was halted. He later stated to ESPN’s Marc Spears he didn’t experience symptoms.

“I didn’t have any symptoms so I am good,” he said this summer. “I couldn’t leave the house. … The unknown was definitely difficult to deal with. But other than that, I was great.”

The NBA is experiencing an uptick in cases without the protection of a bubble. The Bulls are dealing with the virus, as Tomas Satoransky and Chandler Hutchison have tested positive recently and two other Chicago players have simultaneously been held out of action.

Nets Expected To Apply For Disabled Player Exception

January 4th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets are expected to apply for a disabled player exception following Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL reconstruction surgery, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). While Brooklyn hasn’t officially provided a timeline for Dinwiddie’s return, Woj refers to the injury as “season-ending.”

The disabled player exception is a salary cap exception designed to allow teams to add a replacement for a player who suffers a major injury and is deemed highly likely to be sidelined for the season and the postseason. It’s worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lesser.

In this case, half of Dinwiddie’s $11,454,048 salary is $5,727,024, so that would be the amount of the Nets’ disabled player exception if their request is approved.

The disabled player exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. However, it can only be used on one player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.

A disabled player exception doesn’t give a team an extra roster spot, so the Nets would have to create an opening on their 15-man squad if they get a DPE and intend to use it. Any additional team salary would also increase the team’s already-substantial projected luxury tax bill.

So far this season, the Warriors (Klay Thompson) and Magic (Jonathan Isaac) have been granted disabled player exceptions. The deadline to use them is April 19.

Categories:
Brooklyn Nets

Spencer Dinwiddie Undergoes ACL Reconstruction Surgery

January 4th, 2021 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie underwent successful ACL reconstruction surgery on his right knee this morning, the team announced today in a press release. Dinwiddie, who is expected to make a full recovery, will begin his rehab process next week, according to the Nets.

Dinwiddie suffered a partially torn ACL on December 27 in Brooklyn’s third game of the 2020/21 season. The veteran guard hadn’t gotten off to a particularly hot start, but the Nets enjoyed blowout wins in his only two full games and have since lost four of five, slipping below .500. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has replaced Dinwiddie in the starting lineup.

The Nets’ announcement today doesn’t mention a specific recovery timeline for Dinwiddie. Because he only sustained a partial ACL tear, there was some speculation that an accelerated return may be possible. However, the fact that he underwent an ACL reconstruction – rather than a repair – likely eliminates any chance that the 27-year-old will play again in 2020/21, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Brooklyn has the option of applying for a disabled player exception that would be worth approximately $5.7MM. It wouldn’t give the Nets an extra roster spot, but would allow them to sign a free agent to a one-year contract or to trade for (or claim) a player on an expiring contract, assuming his salary fits into the DPE.

John Hollinger of The Athletic speculated earlier today that the Nets may not apply for that exception right away, since there’s no rush to use it and the team might have an easier time a few weeks from now proving that Dinwiddie will likely miss the entire season and postseason.

Nash Says There's No Center Controversy

January 2nd, 2021 at 2:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets coach Steve Nash is trying to avert a controversy over his decision to keep DeAndre Jordan as the starting center, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Nash gave Jarrett Allen more playing time off the bench on Friday but didn’t tinker with the lineup. Allen will be a restricted free agent in the summer. “I want to be very careful not to make it like a mini-drama because it’s not,” Nash said. “They both play. JA has been outstanding and will play plenty, if not the bulk of the minutes, but for right now, he’s just playing those minutes from the second unit.”

New York Notes: Allen, Jordan, Quickley, DSJ

January 1st, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Jarrett Allen is one of the NBA’s top rebounders and he could force Nets coach Steve Nash to consider a change in his starting lineup, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Allen is only playing 22.6 minutes per night off the bench, but he’s leading the league in offensive rebounds, offensive rebound percentage, and total rebound percentage.

Nash has been using DeAndre Jordan as his starting center, but the 32-year-old hasn’t been impressive. Lewis notes that Jordan’s plus-minus rating has declined in each game this season, hitting minus-8 on Wednesday as he managed just five points and one rebound against the Hawks.

“That’s a good debate. It’s a small sample, one, and I’m not sure if plus-minus is the best barometer,” Nash said. “But that was a tough matchup for DJ. Those guys are good, dynamic rollers, (Clint) Capela, but even more so (John) Collins’ speed is exceptional getting out of the screen and it poses a unique problem.”

There’s more from New York City:

The Nets are still adjusting to life without Spencer Dinwiddie, who may be lost for the season with a partially torn ACL, Lewis adds in a separate story. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot replaced Dinwiddie in the starting lineup Wednesday, but that new unit had never practiced together. They wound up with a minus-10 in 13 minutes. “It’s a big loss because of (Dinwiddie’s) versatility, skill set, size, speed, defensive ability. We’ll miss him dearly,” Nash said. “We’re going to see a lot of different lineups, different combinations.”
The Knicks should be getting a couple of injured guards back soon, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Immanuel Quickley, who’s been dealing with a sore left hip, could return Saturday or Monday. Dennis Smith Jr., who has a left quad issue, will rejoin the team during its road trip but will have to work on conditioning before being cleared to practice.
Austin Rivers, who played his first game with the Knicks Thursday night, posted an Instagram message afterward asking fans to be patient, Begley tweets. “Trust us. We’re getting better,” Rivers wrote. “We have a new great coach, all new players, really young, learning to play with each other and get chemistry right still, and we still getting all the way healthy. It’s a process but I promise we getting there step by step.”

Latest On James Harden

December 31st, 2020 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest look at the James Harden situation, Brian Windhorst of ESPN lists the Sixers, Nets, Heat, Celtics, and Raptors among the teams that have at least placed “courtesy calls” to the Rockets about the former MVP.

And while the Bucks reportedly don’t have interest in pursuing Harden, they did have an internal conversation about the possibility and ran it by Giannis Antetokounmpo before coming to that decision, Windhorst notes.

The Harden trade talk that dominated NBA headlines during the preseason has died down to some extent now that the season is underway and the 31-year-old is suiting up for the Rockets, but Windhorst believes it’s just a matter of time before a team convinces itself that Harden is the missing piece for a championship and pulls the trigger on a deal, like Toronto did for Kawhi Leonard in 2018.

Here’s more on Harden:

Although the Nuggets have been linked to Harden directly, they’re also interested in potentially getting involved in a multi-team trade involving the star guard even if they don’t end up with him, according to Windhorst.
Sam Amick of The Athletic wonders if the loss of scoring depth caused by Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL injury may motivate the Nets to push harder to acquire Harden. Of course, as we discussed earlier this week, Dinwiddie’s injury also diminishes the value of a player who likely would be part of any package the Nets offer.
Within that same Athletic article, Amick examines where things stand for the other teams linked to Harden, writing that the Sixers remain content to continue evaluating their current roster under Doc Rivers before making any major changes, while the Bucks don’t view Harden as a fit for their culture. Amick also evaluates the Heat, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, and Raptors, but doesn’t suggest that there’s traction on any front.

Health Updates: Leonard, Trent, Okoro, Claxton, Gallinari

December 30th, 2020 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will return to the lineup tonight, five days after being struck in the face by an accidental elbow from teammate Serge Ibaka, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Coach Tyronn Lue made the announcement in a pre-game session with the media.

Leonard missed two games with the injury, which caused him to bleed profusely from his mouth and required eight stitches. L.A. split the games, defeating the Timberwolves Tuesday night and losing by 51 points to the Mavericks on Sunday.

A second-team All-NBA selection last season, Leonard is off to another strong start, averaging 23.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals in his first two games.

There’s more injury-related news to pass along:

The Trail Blazers will face the Clippers tonight without guard Gary Trent Jr., Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters (Twitter link from Vardon). Trent suffered a strained calf in Monday’s game with the Lakers.
Rookie swingman Isaac Okoro didn’t travel with the Cavaliers as they start a six-game road trip, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The fifth pick in this year’s draft suffered a sprained left foot in Saturday’s game and was recently placed into the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocol. The league announced today that there have been no new positive tests since December 24, so Fedor believes Okoro likely came in contact with someone who tested positive, which limits his ability to travel. The Cavs hope he can join them before the trip ends January 9.
Nets coach Steve Nash said Nicolas Claxton is “steadily improving,” but remains “weeks away” from playing, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. The second-year center is dealing with tendinopathy in his right knee and hasn’t played yet this season.
Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari had to leave tonight’s game with a sprained ankle, according to Andrews (Twitter link). It was his first game since suffering a contusion in his left foot in last week’s season opener.