Nets Notes: Durant, Harden, LeVert, Irving, More
Asked today about reports that he and James Harden have talked about teaming up in Brooklyn, Nets forward Kevin Durant dismissed the idea that such a plan has been in the works, as Adam Zagoria of Forbes.com writes.
“I don’t know where you making these stories up that me and James talked about any of this at a workout,” Durant said on a conference call with reporters. “I don’t know where that came from. James is a friend of mine, but I let the front office handle all of that stuff.
“I was just so focused on working out,” he continued. “I heard all the noise and I heard that James potentially wanted to come to the Nets but anybody could make up stories. Anybody can write a story and it gets some traction so nothing’s ever set in stone until it’s set in stone.”
While the Nets have been frequently linked to Harden in recent weeks, it doesn’t sound like they ever made any real progress on a trade for the Rockets star. Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested during an appearance on Complex’s Load Management podcast that Brooklyn doesn’t have the sort of young star that would appeal to Houston as the centerpiece of a package for Harden.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Charania also said on the Load Management podcast that the Nets were unwilling to include Caris LeVert in their trade offer for Jrue Holiday last month, as NetsDaily relays. According to Charania, Durant and Kyrie Irving view LeVert as “a very significant part of this team.”
- Durant spoke to reporters today about the challenges of recovering from an Achilles tear, writes Scott Thompson of SNY.tv. “Those milestones of learning how to walk, learning how to run, jump again and getting used to certain movements again, I think that’s underestimated,” Durant said. “People don’t realize that the Achilles ligament is one of the strongest ligaments in your body. So for that to pop, you gotta build that up and that takes a while.”
- Asked today about whether Durant and Irving will be load-managed during the 2020/21 season, Nets head coach Steve Nash acknowledged that the two stars likely won’t play all 72 games, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, Nash didn’t suggest there’s any set plan in place for resting those returning All-Stars.
- Nash said today that he plans on having Mike D’Antoni lead the Nets’ offense and Jacque Vaughn lead the team’s defense, but his entire staff of assistants will provide input on both sides of the ball (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).
- In case you missed it, Brooklyn announced its initial 20-man training camp roster earlier this afternoon.
Nets Announce 20-Man Training Camp Roster
The Nets have finalized their training camp roster, announcing the 20-man squad today in a press release, as Malika Andrew of ESPN relays (via Twitter).
In addition to the 18 players already known to be under contract with Brooklyn, the list includes former Tennessee guard Jordan Bowden, who agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the team, and former Kentucky forward Nate Sestina, whose Exhibit 10 deal was first reported by Jon Chepkevich (Twitter link).
Absent from the Nets’ roster is point guard Elie Okobo, who reportedly agreed to a deal with the club on Monday. However, the fact that he hasn’t signed yet with Brooklyn doesn’t mean he won’t. I’d expect the team to cut a player at some point in the coming days to make room for Okobo, though he’d still have an uphill battle to earn a spot on the regular season roster.
Fourteen of the Nets’ 20 players are known to have guaranteed salaries for the 2020/21 season. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has a partial guarantee, Jeremiah Martin has a two-way deal, and Bowden, Sestina, and Reggie Perry are on non-guaranteed contracts. The details on Chris Chiozza‘s new contract aren’t yet known.
Nets Re-Sign Chris Chiozza
The Nets have officially re-signed free agent point guard Chris Chiozza, the team announced today in a press release.
Chiozza, 25, signed a two-way contract with Brooklyn in January and emerged as a reliable rotation player for the team, averaging 6.4 PPG and 3.1 APG on .425/.357/1.000 shooting in 18 games (15.4 MPG).
The Nets issued him a qualifying offer in November, making him a restricted free agent. That QO was equivalent to another two-way contract, but today’s press release doesn’t mention anything about Chiozza’s new contract being a two-way deal, so we’ll have to wait for clarification on the exact terms.
While Chiozza played well for the Nets in 2019/20, it’s unclear whether there will be a place for him on the regular season roster this season, with Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Tyler Johnson all ahead of him on the point guard depth chart. Bruce Brown and Landry Shamet are options at the position too.
Brooklyn is currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot considered the favorite for the 15th spot. Another point guard, Jeremiah Martin, occupies one of the two-way contract slots, with second-round pick Reggie Perry a candidate to have his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract to fill the other opening.
Nets To Sign Elie Okobo
After being waived by the Suns a week ago, Elie Okobo has lined up a new deal, according to Alex Schiffer and Shams Charania of The Athletic, who report (via Twitter) that the free agent point guard is signing with the Nets.
While details of Okobo’s deal haven’t been reported, I’d expect a minimum-salary contract and I’d be surprised if it includes much – if any – guaranteed money.
The 31st overall pick in the 2018 draft, Okobo spent two years in Phoenix, appearing in a total of 108 games. He averaged 4.8 PPG and 2.2 APG in 15.5 minutes per contest during those two seasons, but became expendable this offseason. The Suns released him before his 2020/21 salary became guaranteed last Thursday.
The Nets currently have 17 players under contract, but that doesn’t count Okobo, Jordan Bowden – who reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal, or Chris Chiozza, who is still a restricted free agent. Brooklyn may continue making minor tweaks to the back of its roster, but the team’s offseason looks just about done.
Tyler Johnson Has Guaranteed Deal For 2020/21
- Tyler Johnson is already assured of his salary for 2020/21, as his one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Nets is fully guaranteed, per Smith (Twitter link).
Nets Sign Second-Rounder Reggie Perry
NOVEMBER 29: Perry’s deal, a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, will most likely be converted into a two-way contract, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
NOVEMBER 27: The Nets have signed rookie big man Reggie Perry, according to a team press release.
It’s uncertain whether Perry received a standard contract or two-way deal but Brooklyn does have a two-way slot open.
The 6’10” Perry was selected with the 57th overall pick in the second round. The Clippers owned that pick but traded his draft rights as part of a three-team swap that also included the Pistons.
Perry played two seasons at Mississippi State, posting career averages of 13.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 1.4 APG in 27.3 MPG in 65 games. He was named the SEC’s Co-Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Jae Crowder Signs Three-Year Deal With Suns
NOVEMBER 28, 3:37pm: Crowder has officially signed, per team press release.
NOVEMBER 21, 1:03pm: The Suns have reached an agreement to sign Jae Crowder to a three-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The deal will be worth just shy of $30MM, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Phoenix will use its full mid-level exception to complete the signing.
Crowder, who finished the season in Miami, reportedly explored a new deal with the Heat, but was seeking a guaranteed multiyear commitment that the Heat weren’t comfortable with, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).
League sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) that Crowder also drew interest from the Mavericks, Timberwolves, Clippers, and Hornets, but that Phoenix’s offer was ultimately too good to pass up.
Crowder, 30, provides value as a three-and-D player who has the size to guard bigger wings. He also played some of his best basketball at exactly the right time in his contract year.
After being traded from the Grizzlies to the Heat at last season’s deadline, the veteran forward made 44.5% of his threes for Miami in 20 games to finish the season, then started all 21 postseason contests as the Heat came within two wins of a title.
Having secured a commitment from Crowder and having traded for All-Star point guard Chris Paul earlier in the week, the Suns are looking like an intriguing playoff contender in the Western Conference this season. The team finished five games below .500 in 2019/20, but had an impressive 8-0 run in the Walt Disney World bubble, increasing expectations for ’20/21.
Paul and Crowder will join a promising group that includes star guard Devin Booker, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, and young wings Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, among others. The Suns also still hope to re-sign restricted free agent forward Dario Saric, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nets Re-Sign Tyler Johnson
After joining the Nets for the NBA’s summer restart in Orlando, guard Tyler Johnson has signed a new contract to return to Brooklyn, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Johnson, 28, was sent from Miami to Phoenix at the 2019 trade deadline and appeared in 44 total games for the Suns, including 31 in 2019/20. Formerly a solid rotation player with the Heat, Johnson had a down year in Phoenix and was released following the trade deadline.
The Fresno State alum bounced back nicely as a member of the Nets, having signed as a substitute player when a number of Brooklyn players pulled out of the restart. Johnson averaged 12.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, and 3.0 RPG on .405/.389/1.000 shooting in eight seeding games (24.3 MPG), then added 13.8 PPG on .457/.393/1.000 shooting in the club’s four playoff contests.
If Johnson makes the Nets’ regular season roster as the team’s 15th man, he’ll add extra depth to an impressive group of ball-handlers that already includes point guards Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Bruce Brown, as well as Kevin Durant and Caris LeVert.
Glenn Robinson III Receiving Interest From Lakers, Clippers, Others
Free agent swingman Glenn Robinson III has received interest from several playoff teams, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who identifies the Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, Nets, and Jazz as the teams eyeing Robinson.
Robinson, who turns 27 in January, began last season with the Warriors and played some of the best basketball of his career in Golden State. In 48 games (all starts) for the Dubs, he averaged 12.9 PPG and 4.7 RPG on .481/.400/.851 shooting in 31.6 minutes per contest.
After being traded from Golden State to Philadelphia at February’s deadline, Robinson saw his role cut back significantly and his numbers dipped accordingly (7.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 19.3 MPG). He only logged 36 total minutes in the 76ers’ first-round playoff series, a four-game sweep at the hands of Boston.
While Robinson is unlikely to start for a playoff team in 2020/21, he’d offer solid depth on the wing for any of the potential suitors listed above. Not all of those clubs are limited only to minimum-salary offers, but it won’t be a surprise if the former Michigan Wolverine ends up signing for the minimum.
D'Antoni Considered Retirement Before Joining Nets
The Cavaliers are close to finalizing a deal to bring back Matthew Dellavedova for another season, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that the veteran guard has agreed to the parameters of a one-year contract. The agreement will give Dellavedova $2.1MM for the upcoming season, along with a one-year Bird restriction and the option to veto any trade.
Dellavedova, 30, is expected to serve as a back-up point guard and a veteran leader on a youthful team. Fedor states that several other teams expressed interest, including the Lakers, but Dellavedova opted for Cleveland, where he has spent most of his seven-year NBA career.
The signing will give the Cavaliers 14 players under contract, and the final roster spot may not be filled right away, Fedor adds. The team will explore potential signings heading into training camp, but may opt for the flexibility of keeping a spot open.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Mike D’Antoni considered retirement after leaving the Rockets following their playoff exit, writes Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. D’Antoni was convinced to keep coaching when he got an offer from the Nets to join the staff of first-time head coach Steve Nash, who orchestrated D’Antoni’s offense when they were together in Phoenix. “He’s going to make it easy for Steve,” said Warriors assistant Leandro Barbosa. “Mike is one of the best coaches that I ever played for. He’s also one of the best from an offensive standpoint. He knows a lot of plays, he knows a lot of tricks, I think he’s going to be awesome for Kyrie (Irving) and (Kevin) Durant.”
- Darren Erman, who coached the Celtics’ G League affiliate last season, will join the Knicks as an assistant to Tom Thibodeau, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Erman spent four years as associate head coach with the Pelicans.
- The Nuggets will receive $110K from the Pistons in the sign-and-trade that sent Jerami Grant to Detroit, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The Pistons shipped $250K to the Jazz in the deal for Tony Bradley, Pincus adds (Twitter link).