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Nets Eyeing Amir Johnson

July 7th, 2020 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Amir Johnson has emerged as a “prime target” for the Nets, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Brooklyn is on the lookout for frontcourt help after losing Nicolas Claxton to a shoulder injury and DeAndre Jordan to a positive COVID-19 test. The team is eligible to sign multiple substitute players due to the fact that Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie – who also contracted the coronavirus – won’t be participating in the NBA restart.

Johnson, 33, last played in the NBA during the 2018/19 season, when he averaged 3.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 51 games (10.4 MPG) for the Sixers. He has spent another 13 seasons with the Pistons, Raptors, Celtics, and 76ers since entering the league in 2005, appearing in 870 total regular season contests.

Although Johnson is unlikely to fill up the box score, he’s a solid defender and screen setter who should be a positive asset in the locker room. He’d likely be an insurance piece off the bench for Brooklyn, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if he sees some minutes, as the team will be down six players. In addition to Claxton, Jordan, and Dinwiddie, the Nets will be missing Kevin Durant (Achilles), Kyrie Irving (shoulder), and Wilson Chandler (opted out).

If the Nets finalize a deal with Johnson, it would be a rest-of-season, minimum-salary contract that would put him on track to reach unrestricted free agency in the fall. Brooklyn wouldn’t hold any form of Bird rights on him at that time.

Whichever player Johnson technically replaces would be ineligible to return in 2019/20.

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Nets To Hold Spencer Dinwiddie Out Of Restart

July 7th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Nets team doctors have decided to have Spencer Dinwiddie sit out of the NBA’s restart, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The decision is being made out of an “abundance of caution,” Charania adds, as Dinwiddie recently tested positive for the coronavirus. The Brooklyn guard has confirmed the news in a tweet.

“After another positive test yesterday and considering the symptoms, @BrooklynNets, team doctors and I have decided that it would be in the best interest for me and the team that I do not play in Orlando,” Dinwiddie wrote. “I will be supporting the guys every step of the way!”

Word broke on June 29 that Dinwiddie has been diagnosed with COVID-19. On Sunday night, he said that the sinus pressure headaches he had been getting were “starting to subside,” expressing hope that he could receive medical clearance this week and travel to Orlando with the Nets. However, he admitted that he felt a bit dizzy and weak when using an exercise bike and still hadn’t received the two negative tests he required as part of the NBA’s protocol.

Even if Dinwiddie receives medical clearance in a few days, he’d have to travel to the Walt Disney World bubble separately from his team, which would mean being subjected to a more rigorous quarantine and testing period before being cleared to practice. He’d then have an even shorter ramp-up period than his teammates before seeding games begin on July 30, and may still be dealing with the after-effects of the virus.

As such, it makes sense that the Nets are holding out Dinwiddie, though it creates yet another hole in a roster that has been decimated by injuries, positive coronavirus tests, and opt-outs. Superstars Kevin Durant (Achilles) and Kyrie Irving (shoulder) won’t participate. Nicolas Claxton (shoulder) is also injured, while Wilson Chandler has decided to sit out for family reasons and DeAndre Jordan opted out after contracting COVID-19.

The Nets, who currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, may have a hard time holding off the Magic, who are just a half-game behind Brooklyn in the standings. However, the Nets remain in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot, since they have a six-game lead on the Wizards, who have been hit hard by injuries and opt-outs of their own — the club will be without All-Star guards Bradley Beal and John Wall in addition to sharpshooter Davis Bertans.

Brooklyn has reportedly agreed to a deal with Justin Anderson to replace Chandler. Players who test positive for the coronavirus are also eligible to be replaced by substitute players, so the club will be able to sign replacements for both Dinwiddie and Jordan. Any player who is replaced by a substitute player will be ineligible to return this season.

Because Dinwiddie’s absence is related to a positive COVID-19 test, he won’t have to forfeit his remaining salary for the 2019/20 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Temple Admits Being Nervous About Restart

July 6th, 2020 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The Nets’ Garrett Temple admits he feels a “nervous anxiousness” about the restart of the season, according to ESPN’s Malika Andrews. Temple’s fiancee is due to give birth in mid-September and he’ll leave the campus if the Nets are still playing at that time. “There is no way to be comfortable when you think about where you’re going to be, for the amount of time you’re going to be there and the restrictions that you have there,” Temple said. “The question of us being comfortable; that will not be the case whatsoever. We will have to adapt.”
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Spencer Dinwiddie Still Hoping To Join Nets For Restart

July 6th, 2020 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

A week after word broke that Spencer Dinwiddie had tested positive for COVID-19, possibly jeopardizing his availability for the NBA’s restart, the Nets guard remains hopeful that he’ll be able to accompany his team to Florida, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes.

Dinwiddie tweeted on Sunday night that the sinus pressure headaches he has been getting are “starting to subside.” He admitted that he felt a bit dizzy and weak when using an exercise bike, but suggested he’s trending in the right direction.

“If I can get a negative test (on Monday) then they’re gonna get me back on court Tuesday,” Dinwiddie wrote.

As Dinwiddie explained in a follow-up tweet, his hope is that he’ll get clearance to fly to Florida with the Nets this week, since entering the campus separately at a later date would subject him to a more rigorous testing process and quarantine period.

The Nets have already had DeAndre Jordan opt out of the restart due to a positive coronavirus test, with Wilson Chandler also opting out for family reasons. If Dinwiddie is unable to participate, Brooklyn would be able to sign up to three substitute players. Justin Anderson is expected to replace Chandler, but the Nets haven’t lined up a substitute for Jordan yet.

If Dinwiddie can’t participate, the Nets would also lean more heavily on guard Chris Chiozza, who is on a two-way contract.

“With Spencer, I hope he can play. I hope he feels better,” Chiozza recently said, per Lewis. “But if not, I’ll be ready to take on those extra minutes.”

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Steven Enoch Has Met With Nets

July 6th, 2020 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams
  • Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com passes along updates on a pair of draft prospects, writing that Seton Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili has met with nearly 20 NBA teams, including the Knicks, and tweeting that Louisville big man Steven Enoch has interviewed with 23 teams, including the Nets and Knicks. Mamukelashvili, who is still testing the draft waters, remains undecided about his plans for 2020/21, Zagoria notes.
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Nets Exploring Frontcourt Help; Vaughn Building Bonds With Durant, Irving

July 5th, 2020 at 3:26pm CST by JD Shaw
  • The Nets are exploring potential replacements that can offer frontcourt help behind center Jarrett Allen, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Brooklyn has kicked the tires on multiple free agent centers in recent days, with DeAndre Jordan and Nicolas Claxton both not playing in Orlando this summer. “We have to definitely think about that,” Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Sean (Marks) and I talked this morning on a call and we talked about addressing our size and not putting extra demand on Jarrett. So that could definitely be a route we take for sure. It definitely will be a little bit of a stress test for us. Whether that’s the amount of minutes that we play Jarrett Allen at 5, whether it’s being creative at the backup position, it changes rotations.”
  • Vaughn has continued to build bonds with Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, working to keep a consistent system throughout the franchise, Lewis writes in a separate article for the New York Post. “My conversations with those guys are generally based around me checking in to see how they’re doing,” Vaughn said. “Some of those conversations lead into basketball, some of those conversations lead into life conversations, some of those conversations might lead into, ‘I have a podcast for you to listen to.’ So it ranges. For me, it’s more of the connection knowing that I’m thinking about them.”
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Nets Notes: Durant, Irving, LeVert, Luwawu-Cabarrot

July 4th, 2020 at 10:14am CST by Arthur Hill

Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been “brutally honest” with their input into the team’s coaching situation, but neither will be in Orlando to watch interim coach Jacque Vaughn in action, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. General manager Sean Marks discussed their input during a Friday interview with WFAN.

“It would not be smart of us if we were not to involve some of these key players in this decision,” Marks said. “Kevin, Kyrie, we’re going to pick their brains on what they’re looking for in a leader, what they need. They’ve been brutally honest so far. I’m not going to be asking Kevin to come down to Orlando to evaluate anybody. When you get to the level of those elite players, they have ultimate goals in mind. They want to be held accountable. Kevin and Kyrie have told me they want to win a championship in Brooklyn.”

Marks noted that Irving is “doing well” in his recovery from shoulder surgery in March, but implied that the team never gave serious consideration to having Irving or Durant play in Orlando, citing the “risk-reward” factor and how it could affect the franchise in the long run.

There’s more Nets news this morning:

  • With a severely short-handed team headed for the NBA’s restart, Brooklyn’s next decision will be how much to use Caris LeVert, Lewis adds in the same piece. LeVert has a history of being injured and is considered the team’s best trade asset if it decides to pursue a third star. “I don’t make those decisions; I feel like that’s outside of me. That’s Sean and ownership. That’s not really my job to think of those things,” LeVert said.
  • The Nets’ roster woes will provide an opportunity for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to prove he deserves a larger role, Lewis states in a separate story. After being waived in a preseason, then working his way onto the roster through a two-way contract and a pair of 10-day deals, Luwawu-Cabarrot should see plenty of playing time in Orlando. “It’s huge for us, huge for me,” he said. “Obviously, we’re going to miss them. But as we say this year and as it’s always been, it’s next man up. You have to stay ready and be ready to play … I’m sure they’ll support us and we’ll try and do the best job we can.”
  • Matt Brooks and Chris Milholen of NetsDaily discuss potential replacements for DeAndre Jordan, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week.
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Joe Harris Never Seriously Considered Sitting Out

July 2nd, 2020 at 8:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The already depleted Nets would have been in even bigger trouble heading to Orlando if forward and impending free agent Joe Harris had decided to sit out the remainder of the season. Fortunately for Brooklyn, Harris never seriously considered that option, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“It’s obviously stuff that you have to think about and discuss. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t like it was a difficult decision for me,” Harris said in a Zoom call with the media. “I’m healthy. I’m going to play and finish out the season.”

Despite tumbling revenue around the league due to the coronavirus pandemic, Harris is expected to get a healthy raise. He is on the back end of a two-year, $16MM deal.

Harris is averaging a career-high 13.9 PPM, 4.3 RPG and 2.1 APG this season while shooting 41.2% from long range. He suffered a significant ankle sprain in Brooklyn’s last game before play was halted, so his declaration of good health is significant.

“It’s obviously a different circumstance given everything that’s going on and the time off that we’ve had,” Harris said. “But the way that I look at it is like, ‘All right, we have eight games left. This is the equivalent of Game 74 in the regular season.’ I wouldn’t take the last eight games off of the season just to get ready for free agency.”

A comparable player heading to free agency, the Wizards’ Davis Bertans, opted to sit out the remainder of the season. Bertans has a history of ACL injuries.

The Nets will be without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in Orlando. DeAndre Jordan won’t play after testing positive for COVID-19 while guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who is also recovering from the virus, is undecided about playing.  Nicolas Claxton is also injured, while Wilson Chandler has decided to sit out for family reasons.

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Nets Notes: Vaughn, Durant, Irving

July 2nd, 2020 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Given how depleted Brooklyn’s roster is as a result of injuries and opt-outs, head coach Jacque Vaughn will face a tall task in Orlando this summer as he looks to help the Nets secure a playoff spot and make some noise in the postseason, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Vaughn, who took over for former head coach Kenny Atkinson less than a week before the NBA went on hiatus in March, won his first two games, but will be without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Wilson Chandler, Nicolas Claxton, and possibly Spencer Dinwiddie when play resumes.

Given the unusual circumstances, the Nets’ evaluation of Vaughn this summer will be about more than just his record in Orlando, general manager Sean Marks said on Wednesday, as Lewis writes in a separate story.

“It’s completely unfair to say it’s going to be about wins and losses at this point. Jacque has been a prominent part of this organization the last four years,” Marks said. “We know what Jacque is about and the type of person he is and the character and the leader that he is. … We’ll just see what happens down the line.”

Although the Nets are considered a good bet to conduct a full-fledged coaching search at season’s end, reports have indicated that Vaughn has a legitimate chance to claim the permanent job. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reiterated that point during his Woj Pod podcast this week, suggesting that he’d take Vaughn against the field if he were predicting Brooklyn’s 2020/21 head coach (hat tip to RealGM).

Here’s more on the Nets:

  • Despite their gutted roster, the Nets never entertained the possibility of skipping the NBA restart altogether, Marks said on Wednesday, per Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. “Look, we have a job to do,” the GM told reporters. “Again, we have to bring a team to Orlando. We will bring a team to Orlando. We will go down there and we will compete. That’s our jobs here.”
  • Although Kevin Durant won’t be active – or in attendance – when the Nets resume play later this month, the former MVP will continue to have a voice in the team’s basketball decisions leading up to the 2020/21 season, according to Marks. “He continues to be a very loud voice in terms of where we’re going in the future and what we’re doing and I involve him like the other players and staff and how we’ll continue to build this team and how we move forward,” Marks told reporters, including Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The GM added that he’s been in touch with Durant regularly since the hiatus began in March.
  • Marks also confirmed on Wednesday that Kyrie Irving won’t be part of the Nets’ traveling party to Orlando this summer, writes Begley.
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Lou Williams Expected To Play In Restart; Beal Still Undecided

July 2nd, 2020 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Seven players so far have opted out of the NBA’s restart this summer, but Clippers guard Lou Williams is unlikely to join that group. Despite previously expressing uncertainty about his status, Williams is expected to suit up for the Clippers as they pursue a title at Walt Disney World, head coach Doc Rivers said on Wednesday.

“As far as Lou, all indications (are) that yes, he is (playing),” Rivers said on a Zoom call, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “Obviously, up until we get on the plane, anything can happen. But I do expect Lou to be with us. I would be very surprised if he’s not.”

Meanwhile, another high-scoring guard, Bradley Beal, remains uncertain about his status for Orlando, as Youngmisuk writes in a separate story. Beal’s teammate Davis Bertans has already pulled out due to injury concerns ahead of his upcoming free agency. Beal’s backcourt mate and fellow All-Star John Wall won’t be in attendance either, as he continues to focus on his Achilles rehab and a 2020/21 return.

According to Youngmisuk, Beal is considering health factors too as he weighs his options.

“I have yet to make (my decision),” Beal told reporters on Wednesday. “I am still working my tail off every single day as if I am playing. It is more or less a decision that will come down to the medical staff and coming back from zero to 100, and then I have some nagging stuff from the end of the year that we are trying to clean up, too. We are looking at it from all angles. I am definitely working out every single day here. It is good to be back in the facility. … I am not swayed one way or another.”

Here’s more on certain players’ participation decisions:

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