Nets Notes: Graham, Carroll, Davis, Allen
After two years with the Hornets, Treveon Graham signed with the Nets during the offseason because he wanted a chance to compete for serious playing time, relays Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily. Graham appeared in just 27 games as a rookie, but worked his way into Charlotte’s rotation last year, averaging 16.7 minutes in 63 games. He accepted a one-year deal with a team option to come to Brooklyn in hopes of showing that he’s worthy of a larger role.
“What I told them as they were recruiting me was I wanted to go somewhere that I can compete for a job,” Graham said. “I understand nothing is going to be guaranteed to me. I’m going to fight for my minutes. That’s something they liked about me; how I am and how hard I work.”
Getting minutes won’t be easy to get as the Nets are stocked at the wing with DeMarre Carroll, Allen Crabbe, Joe Harris, Caris LeVert, Dzanan Musa, Jared Dudley and Theo Pinson. However, Graham is eager for the competition.
“I feel like it’s up to me,” he said. “If I play and how much I play is up to me. It’s up to me to get in the gym and work. It’s up to me to show that I deserve to be on the court. I don’t want anything handed to me and that’s why I came here.”
There’s more today out of Brooklyn:
- Entering his second year with the Nets, Carroll is grateful that the team brought in more veterans this summer to help with leadership roles, Fonseca writes in a separate story. In addition to Davis, Brooklyn signed 30-year old free agent Ed Davis and traded for the 33-year-old Dudley. “It’s just great to have another person who’s been through the fire and understands what it takes to win,” Carroll said.
- Davis has become a valuable teacher for 20-year-old center Jarrett Allen, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Davis, who has been in the league for eight years, has been sharing his knowledge of the finer points of post play and challenging Allen in practice. “It’s been helpful,” Allen said. “Ed Davis is amazing at rebounding. It’s helping me get ready for the season. … If he gets an offensive rebound, Coach is going to be yelling, and you don’t want Coach yelling. It’s my job to keep him off the glass.”
- This year’s draft picks, Musa and Rodions Kurucs, won’t object if they are asked to spend some time in the G League, relays Net Income on NetsDaily
2018 Offseason In Review: Brooklyn Nets
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Brooklyn Nets.
Signings:
Standard contracts:
- Joe Harris: Two years, $16MM. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Ed Davis: One year, $4.45MM. Signed using room exception.
- Shabazz Napier: Two years, $3.79MM. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using cap room.
- Treveon Graham: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Mitch Creek: One year, minimum salary.
- Jordan McLaughlin: One year, minimum salary.
- Nuni Omot: One year, minimum salary.
- Theo Pinson: One year, minimum salary.
Trades:
- Acquired Dwight Howard from the Hornets in exchange for Timofey Mozgov, the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo (No. 45 pick), the Nets’ 2021 second-round pick, and cash ($5MM).
- Note: Howard was later bought out.
- Acquired the rights to Isaia Cordinier and the Trail Blazers’ 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protected) from the Hawks in exchange for Jeremy Lin, the Nets’ 2025 second-round pick, and the right to swap 2023 second-round picks.
- Acquired Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur, the Nuggets’ 2019 first-round pick (top-12 protected), and the Nuggets’ 2020 second-round pick from the Nuggets in exchange for Isaiah Whitehead.
- Acquired Jared Dudley and the Suns’ 2021 second-round pick (top-35 protected) from the Suns in exchange for Darrell Arthur.
Draft picks:
- 1-29: Dzanan Musa — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-40: Rodions Kurucs — Signed to four-year, $6.96MM contract. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using cap room.
Departing players:
- Quincy Acy
- Dante Cunningham
- Milton Doyle (two-way)
- Jeremy Lin
- Timofey Mozgov
- Jahlil Okafor
- Nik Stauskas
- James Webb III (two-way)
- Isaiah Whitehead
Other offseason news:
- Named Will Weaver head coach of G League affiliate Long Island Nets.
- Kenneth Faried charged with possession of marijuana.
Salary cap situation:
- Used cap space; now over the cap.
- Carrying approximately $116MM in guaranteed salaries.
- No cap exceptions left besides minimum salary exception.
Check out the Brooklyn Nets’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
For the fifth straight year, the Nets were without their first-round pick in 2018, and for the third consecutive year, that pick would have been a top-10 selection. Brooklyn’s dearth of lottery picks, a result of an ill-fated trade with the Celtics, has slowed the team’s rebuild. Even as the Nets’ front office has made savvy and sound roster decisions, the lack of opportunities to land future stars has limited the club’s progress.
The 2018 offseason didn’t present any new opportunities to draft or sign a franchise-altering player, but it may have been the last Brooklyn summer defined by gathering assets and moving pieces around with an eye toward making a future splash.
After all, the summer of 2019 will mark the first time since 2013 that the Nets will have their own first-round pick, and the team also owns Denver’s first-rounder (top-12 protected) in that draft. On top of that, Brooklyn’s trade of Timofey Mozgov this offseason ensured that the team will clear a massive amount of salary from its books at season’s end, opening the door for the possibility of a major signing (or two) in 2019.
It has been a long, slow, and painful process, but the Nets’ patience has put them in a position to make some noise in the not-so-distant future.
Key offseason losses:Community Shootaround: Rookie Scale Extensions
So far this offseason, two players have signed rookie scale extensions: Devin Booker got a new deal from the Suns, and the Timberwolves locked up Karl-Anthony Towns to a new long-term pact.
In each of those instances, the player received a maximum salary extension. Max deals, which require little negotiation, typically get done well before the mid-October deadline for rookie scale extensions. But with that deadline now just two weeks away, we may start seeing progress on a few other deals around the NBA.
Besides Booker and Towns, 21 players are eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason, though some of the players on that list assuredly won’t get new deals. The Cavaliers aren’t about to give Sam Dekker a long-term contract, for example. And it’s safe to assume that the Bulls aren’t looking to lock up Cameron Payne early.
Still, there are several names on that list who are intriguing candidates for new deals. Here are 12 of them:
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Nets)
- Stanley Johnson (Pistons)
- Frank Kaminsky (Hornets)
- Trey Lyles (Nuggets)
- Larry Nance Jr. (Cavaliers)
- Kelly Oubre (Wizards)
- Bobby Portis (Bulls)
- Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks)
- Terry Rozier (Celtics)
- Myles Turner (Pacers)
- Justise Winslow (Heat)
- Delon Wright (Raptors)
Not all the players on this list will sign rookie scale extensions within the next two weeks. In fact, most of them probably won’t. There are plenty of reasons for teams to wait — maybe the asking prices are too high, maybe their financial situations aren’t conducive to more long-term investments at this point, or maybe they simply want another season to take a closer look at their extension candidates.
[RELATED: Recent NBA Rookie Scale Extension History]
Still, it’s safe to assume that at least a couple players on this list will receive new deals. Typically, at least four players per year sign rookie scale extensions, and the numbers in previous seasons have often been much higher than that — in 2014, 2015, and 2016, a combined 24 players signed rookie scale extensions, for an average of eight per year.
With that October 15 deadline fast approaching, we want to know what you think. Which of this year’s extension candidates will receive new deals? Which deserve them, and at what price point? Which should be put off until they reach restricted free agency next summer?
Head to the comment section below to share your two cents on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates!
Jared Dudley Provides On-Court Value, Too
- The Nets will pay Jared Dudley $9.5MM this season but the 33-year-old could be more than just an expiring contract. Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes about Dudley’s defensive IQ and ability to provide leadership in the locker room as major assets. The slimmed down veteran could also earn minutes as the lone stretch four on the roster.
Rockets Making Strong Effort To Land Jimmy Butler
The Rockets are making a “strong effort” to acquire Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Timberwolves, sources tell Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). Berman’s report comes after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated on Wednesday that Houston was pursuing Butler.
Wojnarowski, who suggested that the Rockets were “trying to be creative” as they explored trade possibilities for Butler, wrote that it would be tricky for the club to pull off a deal for the All-NBA wing without involving a third team. Berman, meanwhile, doesn’t offer much in the way of specifics.
It’s hard to imagine Houston being able to trade for Butler without giving up Eric Gordon, whose $13MM+ salary would make for a good salary-matching piece and whose ability to make an immediate impact might appeal to Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Rockets also have full control over their future first-round picks, though the value of their 2019 selection would be limited, since it’s likely to fall in the late-20s.
Although the Rockets are apparently pushing to land Butler, they’re not the only team involved. Wojnarowski’s report on Thursday named the Clippers and Cavaliers as other clubs in the mix, with the Heat still considered the most aggressive suitors. The Wizards and Mavericks have also gauged the asking price on Butler, while the Nets have interest but haven’t engaged Minnesota recently, per Woj.
Here’s more on Butler:
- The Heat are open to the idea of taking on Gorgui Dieng‘s contract from the Timberwolves “under the right circumstances,” according to Wojnarowski.
- Wojnarowski indicates that potential trade partners are skeptical of Thibodeau’s willingness to move Butler, since he’s making counter-offers he knows would never be accepted. In an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided an example, reporting that the Timberwolves asked for Ben Simmons when they made a counter-offer to the Sixers (hat tip to Dane Delgado of NBC Sports). We passed along a report earlier today suggesting that Philadelphia has since pulled out of the Butler sweepstakes.
- The Nuggets were mentioned several days ago as a potential dark horse for Butler, but T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports hears that Denver views Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris as “untouchable” (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). A trade for an All-Star like Butler is probably a long shot without any of those players involved.
- Earlier today, we relayed an update on the Kings‘ potential involvement in the Butler talks — Sacramento is still interested in getting involved as a facilitator, but will be cautious about adding too much multiyear money to its cap.
New York Notes: Hardaway, Noah, LeVert, Hornacek
Tim Hardaway Jr. started 54 of the 57 games he played last season, but he doesn’t mind having to fight for a starting position in camp, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. New coach David Fizdale has declared an open competition for all five starting roles, which means there are no guarantees even for a player like Hardaway, who has the third-highest salary on the team at $17.325MM.
“Everybody has to compete,’’ Hardaway said. “No spots are given. Everything is earned. So you’ve got to go out there and play with heart, play with passion. He’s going to make the right decision, put the five guys that he wants on the floor to start the game and we go on from there.”
Hardaway Jr. has a much longer relationship with Fizdale than any of his Knicks teammates. Hardaay’s father played for the Heat when Fizdale entered the league as a video coordinator in 1997/98 and served as a scout for Miami while Fizdale was an assistant coach.
“I just remember him being this little kid running around Miami Arena,” Fizdale said. “Now how my life’s come full circle with him. Now I’m his coach. It’s just fun for me. Because we have that connection with our families. … I really want to see him make it, but his deal is the same as everybody else’s: Earn it.’’
There’s more this morning from New York:
- Ongoing negotiations regarding a buyout for Joakim Noah are preventing the Knicks from making another roster move, Berman writes in a separate story. They want to sign former Columbia forward Jeff Coby for training camp, but already have 20 players and can’t make a move until the Noah situation is resolved.
- The Nets aren’t considered serious suitors for Timberwolves forward Jimmy Butler anymore and are happy with the wing players they have on their roster, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Caris LeVert, DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe should also see major minutes this season, along with Joe Harris, who re-signed over the summer. “First two days of training camp, he’s been fantastic, quite honestly. I’m going to call it like it is,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of LeVert.
- Former Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek is helping the Nets in an unofficial role during training camp and may continue to advise the team at times during the season, Lewis writes in another piece. Hornacek, who was dismissed by New York after last season ended, is a friend of Atkinson’s.
Musa Didn't Workout For Nets; Crabbe Not Worried About Rumors
- Nets rookie forward Dzanan Musa told reporters at media day (per Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily) that the Nets were one of the last teams he spoke with during the pre-draft process. Musa met with the team the day before the draft, but did not participate in a workout. Per Fonseca, the Nets scouted Musa extensively when he played overseas.
- Speaking of Butler’ trade buzz, Nets guard Allen Crabbe says he’s heard the rumors come up with his name, but he’s not letting it become a distraction, telling Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily that he’s concentrated on continuing to get better and work hard.
Nets’ Caris LeVert Poised For Breakout Season
Despite being linked to a potential trade for Jimmy Butler, Nets guard Caris LeVert is ready for a breakout year in Brooklyn during this, his third season, reports Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“I feel like it’s definitely my turn to take a big leap,” LeVert said. “It’s obviously good to hear from my teammates, because I feel like I put in a lot of work on and off the court, mentally, physically, and I feel like I’m ready to take that leap for sure.”
LeVert, who averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 assists last season, is expected to improve upon those and other numbers this season, as the Nets are convinced he has far more talent to tap – so much so that they have reportedly already turned down a mid-first-round pick for LeVert and possibly held him out of any potential talks for Butler, per Lewis.
“I focus on myself and getting better every day. I can’t control [trades], so I don’t really focus on them,” said the 24-year-old. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m very blessed to be in this situation. I love this team. I want to play here for a long time, but I know it’s a business.”
If there’s any one specific thing that will help LeVert take that next step, it’s likely his strength development. He worked all offseason closely alongside Nets’ director of sports science, Dan Meehan, mostly working on lower body strength and conditioning.
“Finishing, defense, every part of my game was lacking with my lower body strength,” LeVert said. “Balance was one of the big things that was lacking for me last year and the year before that. My lower-body strength has definitely helped with that. Finishing at the rim, guarding bigger players defensively, that will definitely help a lot.”
LeVert will likely begin the 2018/19 season coming off the bench in a backup role to D’Angelo Russell and Allen Crabbe. But if expectations come to fruition, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him starting before season’s end.
Nets Sign Nuni Omot To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Nets have filled their 20-man training camp roster by signing forward Nuni Omot to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link), it’s an Exhibit 10 deal.
Omot, who went undrafted out of Baylor this spring, averaged 9.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .489/.433/.855 shooting line during his final college season. He spent two years at Division II school Concordia University before transferring to Baylor for his junior and senior years, where he showed off a shooting stroke that made him a potential NBA sleeper, as Chris Dortch of NBA.com detailed in May.
With Omot under contract, the Nets now have a full 20-man roster, meaning there’s no room at the moment for Drew Gordon, who was reported to be on track for an Exhibit 10 deal of his own. It’s possible Brooklyn will still waive someone and sign Gordon at some point, but for now it’s Omot that claimed the final roster spot.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post first reported last week that Omot was a candidate to become Brooklyn’s 20th man for training camp.
Kings Open To Facilitating Three-Team Butler Trade
Only one NBA team still has any real cap space available for the 2018/19 season, and that team – Sacramento – is keeping a close eye on the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. According to Wojnarowski, the Kings have been “aggressive” in courting both the Timberwolves and potential Butler suitors, offering to use their cap room to accommodate unwanted contracts.
As Wojnarowski explains, the Kings – who have about $11MM in cap space – don’t have their own first-round pick for 2019, but could be in position to acquire another team’s first-rounder or other assets as part of a three-way Butler swap. Sacramento assistant GM Brandon Williams has let teams know that his club isn’t opposed to taking on multiyear contracts, whether that means Gorgui Dieng‘s deal or perhaps a pricey contract from a potential Wolves trade partner like the Heat, Clippers, or Nets.
While the Kings don’t have enough cap room to absorb, say, Dieng’s $15MM+ salary on its own, the club could send out any number of expiring contracts to make the math work. Zach Randolph ($11.7MM), Iman Shumpert ($11MM), Kosta Koufos ($8.74MM), and Ben McLemore ($5.46MM) are among the Sacramento veterans on expiring deals.
As the Kings explore ways to get involved in a possible Butler deal, teams interested in acquiring the All-Star wing have been receiving mixed signals from the Timberwolves on what kind of assets they value, sources tell Wojnarowski. According to ESPN’s report, clubs dealing with the Wolves are also confused about whether to deal with owner Glen Taylor or front office execs Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden — there’s a perception that the management and ownership groups may not be in agreement on the structure and timetable of a potential trade.
Although Thibodeau tried on Monday to convince Butler to report to the team during the preseason, the 29-year-old remains adamantly opposed to ever practicing or playing with the Timberwolves again and has implored Thibodeau and Taylor to trade him soon to avoid prolonging the drama, writes Wojnarowski. While there has been some optimism among opposing teams that Minnesota will comply with that request, “renewed uncertainty and hazy chains of communication” have dominated recent talks, Woj adds.