Nets Recall Isaiah Whitehead From G League
- Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead, who was sent to the G League on Monday, has been recalled, the club announced today in a press release. Whitehead has also had three assignments to the Long Island Nets this season.
Spencer Dinwiddie's Guarantee Increases To $250K
- Because he remained on the Nets‘ roster through October 31, Spencer Dinwiddie saw the guarantee on his 2017/18 salary increase from $50K to $250K, per Bobby Marks of ESPN. The young point guard has been one of Brooklyn’s most pleasant surprises early in the season, and his play is forcing the team to expand his role, writes Alex Squadron of The New York Post. The rest of Dinwiddie’s salary for this season will become guaranteed on January 10.
Crabbe Isn't Taking A Lot Of Shots
- The Nets traded for shooting guard Allen Crabbe‘s huge contract but he hasn’t taken a lot of shots in the early going, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.com notes. Crabbe, who is the second year of a four-year, $74.8MM deal, was acquired from the Trail Blazers in July. Thus far, he’s averaging 10.6 PPG and taking an average of 9.4 shots per game. However, coach Kenny Atkinson told Puccio and other media members that he’s not worried about getting Crabbe more involved. “We’re not a ‘let’s give it to Allen and clear out and let him go one-on-one,’” Atkinson said. “It’s a team concept. That means everything has to be in sync, we have to run to our spots, screen better, cut better.”
Nets Assign Isaiah Whitehead To G League
- It looks like Isaiah Whitehead will bounce back and forth between the Brooklyn Nets and Long Island Nets frequently throughout the 2017/18 season. The team issued a press release today announcing that Whitehead has been sent to the G League — it’s already his third assignment of the season.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/29/17
Here are the G League moves from around the Association today:
- The Hornets have assigned two-way player Mangok Mathiang to the Greensboro Swarm, the club’s public relations department announced on Twitter. Mathiang saw action in just one NBA game during his stint with the big league squad before joining the franchise’s affiliate.
- The Nets have recalled point guard Isaiah Whitehead from the Long Island Nets. He spent the weekend with the G League affiliate.
New York Notes: Hornacek, Ntilikina, Mozgov
A new management group is in place for the Knicks in the wake of Phil Jackson‘s departure in June, with Steve Mills having been promoted to the top job and Scott Perry brought in to have a significant voice in basketball decisions. Over the last few months, Mills and Perry have been making changes typical of a new front office, hiring or demoting executives and scouts, and retooling the roster by trading longtime star Carmelo Anthony.
However, the front office has yet to make any real changes on the sidelines, where head coach Jeff Hornacek continues to run the show. As Ian Begley of ESPN.com details, Knicks decision-makers want to see how Hornacek performed this season with Jackson no longer around to influence the team’s on-court decisions and systems. While Mills and Perry aren’t expecting the club to be a contender, they’d like to see improvement on defense and a strong effort from the current roster.
So far, the on-court results for Hornacek haven’t been good. After an 0-5 preseason, the Knicks are the NBA’s only winless team in the regular season, at 0-3. Additionally, as Begley details, it appears there are some players unfamiliar with some of the team’s plays. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), meanwhile, hasn’t been impressed with the Knicks’ effort.
While Hornacek seems likely to get a longer leash in New York than Earl Watson – fired after three games – did in Phoenix, Perry “doesn’t want to waste time with the wrong people in place,” people familiar with his thinking tell Begley. If the Knicks’ lackadaisical showings continue, Hornacek’s seat figures to get very hot.
Here’s more from out of New York:
- Knicks first-round pick Frank Ntilikina has been limited to just eight minutes played so far this season due to an ankle injury, but he’s set to return to the court on Friday against the Nets, per Barbara Barker of Newsday. “I’m excited,” Ntilikina said. “First game at the Garden in the regular season. So yeah, I can’t wait to go out there.”
- Nets center Timofey Mozgov, in the second year of lucrative $64MM contract, is looking to expand his game and boost his value by developing a three-point shot. Scott Cacciola of The New York Times has the details.
- Much has been made of the positive Nets culture under GM Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson. Now, as Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate – the Long Island Nets – is attempting to emulate that culture.
- Earlier today, we passed along details on a major change to Nets ownership and published our recap of the Knicks‘ offseason.
Joseph Tsai Buying 49 Percent Stake In Nets
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has reached an agreement to sell a 49% minority stake in the Nets to Alibaba executive vice chairman and co-founder Joseph Tsai, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN. League sources tell the ESPN duo that Tsai’s purchase will be based on a $2.3 billion valuation of the franchise.
As Wojnarowski and Lowe detail, the agreement between Prokhorov and Tsai will give the new investor the option to take over a majority interest in the franchise in the not-too-distant future. The plan is for Prokhorov to remain the principal and operating owner of the Nets for four more years, with the assumption that he’ll sell his stake once Tsai triggers his option.
As long as Tsai controls just 49% of the team, Prokhorov will continue to oversee the Nets’ basketball and business operations, sources tell the ESPN duo.
Reports of Prokhorov’s willingness to sell 49% of the Nets, with a path to controlling ownership for the new minority shareholder, have surfaced throughout the year. Tsai, whose Alibaba Group is a massive Chinese e-commerce company, had been cited as a possible buyer multiple times, despite the fact that a spokesperson repeatedly denied his interest.
The $2.3 billion valuation on Tsai’s purchase of the Nets is somewhat surprising. Although Brooklyn is certainly a favorable market, the club has won just 41 total games in the last two years, and currently lacks superstar talent. The agreement also doesn’t include ownership of the Barclays Center, the team’s arena. Nonetheless, the $2.3 billion valuation is a new record for an NBA franchise, surpassing the Rockets’ $2.2 billion sale price from earlier this year.
[RELATED: Tilman Fertitta Approved To Buy Rockets For $2.2 Billion]
Although the Nets haven’t enjoyed much on-court success in recent years, Tsai has “expressed enthusiasm over the direction of the franchise,” and has confidence in GM Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson, sources tell Wojnarowski and Lowe. Tsai intends to take advantage of his strong business ties in Asia to create “global business opportunities” for the Nets.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/26/17
Here are the G League moves from around the league today:
- The Sixers have recalled Furkan Korkmaz from the Delaware 87ers, the team announced in a press release. They had assigned him to the affiliate just earlier in the day.
- The Nets have assigned Isaiah Whitehead to the Long Island Nets, the team announced via press release. Whitehead didn’t see NBA action while recalled with the big league club.
LeBron, Lue: Nets' Pick Might Not Be That Great
- After losing to the Nets on Wednesday night, James points out to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder – currently held by the Cavs – “might not even be that good of a pick.” Given the Nets’ record over the last couple seasons, their unprotected 2018 first-rounder was considered the crown jewel of the Cavs’ trade with the Celtics this summer, but Brooklyn is off to a good start this season, with a 3-2 record. “We’re running around here worrying about getting the Brooklyn pick, they might want our pick,” said head coach Tyronn Lue.
Stashed Away European Prospect Could Join NBA Next Season
- Aleksandar Vezenkov, the Nets‘ second-round pick (57th overall) this year told Bulgarian media that team officials told him he could be in Brooklyn as soon as next season, per Net Income of NetsDaily. Vezenkov, 22, is a European stash for the Nets who general manager Sean Marks labeled an “elite shooter.”