Nets To Work Out Derrick Jones
NetsDaily: Making QO To Brown An Easy Call
- All indications are that Markel Brown wants to stay with the Nets as his free agency approaches this summer, according to Anthony Parisi of NetsDaily. The second-year shooting guard saw less playing time this season than he did as a rookie, but he still displayed enough promise to warrant the team making the paltry $1,180,431 qualifying offer necessary to retain the right to match competing bids for him, Parisi contends. Brown’s minutes increased down the stretch after the dismissal of Lionel Hollins, Parisi notes. Brown played only 11 minutes over a 13-game span early in the season, prompting him to talk to Hollins about why he wasn’t seeing the court, as Parisi relays.
Nets Greatly Improved Shooting Under David Nurse
- The Nets made significant strides in their 3-point shooting as a team after David Nurse joined the team as a shooting coach in January, Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes (ESPN Now link). Prior to Nurse’s arrival, Brooklyn shot just 32.6% from beyond the arc, which was good for 28th in the league, Begley writes. But the Nets actually led the league from deep after Nurse came aboard, sinking a stellar 40.7% of their 3-point shots.
Nets Hire Shelden Williams, Others For Front Office
- The Nets have added several to their front office, including former No. 5 overall draft pick Shelden Williams, who’ll serve as a pro scout, and U.S. circuit court law clerk Natalie Jay, who’ll work as a cap and contract specialist, as the team details via press release. Spurs staffer Andrew Baker joins the Nets as strategic planning coordinator and Stanford assistant coach Charles Payne will be a pro and college scout for Brooklyn, the team announced. The Nets also said they promoted Ryan Gisriel to director of basketball administration. Gisriel has served the team as an intern, special projects coordinator and as assistant to the GM since his hiring in 2013.
Bargnani Claims Nets Didn't Honor Playing Time Promise
Former Nets power forward Andrea Bargnani, who was waived in February as part of a buyout arrangement, took to his personal Facebook page to explain the reason he wanted out of Brooklyn (translation via Orazio Cauchi of Sportando). The veteran claims he was promised more minutes than he was seeing by the team prior to inking his deal, and since he wasn’t receiving the playing time he was promised, it made more sense to part ways with the club than remain unhappy. Bargnani also added that he wanted to sign with a Euroleague club after securing his release from the Nets, but there wasn’t enough time to get a deal done. The 30-year-old former No. 1 overall pick made 46 appearances for Brooklyn this season, notching averages of 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per outing.
Steve Blake Had No Desire To Play For Nets
- Steve Blake, whom the Nets acquired last summer before shipping him to the Pistons for Quincy Miller, didn’t want to play for Brooklyn, and the team would likely have worked a buyout arrangement with him if it was unable to find a taker in the trade market, NetsDaily relays (on Twitter).
Nets Notes: Atkinson, Vaughn, Development
New Nets coach Kenny Atkinson‘s contract is for four years and approximately $10MM, NetsDaily reports (on Twitter). With performance bonuses, Atkinson could earn as much as $12MM, NetsDaily adds. The Nets hired Atkinson, formerly the Hawks’ top assistant, on April 17th as the team’s sixth coach since it moved to Brooklyn prior to the 2012/13 season, following Avery Johnson, P.J. Carlesimo, Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins and Tony Brown.
Here’s more on Atkinson and the Nets:
- The Nets again moved swiftly Saturday and hired Jacque Vaughn to be the team’s top assistant. Brooklyn wanted to move fast on its coaching decisions to exemplify a new culture, which is essential in the hope of luring free agents this summer, NetsDaily writes. With Atkinson and Vaughn on board, the Nets appear to be prioritizing player development under new GM Sean Marks, which is an element that had been missing in recent years for Brooklyn, NetsDaily adds.
- Pacers consultant Donnie Walsh, who was formerly the Knicks president when Atkinson was an assistant coach for New York, expects the first-year head coach to perform well in his new gig, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes in a lengthy profile. “I figured people would start noticing him. He’s got the talent,” Walsh said. “Some guys know the game, but just strategy, how to set up offense or defense. Kenny can teach the game. He’s in shape. I’d get a kick out of it. He’d say, I want you to go hard,’ and then lead it himself. [Players] are thinking, ‘[Expletive], if he can do it, I have to do it!’ … He’s like a little motor, the little battery that wouldn’t shut down.’’
Nets Hire Jacque Vaughn To Be Top Assistant
The Nets have hired Jacque Vaughn to be the team’s top assistant coach on Kenny Atkinson’s staff, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Vaughn played for the Nets during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons.
The Magic hired Vaughn to coach their team in 2012 and he compiled a 43-121 record over three-plus seasons. He was fired in February of 2015. Prior to joining the Magic, Vaughn was an assistant coach for Spurs.
Wojnarowski points out that GM Sean Marks has worked closely with Vaughn during their time together in San Antonio. Vaughn spent the 2015/16 season with the Spurs as a pro personnel director.
Hiring Of Kenny Atkinson Next Step In Culture Change
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Brooklyn Nets
New Brookyn GM Sean Marks is poised to have maximum-level cap flexibility to work with in the offseason ahead, even if all three of the Nets who have player options decide to opt in, and even with multiple cap hits remaining from previous buyouts. Hoops Rumors is looking at each team’s cap situation for next season, starting with the Nets:
Guaranteed Salary
- Brook Lopez ($21,165,675)
- Thaddeus Young ($12,278,652)
- (Deron Williams $5,474,787) — Salary remaining from buyout via stretch provision
- Bojan Bogdanovic ($3,573,020)
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($1,395,600)
- Chris McCullough ($1,191,480)
- Sean Kilpatrick ($980,431)
- Jarrett Jack ($500,000) — Partial guarantee; non-guaranteed portion listed below
- (Andrea Bargnani $323,599) — Salary remaining from buyout
- Total: $46,883,244
Player Options
- Wayne Ellington ($1,567,500)
- Shane Larkin ($1,500,000)
- Thomas Robinson ($1,050,961)
- Total: $4,118,461
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Jarrett Jack ($5,800,000) — Partial guarantee; guaranteed portion listed above
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Shane Larkin ($1,875,000/$1,875,000) — Pending player option
- Willie Reed ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)
- Markel Brown ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
- Totals: ($4,271,127/$4,271,127)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Sergey Karasev ($2,463,754)1
- Wayne Ellington ($1,800,000) — Pending player option
- Thomas Robinson ($980,431) — Pending player option
- Donald Sloan ($980,431)
- Henry Sims ($980,431)
- Total: $7,205,047
Other Cap Holds
- Andray Blatche ($1,788,285)
- Jason Collins ($980,431)
- Jerry Stackhouse ($980,431)
- Total: $3,749,147
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- The Nets can’t re-sign Karasev to a contract with a starting salary worth more than the amount listed here because they declined their team option on his rookie scale contract.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.