Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Carter, Payne, Nets, O’Connell

June 14th, 2024 at 9:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a wide open draft, the Sixers will have an intriguing choice to make with their No. 16 first round draft pick. Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports makes the case for Providence point guard Devin Carter, one of the elite defenders in the NCAA during 2023/24.

A junior last season, he averaged 19.7 points on a .473/.377/.749 shooting line, along with 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Philadelphia could use a major influx of athleticism next season, and Neubeck contends that, given Carter’s experience, he should be able to earn rotation minutes right away.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers reserve point guard Cameron Payne was arrested in Arizona after he made a false report and would not identify himself, reports Zach Buchanan of The Phoenix New Times. Both offenses are misdemeanors. Splitting his time between Milwaukee and Philadelphia last season (he was flipped for veteran Patrick Beverley midway through the year), Payne averaged a cumulative 7.4 points per game on .432/.390/.866 shooting, plus 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 steals.
The Nets face a fascinating offseason this summer, and will have some big decisions to make about two key starters, states longtime basketball insider Yossi Gozlan (YouTube video link). Center Nic Claxton is an unrestricted free agent, and is looking for a major raise coming off a two-year, $17.3MM deal with Brooklyn. In October, star forward Mikal Bridges will become eligible to ink a three-season, $113MM contract extension with the club. Gozlan notes that Brooklyn could make a move to trade for a star player now, or could explore a more thorough rebuild.
During a recent Knicks free agent minicamp, former Duke shooting guard Alex O’Connell led about 20 players in scoring, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter). New York possesses the G League rights to O’Connell, who spent the 2023/24 season playing for Italian club Reyer Venezia.

Knicks Notes: George, Mitchell, Anunoby, Hartenstein

June 14th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Paul George would be an “ideal fit” for the Knicks, but it won’t be easy to acquire him if he fails to reach a long-term deal with the Clippers, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. The 34-year-old forward has a $48.8MM player option for next season that must be picked up by June 29. He’s eligible for a four-year, $221MM extension with Los Angeles, but negotiations have been at an impasse.

George’s three-point shooting, pick-and-roll skills and constant movement would help him blend seamlessly with the rest of New York’s roster, according to Katz, who adds that George and OG Anunoby would become the best pair of perimeter defenders in the league. Katz points out that George has a history of playing alongside other stars and he’s a client of CAA, which was formerly run by Knicks president Leon Rose.

New York won’t have cap space to sign George if he opts out, and the Clippers wouldn’t be permitted to sign and trade him because they’re above the second apron. The Knicks would need George to opt in to make a deal possible, and Katz is skeptical that L.A. would be in a hurry to move him if he’s under contract for another season.

Sources tell Katz that the Knicks have considered George in the past, but they’ve never made a serious offer to acquire him. That could change if he and the Clippers agree that picking up the option and being traded this summer is the best course of action.

There’s more from New York:

Sources also tell Katz that the Knicks’ desire to add Donovan Mitchell isn’t nearly as strong as it was two years ago. There has been speculation that the Cavaliers guard could be available again if he doesn’t agree to an extension this summer. New York made an offer to Utah for Mitchell in 2022, but Katz notes that Jalen Brunson‘s emergence into a star has diminished the need for another scoring guard. Katz also examines Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan as potential additions. Katz cites sources who say that the Nets have been offered multiple first-round picks for Bridges, but they continue to view him as part of the foundation and hope to eventually pair him with another star.
After their playoff run ended, members of the Knicks organization expressed confidence about their chances of re-signing both Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein, per Ian Begley of SNY. Begley adds that the team expects competition for both players and could be outbid for Hartenstein because league rules limit their offer to about $16MM for next season and $72.5MM over four years.
In a subscriber-only piece, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post examines Rose’s draft history to see if it offers any clues about what the Knicks might do with picks No. 24 and 25 this year.

Draft Notes: Shannon, Dante, Blazers, Magic, Antoine

June 13th, 2024 at 4:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Illinois guard Terrence Shannon has been found not guilty of all charges at his criminal trial in Kansas, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Shannon was facing felony charges of first-degree rape and sexual aggravated battery.

According to Givony, NBA teams have been closely monitoring Shannon’s legal situation. At one point he was a projected first-round pick, Givony notes, but he’s currently ranked No. 33 on ESPN’s big board.

Here are some more draft-related notes:

Oregon center N’Faly Dante, who is ranked No. 75 on ESPN’s board, appealed to the NCAA for an extra year of college eligibility, but that request has been denied, sources tell Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
The Trail Blazers hosted a pre-draft workout on Thursday featuring Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic, Duke big man Kyle Filipowski, Memphis guard David Jones, Arizona guard Pelle Larsson and Maryland guard Jahmir Young, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Portland controls four picks in the upcoming draft: a pair of lottery picks (Nos. 7 and 14) and two second-rounders (Nos. 34 and 40). Da Silva (No. 17 on ESPN’s board) and Filipowski (No. 21) are considered probable first-rounders.
The Magic held a pre-draft workout on Wednesday that featured Purdue’s Lance Jones, Syracuse’s Judah Mintz and North Carolina’s Cormac Ryan, according to Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire (Twitter link).
Radford guard Bryan Antoine, a McDonald’s All-American in High School, has a workout on Thursday with the Nets, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). The Knicks will host Antoine for a workout next week, Zagoria adds.

Celtics Notes: Lee, Porzingis, Tatum, Pagliuca

June 12th, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics assistant Charles Lee is the only participant in the NBA Finals who’s working two jobs. Lee, who was hired more than a month ago as the Hornets‘ next head coach, is preparing to take over in Charlotte while fulfilling his commitment to his current team, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

Lee said he sought advice from Kings head coach Mike Brown, who was in the same situation two years ago as an assistant with Golden State.

“The biggest thing is focusing on the right now, which I need to,” Lee said. “When my Celtics hat is on, I’m fully engaged. That is where my mind is at. When I leave the arena, all of the sudden you have to think about your staff and connecting with your players and what does the training camp and Summer League look like. I’ve been making pretty good progress.”

Once the Finals are done, Lee will only have a few days to spend with the Hornets before the draft and the start of free agency. He has already started to familiarize himself with the team, according to Spears, meeting LaMelo Ball for lunch, watching a pair of workouts in Charlotte, and holding Zoom calls with prospective members of his coaching staff. Lee told Spears that he plans to coach the Hornets’ Summer League team in July.

“I’m so excited for a number of reasons,” Lee said. “Nothing is ever given to you. And you have to work for it. And that’s what I’m all about and the mentality I want to bring to Charlotte, too. It’s not going to be easy. No one is going to give us anything. But we have to work every day. You have to be obsessed with daily improvement.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

The leg injury that Kristaps Porzingis suffered in Game 2 has the potential to change the direction of the series, observe Jared Weiss and Jay King of The Athletic. Weiss notes that Boston hasn’t been nearly as good defensively in the playoffs with backup big men Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta on the court, while King suggests Jayson Tatum may see time at center in small-ball lineups if Porzingis is unavailable.
Tatum tells Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe that he’s reached a point in his career where he can help the Celtics even when his shot isn’t falling. Tatum is just 12-of-38 from the field in the past two games, but he’s contributing by rebounding, passing and playing defense. “I think being in the Finals two years ago has helped me in this moment,” he said. “I understand that I do need to be more efficient. I do need to shoot the ball better, I would not disagree with anybody on that. But I’m not letting it bother me. I’m still trying to find ways to impact the game and dominate the game in other areas.”
Celtics minority owner Stephen Pagliuca spoke to Brian Lewis and Josh Kosman of The New York Post about how close he came to joining Joe Tsai in his purchase of the Nets in 2017.

New York Notes: Schröder, Hurley, Knicks’ Targets, Lowry, Morris, Irving

June 11th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder would like to stay put for a change.

After playing his first five seasons with Atlanta, Schröder has worn six different uniforms since the 2018/19 season. Schröder has one year left on his contract at $13MM but he could be packaged by the Nets in a trade. He hopes that won’t happen, NetsDaily.com relays via an interview with Germany outlet Braunschweig Zeitung.

“Brooklyn is a really cool, great organization, quite family-oriented,” he said. “I’d definitely like to stick around for the long haul — My agent and I feel like the Nets liked how I contributed. I’ve brought in more defense, teamwork and displayed leadership, but if someone as exceptional as Giannis Antetokounmpo or another superstar wants to join Brooklyn, the Nets could make deals to acquire that player … and that’s why nothing is certain in the NBA.”

There’s no evidence that the Bucks superstar wants to be dealt, but Schröder’s $13MM expiring contract could be a useful salary-matching piece in a major trade.

We have more from the New York teams:

Dan Hurley spurned the Lakers but he could eventually accept an NBA job closer to home, East Coast-based Adam Zagoria tweets. According to Zagoria, there’s plenty of speculation that the UConn coach will one day coach the Knicks or Nets.
The Knicks could have access to the $12.9MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5.2MM taxpayer exception, depending on how things shake out over the next few weeks. What players might they look at? The Athletic’s Fred Katz explores that topic, listing 10 potential targets such as Kyle Anderson, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. He also notes that Kyle Lowry was on the Knicks’ radar after his buyout with the Hornets last winter before the 38-year-old guard signed with Philadelphia.
Markieff Morris was part of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks last season. The Mavericks forward said Irving wanted out of Brooklyn for a simple reason — he wanted to get paid, and the Nets weren’t willing to give him the sort of deal he wanted. “It was time for his contract extension, the two sides didn’t meet up, business got involved, and that’s what happened. That’s how it goes,” Morris told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I think Kyrie was averaging about 27 [points per game] at the time. I think we won 18 out of 20 and all of a sudden the business got involved. That’s how it goes sometimes. A guy of Kyrie’s stature, I wouldn’t be standing for that either. Get me up out of there.”

2024 NBA Draft Picks By Team

June 7th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs and Trail Blazers were among the winners on last month’s draft lottery day, with the results on May 12 ensuring that both teams would have a pair of lottery picks in 2024. San Antonio received Toronto’s top-six protected first-rounder when it dropped to No. 8, while Portland was assured of receiving Golden State’s top-four protected first-rounder when it remained at No. 14. Both clubs’ own picks are in the top seven.

Besides being the only NBA teams to control two lottery picks this year, San Antonio and Portland have something else in common — they’re the only two clubs that own more than three total 2024 draft picks. In addition to No. 4 and No. 8, the Spurs have Nos. 35 and 48, while Portland has a pair of early second-rounders (Nos. 34 and 40) to go with its No. 7 and No. 14 picks.

Many of this year’s draft picks have changed hands at some point, with only 24 of 58 total selections held by their original owner, but they’re still a little more evenly distributed than usual. A year ago, 11 teams controlled three or more picks at this time, whereas this year only seven clubs hold more than two picks apiece.

In addition to those seven teams with three or more picks, 13 more clubs own a pair of draft selections, while another nine control one apiece. That leaves just a single NBA team without a draft pick this year: the Nets. Brooklyn traded both of its 2024 picks back in 2021, sending out its first-rounder in a package for James Harden and including its second-rounder later that year in a Sekou Doumbouya salary dump. The Nets could still trade into this draft, but for now they’re the only team on track to sit it out.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2024 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

San Antonio Spurs (4): 4, 8, 35, 48
Portland Trail Blazers (4): 7, 14, 34, 40
Washington Wizards (3): 2, 26, 51
Memphis Grizzlies (3): 9, 39, 57
Utah Jazz (3): 10, 29, 32
New York Knicks (3): 24, 25, 38
Indiana Pacers (3): 36, 49, 50

Teams with two picks:

Houston Rockets: 3, 44
Detroit Pistons: 5, 53
Charlotte Hornets: 6, 42
Sacramento Kings: 13, 45
Miami Heat: 15, 43
Philadelphia 76ers: 16, 41
Los Angeles Lakers: 17, 55
Orlando Magic: 18, 47
Toronto Raptors: 19, 31
Milwaukee Bucks: 23, 33
Minnesota Timberwolves: 27, 37
Denver Nuggets: 28, 56
Boston Celtics: 30, 54

Teams with one pick:

Atlanta Hawks: 1
Chicago Bulls: 11
Oklahoma City Thunder: 12
Cleveland Cavaliers: 20
New Orleans Pelicans: 21
Phoenix Suns: 22
Los Angeles Clippers: 46
Golden State Warriors: 52
Dallas Mavericks: 58

Teams with no picks:

Brooklyn Nets

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Porzingis, Celtics, Nets, Sixers

June 6th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Star forward Jayson Tatum admitted to reporters this week that the Celtics‘ storied history creates some additional pressure in the quest for a championship, which would be the franchise’s record-setting 18th title, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“We only hang NBA championship banners, right? 17 of them,” Tatum said. “Some of the greatest players to ever play this game wore this uniform. All of us are honored to follow in their footsteps, the way they paved for us to live out our dream. … If you want to be one of the greats to put on this uniform, every great before you won a championship. That’s what we try to play for every single season. The expectations are obviously different here. It takes special players to be here and to be a part of an environment like that.”

Tatum, who is in his seventh season with the Celtics and is competing in his 20th career playoff series, said he’s gotten accustomed to that pressure over the years and that his goal in this year’s Finals is to “enjoy the moment.” Boston has made four Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals during Tatum’s tenure. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, Tatum and the Celtics believe they’re ready for the Finals this time around after experiencing some growing pains in the postseason earlier in his career.

“We come into the league at such a young age, and they want us to be perfect right away. It’s just part of growing up,” Tatum said. “You’re still growing up. I’m still growing up. It’s a process, right? Nothing was accomplished overnight. I think you’ll find a value in tough times, the ups and downs of just what life brings you.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Jared Weiss of The Athletic and Brian Robb of MassLive.com each published in-depth features on Kristaps Porzingis this week ahead of his Game 1 return, with Weiss covering the big man’s transition to the Celtics following last summer’s blockbuster trade, while Robb details how that trade was a culmination of the team’s longtime interest in Porzingis, which dated back to 2014 when he initially declared for the draft before withdrawing and reentering in 2015.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was noncommittal when asked about a recent report that suggested senior consultant Jeff Van Gundy could transition into a role on Boston’s bench next season, per Robb of MassLive.com. “We don’t really know yet,” Mazzulla said during a radio appearance on Zolak and Bertrand on 98.5 FM in Boston. “We always said we are going to hire from within and kind of talk more about that after the season.”
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who described his new coaching staff as “player development-oriented,” went into more detail earlier this week about what his idea of player development looks like, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “There’s no better player development in the world than playing real minutes. And we value real minutes, not just in the NBA but also the G League,” Fernandez said. “And we have all the resources we need to help our guys get better. But at the end of the day, we’re going to value team success over everything else. So it’s gonna be a clear message from the beginning; we’re gonna expect these guys to work really hard every day.”
While LeBron James is widely considered likely to remain with the Lakers, the Sixers – armed with $60MM+ in cap room and a pair of stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey – could make a compelling pitch to the four-time MVP. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores what it would look like if James decided he wanted to leave Los Angeles for Philadelphia.

Central Notes: Bucks, Pistons’ FA Targets, Williams, Donovan III

June 5th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

An expensive core of players will limit the Bucks‘ ability to add talent this summer, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Although there’s a need to upgrade after a chaotic season that ended with a first-round playoff exit, the front office will likely be sorting through minimum-salary options to fill out the roster.

Milwaukee’s salary situation starts with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who are each owed $48.8MM next season, which combines for about 69% of the projected $141MM salary cap. Adding $31.7MM for Khris Middleton and $23MM for Brook Lopez puts the Bucks above $152MM, exceeding the cap with just four players.

Beyond that, Milwaukee will pay $12.6MM to Bobby Portis and $9.4MM to Pat Connaughton, plus minimum contracts for MarJon Beauchamp ($2.7MM) and Chris Livingston ($1.9MM). Andre Jackson Jr. only has a $946K guarantee on his $1.9MM salary until January, and A.J. Green‘s $2.1MM contract is non-guaranteed until July 8.

Keeping all those players would cost the Bucks about $180.85MM, Nehm adds, which puts them over the projected first tax apron of $178.655MM with at least four more slots that have to be filled. If Milwaukee holds on to its 23rd ($2.95MM) and 33rd ($1.16MM) picks in the draft and signs two minimum-salary veterans, the team will exceed the $189.485MM second apron without including $2.3MM in unlikely incentives for Middleton.

Nehm notes that the Bucks need to add point-of-attack defenders, help on the wing, and a backup center, but it will tough to find any of those things while operating under the apron restrictions.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Kings guard Malik Monk, Nets center Nic Claxton and Magic guard Gary Harris should be targets for the Pistons in free agency, James L. Edwards of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. Monk would provide much-needed three-point shooting and can attack off the dribble, Edwards notes, while Claxton would be a proven rim protector and Harris fills a need as a three-and-D wing. Edwards also expects Detroit to re-sign free agent forward Simone Fontecchio.
In the same piece, Edwards suggests the odds are about 50-50 on head coach Monty Williams remaining with the Pistons. Edwards states that it works in Williams’ favor that he still has five years remaining on his six-year, $78MM contract and he didn’t have a good roster to work with. However, he got 62 games out of Cade Cunningham and still produced fewer wins than Dwane Casey did before the last coaching change.
Billy Donovan III, the son of the Bulls‘ head coach, will be the next coach of the team’s G League affiliate, according to Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago. He’ll replace former Windy City Bulls head coach Henry Domercant, who could wind up on Chicago’s coaching staff, Taylor adds.

Draft Notes: Sarr, Risacher, Clingan, Withdrawals

June 5th, 2024 at 7:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Alexandre Sarr holds the top spot in the latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, but he cautions that the Hawks are a long way from deciding what they’re going to do with the No. 1 pick. Atlanta faced long odds for landing the first selection before moving up nine spots in the lottery, so its scouts weren’t as informed about the top prospects as some rival teams. Sources tell Vecenie that the Hawks are still in “information-gathering” mode as they sort through their options.

He notes that several members of the front office recently traveled to France to watch Zaccharie Risacher in a playoff game. Sarr and Risacher are widely expected to be the first two players off the board, but Vecenie hears that UConn center Donovan Clingan is in the mix as well.

Risacher, who goes to the Wizards at No. 2 in Vecenie’s mock draft, helped to solidify his status with a strong performance in the French League playoffs, averaging 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Risacher’s stock had been slipping due to a prolonged shooting slump, but Vecenie’s sources are now confident that he’ll be taken somewhere in the top four.

Clingan is a candidate to be selected anywhere from No. 1 to No. 3, but he could also slide if that doesn’t happen, Vecenie adds, because the next three teams — the Spurs, Pistons and Hornets — don’t have an immediate need for center help. That’s the scenario in Vecenie’s mock draft, with Clingan going to the Trail Blazers at No. 7. However, he notes that many teams would have interest in trading up for Clingan if he does start to fall.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

In the same piece, Vecenie speculates that one of the reasons 93 players withdrew from the draft is increased uncertainty at the top of the second round. With the draft broken up into two days, there could be a significant shakeup in the draft order throughout the 30s. Teams that might be willing to trade include the Trail Blazers, who have two of the first 10 picks in the second round as well as two lottery selections; the Spurs, who pick twice in the lottery and hold No. 35; the Knicks, who own picks No. 24, 25 and 38; and the Jazz, who have No. 32 after picking twice in the first round. Vecenie also points to the Bucks (33), Pacers (36), Timberwolves (37) and Grizzlies (39) as win-now teams who would likely prefer other assets instead of second-round selections. There’s also an expectation that the Raptors could receive significant offers for the first pick of the second night, Vecenie adds.
Iowa’s Payton Sandfort is the best player who pulled his name out of the draft, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Without a firm first-round commitment, the 6’7″ guard opted to return to the Hawkeyes for his senior season. Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis, UConn forward Alex Karaban, Alabama guard Mark Sears and Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile round out Scotto’s top five.
Hofstra’s Tyler Thomas has workouts scheduled this week with the Lakers and Clippers, tweets Adam Zagoria.
Taran Armstrong, an All-Camp Team selection at the adidas Eurocamp, has completed workouts with the Kings and Lakers, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link). Armstrong has upcoming sessions with the Magic, Pistons, Wizards, Nets, Mavericks, Clippers and Pacers, and more teams may be added to that list.
Latvian guard Roberts Blums has withdrawn from the draft and will play for Davidson this season, confirms Jon Chepkevich of Draft Express (Twitter link). June 16 is the deadline for international players to remove their names from the draft pool.

Pistons Hiring J.R. Holden In Front Office Role

June 4th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets are about to lose another key executive, according to Jake Fischer and Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, who report (via Twitter) that Brooklyn’s director of player personnel J.R. Holden will leave the organization to take a front office job with the Pistons.

Sean Marks already lost one top lieutenant in March when the Hornets hired Jeff Peterson (an assistant GM in Brooklyn) as their new head of basketball operations. Holden will be joining new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon in Detroit.

Although Langdon and Holden both worked under Marks in Brooklyn, they didn’t overlap at all during their stints with the franchise. Langdon left the Nets in 2019 to become the Pelicans’ general manager. Later in that same summer, Holden was hired away from the Sixers by the Nets, who made him their director of player personnel.

However, Langdon and Holden were teammates with CSKA Moscow during their playing careers. A former standout at Bucknell, Holden played professionally overseas from 1998-2011, competing in Latvia, Belgium, Greece, and Russia. He and Langdon won a pair of EuroLeague championships with CSKA in 2006 and 2008, and both men were named to the EuroLeague’s All-Decade team for the 2000s.

Following his playing career, Holden transitioned into scouting, working for Detroit and Philadelphia before being hired by the Nets in 2019. The Pistons reportedly had interest in bringing him back in an executive role in 2020, but nothing came of that interest at the time — four years later, it appears a reunion is imminent.

Fischer and Goodwill don’t specify what Holden’s title will be with the Pistons, so it’s unclear whether he’ll be Langdon’s second-in-command or if another executive will be brought in for that position. Previous reporting stated that Detroit was eyeing Pelicans VP of basketball administration Michael Blackstone as a possible No. 2 to Langdon.