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Nets Pick Up Team Options On Four Players

June 28th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have exercised their team options for 2025/26 on four players, the team announced today (Twitter link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). Those players, along with their option salaries, are as follows:

Keon Johnson ($2,349,578)
Jalen Wilson ($2,221,677)
Tyrese Martin ($2,191,897)
Drew Timme ($1,955,377)

Crucially, Brooklyn’s decision to pick up these options does not mean that all four players now have fully guaranteed salaries.

As outlined on our team option decision tracker, Johnson will receive a partial guarantee worth about $272K, while Wilson will receive on worth roughly $88K. Martin’s and Timme’s salaries remain entirely non-guaranteed.

Johnson and Wilson will see their partial guarantees increase if they make the regular season roster, but Martin and Timme will remain non-guaranteed until January, so exercising these options doesn’t really affect the Nets’ cap flexibility at all. They could always waive one or more of these players down the road while retaining little to no salary on their cap.

Johnson, Wilson, and Martin each earned regular minutes in 2024/25 for a rebuilding Nets team. Johnson, a 6’5″ shooting guard, emerged as a starter in December after Cam Thomas went down with a hamstring injury, averaging 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 24.4 minutes per game across 79 appearances (56 starts) on the season.

Wilson, a 6’8″ forward, put up 9.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 25.7 MPG, starting 22 of his 79 outings. Martin, a 6’6″ wing, averaged 8.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 21.9 MPG across 60 games (11 starts).

Timme, a former Gonzaga big man, earned a late-season promotion from the G League and saw plenty of action down the stretch, registering averages of 12.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.2 APG in nine games (28.2 MPG).

Counting their four players on guaranteed contracts, their five first-round picks, incoming trade acquisition Terance Mann, and these four players with options, the Nets already have 14 players on their books for 2025/26. That list doesn’t include restricted free agents Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Ziaire Williams, or anyone else the Nets might add using their significant cap room in the coming days or weeks.

In other words, there likely won’t be enough spots to go around for everyone, so I wouldn’t count on all four of these players opening the season on Brooklyn’s 15-man roster.

Re-Signing Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe Will Be Priorities For Nets

April 16th, 2025 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Whether the Nets decide to continue rebuilding or pursue a star, a priority for this summer will be re-signing Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required).

Both players were first-round picks in 2021, and they’ve become part of Brooklyn’s foundation during their four NBA seasons. Neither of them reached an extension prior to the deadline last fall, so they’ll both be restricted free agents if the Nets extend qualifying offers.

General manager Sean Marks talked to Lewis about the importance of hanging on to players that the organization has developed.

“It’s always great when you are able to draft somebody like those two specifically, and then they get this opportunity to [decide]: Are they going to sign their second contract with us?” Marks said. “So, I look forward to the summer, and look forward to those conversations with their agents, and we’ll see where it all plays out. But I do think it’s important to be able to keep your homegrown talent.”

Thomas, a 23-year-old shooting guard, established himself as a dynamic scorer during a breakout 2023/24 season, averaging 22.5 PPG in 66 games while shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range. He increased his scoring averaging to 24 PPG this season and handed out a career-best 3.8 assists per night, but he was limited to 25 games because of a series of hamstring injuries and didn’t play after March 13.

“When I was available, I thought I had a great season when I was able to play,” Thomas said. “Obviously, I’d love to be playing more, but sometimes, that’s just how the cards are dealt. Hungry and ready to get back to playing so this never happens again. … I feel really good, way better than I was. Rehab is going real good, feeling real good. Going into the offseason, feeling good is positive.”

Cap expert Yossi Gozlan told Lewis that Thomas can expect a new contract similar to Collin Sexton‘s, but “adjusted for inflation.” Sexton signed a four-year, $70MM deal with Utah in 2022. Lewis talked to another source who expects Thomas’ annual salary to fall in the range of $20MM to $22MM.

Sharpe isn’t expected to be as costly, with Lewis citing a Spotrac projection that has him re-signing with the Nets at $30MM over three years. The 23-year-old big man has been a reliable reserve during his time in Brooklyn and posted career highs this season with 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 50 games.

“I’m new to this so whatever happens, happens,” Sharpe said. “But I like Brooklyn, so God willing, [I’ll be back].”

Lewis points out that Thomas and Sharpe are among numerous personnel decisions Marks will face this offseason. Ziaire Williams, Tyson Etienne and Reece Beekman can also be made restricted free agents by giving them qualifying offers. In addition, De’Anthony Melton and Trendon Watford will be unrestricted free agents, and Lewis doesn’t expect the club to keep Melton, who was out for the year with a torn ACL when he was acquired from Golden State in December.

Brooklyn holds team options on Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, Drew Timme and Jalen Wilson.

New York Notes: Russell, Young Nets, Bridges, Anunoby, Knicks

April 12th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Earnest Marshall

After expressing multiple times in March that he’d like to remain in Brooklyn beyond this season, Nets guard D’Angelo Russell reiterated that desire in an exclusive interview with Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com.

“A lot of teams are rebuilding, but to be here and see this team rebuilding with the pieces that they have, I think the league will be on notice. They were on notice this year,” Russell said. “This group had a lot of good wins before I got here, and then when I got here, we beat a lot of good teams as well. I think just what the future holds with this group [is why I want to be back]. Obviously, what (head coach) Jordi (Fernandez) and (general manager) Sean (Marks) are creating, I’m familiar with it. Being somewhere familiar is something I’m definitely prioritizing.”

In 29 games with the Nets this season, Russell is averaging 12.9 points and 5.6 assists per contest. Even though his numbers have dipped since last season, he’s excited by the idea of serving as a mentor for the young Nets.

We have more from New York:

With several new faces expected to join the team in this year’s draft (Brooklyn holds four first-round picks), the Nets‘ young players know they’re auditioning for roles moving forward, the New York Post’s Brian Lewis writes. “We’re not just out there playing,” big man Drew Timme said. “A lot of us are interviewing for our jobs.” Timme, Jalen Wilson, Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin and Maxwell Lewis all have team options for next season, while other young players like Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford, Day’Ron Sharpe and Reece Beekman all are slated to reach free agency.
The Knicks went 1-11 combined in games against the Cavaliers, Celtics and Pistons this season and heading into a first-round matchup with Detroit, New York will need its wings to step up defensively and bear the responsibility of guarding Cade Cunningham, SNY’s Ian Begley writes. Specifically, the Knicks will be relying in the series on two players on whom they spent significant trade capital: Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
New York’s 1-11 record against those three teams this season was clinched when the Knicks blew a 23-point lead against the Cavs on Friday. Ahead of the playoffs, the Knicks are seeking urgency, Chris Herring of ESPN writes. “We’ve got to get it fixed, and we’ve got to get it fixed fast,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after Friday’s loss. “[We need to fix] everything. We’ve got to play for 48 minutes on both sides of the ball.“

Nets Notes: Wilson, Sharpe, Watford

January 29th, 2025 at 7:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been making the most of his opportunity as a starter while Cameron Johnson rehabs a right ankle injury. His play in an expanded role suggests he could be a real piece for Brooklyn moving forward, opines Andrew Crane of The New York Post.

“What he does is something that every team can utilize,” veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell raved. “I mean, he’s a young player, but you ask the majority of the teams in the league would they want him, I’m sure they would… He’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing.”

As Crane notes, Wilson’s recent tenure as a starter could become a longer-term gig, depending on Johnson’s fate after the February 6 trade deadline.

In his three games as a starter, the Kansas product is averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals a night.

There’s more out of Brooklyn:

Following a two-month injury absence at the start of the 2024/25 season, Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe is staying healthy and contributing in a big way, writes Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. He’s averaging 7.8 points and 6.3 boards across his 25 healthy games so far this season. This past month, those numbers have improved to 8.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, in line with his elevated bench minutes. “I feel like when I first got back, I was in a hurry,” Sharpe said. “Just trying to go too fast. Not paying attention. Not really focused. I was just trying to play hard so I could play the right way. But I feel like the month of January I’ve been getting my rhythm back. So, just pacing myself and perimeter [defense]. Being able to slide, switch. I feel like I’ve been working on that a lot. I’ve got a ways to go though.” Sharpe will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.
Another young Nets frontcourt piece, forward Trendon Watford, is preparing to return to the hardwood for the first time since December 16. He has been recovering from a hamstring injury. Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez spoke on Wednesday about Watford’s anticipated comeback, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). “He’ll be on some sort of minute restriction, but it’s great to have him back,” Fernandez said. “It’s like new energy. He’s done a great job getting himself back… It’s good. I’m happy for him and he deserves it and he’ll play tonight.”
In case you missed it, the Nets are considered a potential suitor for Kings All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, but also continue to hope for a chance to acquire Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is considered their “white whale.”

Atlantic Notes: Nets Veterans, Wilson, Brunson, Embiid, Sixers, Barnes, More

November 21st, 2024 at 11:04pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Multiple Nets veterans have been the subjects of trade speculation since their arrival to the team. Cameron Johnson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ben Simmons, Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith are among the players who have been involved in trade rumors for some time, with fourth-year guard Cam Thomas joining them this week.

A few of those players are off to career-best starts for a team that’s been surprisingly competitive at 6-9. Johnson exploded for 34 points on Tuesday, as Net Income at NetsDaily writes.

“All three of us have been traded before. It’s not something that we’re worried about,” Johnson said in explaining why he, Finney-Smith and Schröder are playing well. “There’s a lot of speculation about a lot of things, all of our whole careers, my whole career, speculation about this, speculation about that. You hear a lot of outside noise. There’s no sense in letting it bother you. There’s no sense in letting it get to you. Let the future be the future. Control what you can control now.

“The other thing is, we enjoy our group, playing together. I think we are a group that gets along well with each other, and that’s important. So as long as we’re together, we’re gonna fight for wins, and we’re gonna enjoy representing Brooklyn. And whatever the future holds, it holds.”

Johnson’s been happy with how the organization has handled him during his time there, according to Net Income. While the plan is still to select a cornerstone in the upcoming draft and Johnson seems more likely than not be traded, he’s making an impact alongside the other vets.

“Honestly, he’s just been hooping,” teammate Trendon Watford. “I’m not surprised by it. Cam’s a great player, so I’m not surprised by it at all. Last year was last year. He obviously heard all the noise and took it with a grain of salt and came back. And now he’s doing what we know CJ can do.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

With Thomas missing Tuesday’s game against the Hornets due to a minor injury, second-year forward Jalen Wilson stepped up, according to Andrew Crane of the New York Post. Wilson scored a team-high 17 points in the Nets win while making a career-high five three-pointers. The Nets hold a team option for next season on Wilson, who could see his role increase if some of Brooklyn’s veterans are moved ahead of the trade deadline.
Jalen Brunson didn’t want to specifically address the rumors that the NBA is looking into his father’s promotion to lead assistant on the Knicks‘ coaching staff. However, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, he had a message for anyone questioning Rick Brunson‘s coaching credentials. “He’s more than qualified for that position,” Jalen said. “He’s a person who has been around the NBA for a long time, who has been around [Tom Thibodeau] for longer than he’s been around the NBA. I think he understands the business, I think he understands the game, I think he understands the head coach. So he’s more than qualified. Look at the way he’s taught me and raised me and how I’ve seen him impact others in all different levels of basketball — high school, college, pros.“
Following a report Thursday morning indicated Joel Embiid wasn’t happy that a Sixers team-only meeting was leaked, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer writes on Marc Stein’s Substack that one source told him on Tuesday that Embiid would be “furious” about the leak and would try to find the culprit. Fischer adds that Tyrese Maxey getting involved and holding Embiid accountable is a silver lining to the situation. Tobias Harris used to serve as a veteran voice and leader for the Sixers, so it was crucial that someone else step up now that Harris is in Detroit.
Fischer also confirmed that Embiid has preferred to hold some level of control over what the Sixers‘ injury report lists him as and how it’s reported.
Raptors star Scottie Barnes played on Thursday for the first time in nearly a month. Following reporting that he would be on a minutes restriction, Barnes ended the night with 17 points in 27 minutes of action. The Raptors did not start a traditional point guard, opting for Barnes over Davion Mitchell, who moved to the bench. Mitchell being moved to the second unit meant Ochai Agbaji maintained his starting role, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg notes (Twitter link). Barnes hadn’t played since Oct. 28, missing 11 games during that time.
Ja’Kobe Walter, who missed the last six games for the Raptors, was available to play on Thursday, Sportsnet.ca’s Blake Murphy tweets. The 2024 19th overall pick also missed some time at the beginning of the season due to injury.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Young Players, Wilson, Arena

October 26th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Cam Thomas wasn’t one of the 11 players from 2021’s draft class who signed a rookie scale extension prior to Monday’s deadline, but if he can consistently play like he did in the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday, he should have no problem cashing in as a restricted free agent next summer.

As Steve Lichtenstein writes on his Substack, Thomas racked up 36 points despite frequently being defended by Dyson Daniels, but it was his other contributions that were even more encouraging. The 23-year-old, viewed by critics as a one-dimensional player, filled up the box score by also contributing five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in his 34 minutes of action, and earned praise from head coach Jordi Fernandez for both his shooting efficiency and his performance on the other side of the ball.

“It was great, very efficient, shot over 50 percent from the field and from three, five rebounds,” Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). “And I thought that his physicality defensively was there, too. He worked on both sides of the floor.”

Thomas made just 7-of-17 shots from the field in his second game of the season on Friday, but hit 3-of-5 three-pointers and once again contributed in other ways, grabbing six rebounds and handing out three assists.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Although the Nets traded away Mikal Bridges over the summer, the team didn’t fully tear down its roster, with veterans like Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schröder, and Cameron Johnson remaining in Brooklyn. Still, as Lewis writes in a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, the club is carving out plenty of minutes for its younger players in the early going this season, with Thomas, Nic Claxton, Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams, and Noah Clowney all part of the rotation.
While not everyone from the Nets’ current group of youngsters will be part of the team’s long-term core, Wilson recognizes that there’s an opportunity for those players to show they deserve to be in the club’s plans. “Orlando was at a point in time where they were young and they lost a lot of games,” Wilson said, referring to Brooklyn’s Friday opponent. “The same guys came back and they’re just getting better. So you see the process; we’ve just got to buy into it, continue to grind, continue to show up even when days may be tough. And that’s part of the process really.”
Fernandez is giving Wilson, who scored 16 points on Wednesday, a mandate to improve on defense and is confident the 23-year-old will show more on that end of the court. “Every time I challenge him and I tell him, he always responds,” Fernandez said, according to Lewis. “So I know J-Wil will be a very good player on both ends, a two-way player. But that’s what I’m going to demand. If I see one day that he’s not, I’m going to let him go. And that goes for everybody, too.” Wilson doesn’t have a fully guaranteed contract, so he’s still vying to earn a full-season roster spot.
BSE Global, the Nets’ parent company, announced a five-year, $100MM plan to “enhance (the) fan experience” at Barclays Center, which will include upgrading the arena entrances and installing a new state-of-the-art sound system, among other changes.
As we relayed earlier this afternoon, the Long Island Nets agreed to acquire Colin Castleton‘s returning rights from the South Bay Lakers in a deal that sent the No. 5 pick in today’s G League draft to L.A.’s affiliate, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (via Twitter)

Raptors Push Back Bruno Fernando’s Guarantee Date

October 25th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that Bruno Fernando signed with the Raptors in August initially included language stating that it would become fully guaranteed if the big man wasn’t waived on or before the first day of the regular season.

However, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links), the Raptors and Fernando agreed to amend his one-year deal when he made the opening-night roster. Rather than becoming guaranteed, the contract will remain non-guaranteed until the league-wide salary guarantee deadline in January.

If the terms of the deal had remained unchanged, Fernando would have locked in a $2,425,403 salary, while Toronto would have been on the hook for his full $2,087,519 cap hit.

Instead, the 26-year-old will earn $13,939 for every day he’s on the roster, with his full salary and cap hit becoming guaranteed if he remains under contract through at least January 7.

The Raptors had some leverage, since they could have waived Fernando if he hadn’t agreed to amend his contract, leaving him without even a partial guarantee. Now the team will have some flexibility in the first half with that 15th roster spot.

This sort of agreement is nothing new for Fernando, who began the offseason with Atlanta on a deal that called for his 2024/25 salary to become guaranteed if he wasn’t waived by June 29. He and the Hawks reached an agreement to move that date back to July 10, then pushed it back again to August 1. Atlanta waived him on July 30.

Fernando served as Jakob Poeltl‘s primary backup center in the first game of Toronto’s season on Wednesday, recording six points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

As our list of early salary guarantee dates shows, Fernando was the only player on a contract that called for his salary to become fully guaranteed if he made a regular season roster. However, Dalano Banton (Trail Blazers), Keon Johnson (Nets), and Jalen Wilson (Nets) had deals assuring them of partial guarantees for remaining under contract through opening night.

We’ll give it another day or two before updating our tracker to see if any reports trickle in indicating that one or more of those players amended their contracts like Fernando did, but for now our assumption is that Banton, Johnson, and Wilson locked in their respective partial guarantees.

New York Notes: Schröder, Wilson, Johnson, Brunson

August 8th, 2024 at 9:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder is entering his walk year with the Nets. He’ll make $13MM next season and his expiring contract could be an attractive trade piece.

If it were up to him, Schröder would settle down with the rebuilding franchise. He told Andscape’s Marc Spears he doesn’t want to be moved.

“I want to be in Brooklyn long-term. Hopefully, that works out,” he said. “I want to be a veteran who shows the young people the way and how we should play and how we play as a team. I understand that the NBA is always more individual, but I want to make one team like we had in Atlanta where it was about just winning and really not [caring] who scores. And I want to bring that back to the NBA, to the Brooklyn Nets. And hopefully they see the same vision and of course still compete on the highest level, but that’s going to take some time.”

Schröder appeared in 29 games (25 starts) after being acquired from Toronto in a trade deadline deal. Brooklyn is his seventh team since he entered the league in 2013.

We have more on the New York teams:

Jalen Wilson was named the Las Vegas Summer League MVP, where he averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range in five games. The 23-year-old Nets forward has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K. It increases to a partial guarantee of $325K if he makes the opening night roster. That keeps him motivated. “You can never get complacent with where things are,” he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “And that’s where I’m at. I’m just shooting for more goals, shooting for more achievements. Now that I’m here back in town, you have the opportunity to get in the gym every single day and get better. So you know, when the time comes, that you’re prepared.”
Nets wing Keon Johnson earned a two-year contract with his strong showing in Las Vegas. He’s in a similar situation as Wilson. His minimum salary contract has a $250K partial guarantee that will increase to $700K if he remains under contract through the first day of the regular season. “I feel like it’s a staple to the work I’ve been putting in over the past couple of years,” Johnson told Lewis. “I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, pretty much since I’ve been drafted, and I just kind of held my hat on– just keep putting the work in, and hopefully one day my number will get called, and I’ll have the opportunity like I am now.”
Jalen Brunson legitimizes the title of Knicks captain, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post opines in a subscriber-only story. Brunson has embraced a leadership role on and off the court and the decision to name him captain is well-deserved, according to Bondy.

Nets’ Jalen Wilson Named Summer League MVP

July 22nd, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, the league’s communications department tweets.

Wilson averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range in five games in Vegas.

His performances should solidify his spot on the team’s roster this upcoming season. The 23-year-old has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K. It increases to a partial guarantee of $325K if he makes the opening night roster.

Oddly, Wilson was only named to the All-Summer League Second Team. The First Team included the Grizzlies‘ GG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr,, the Clippers‘ Jordan Miller, the Rockets‘ Reed Sheppard and the Heat‘s Kel’el Ware.

The Grizzlies and Heat reached the Summer League championship game. Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in last month’s draft, averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals in four Las Vegas outings.

Along with Wilson, the Second Team included the Wizards‘ Carlton Carrington, the Trail Blazers‘ Donovan Clingan, the Heat‘s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and the Pacers‘ Jarace Walker (Twitter links).

Nets Notes: Bridges Trade, Wilson, Whitehead, Z. Williams

July 20th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nets general manager Sean Marks said the trade that sent Mikal Bridges to the Knicks came together quickly, but an unidentified source tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the framework was actually set at the trade deadline. Although Bojan Bogdanovic and Shake Milton may not have been mentioned in the original discussions, it appears the idea of five first-round picks and a swap was discussed in February.

“We were always prepared for a rebuild. It wasn’t like, oh, let’s wait to be lucky to find the star that’s coming into free agency. We were always prepared to pivot in the other direction if we could see the right opportunity to do that,” the source said. “And who would’ve thought we could trade Mikal Bridges for five first-round draft picks? And who would’ve thought we were able to find that window of opportunity to get Houston to agree to get our picks back?

“It was eye-opening to see the Knicks offer these kinds of assets for Mikal. If you look at our ability to reload our assets, particularly in the draft year of 2025, we have one pick that’s our own that could be very. very good. … We’ve got three more first-round picks that probably will be in the 20s but it’s a very deep draft. Plus, we have our own second-round pick. That’s a class we can get very excited about.”

Lewis adds that the Nets began to strongly consider a Bridges trade after he openly criticized the team’s direction following a lopsided loss to Boston on February 14. Up to that point, the focus had been on finding an All-Star to pair with him.

There’s more on the Nets:

Jalen Wilson is a leading contender for Summer League MVP honors, Lewis states in a subscriber-only story. Through four games, Wilson is averaging 24.3 PPG with 46.3/55.6/88.2 shooting figures. His three-point shooting is especially significant because he only connected at 31.6% from beyond the arc in college, 27.5% last season in the G League and 32.4% in 43 NBA games. Concerns about Wilson’s shooting caused him to fall to the 51st pick in the 2023 draft, but he becomes much more valuable if he can maintain anything close to his Summer League pace. “Shooting helps everything at any level of basketball because it provides space on the floor for his teammates,” said Nets Summer League coach Steve Hetzel.
It’s been a difficult Summer League for Dariq Whitehead, who’s trying to return to the court after three surgeries severely limited his playing time in college and during his rookie season, Lewis adds. Whitehead shot 4-of-34 from the field and 2-of-21 from three-point range in his first three games before being held out of Thursday’s contest against Orlando for “rest.” “I’d just like for him to step on the court and play as hard as he can and don’t worry about the makes or misses,” Hetzel said. “That’s been our message from Day 1. … He’s had a tough journey being out as long as he has, and I don’t think any of us can know what he’s going through. It’s our job to just keep encouraging him, put him back out there and have him play as hard as he can the next year.”
Lewis suggests more trades could be in the works after Friday’s deal to acquire Ziaire Williams from Memphis. The Nets are determined to stay under the luxury tax, and their cushion dropped from $8.2MM to $4.3MM by adding Williams. League sources told Lewis “there are still moving pieces,” possibly involving Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson.