<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/how-would-kyrie-irving-trade-to-mavs-look-today');   ga('set', 'title', 'How would the Kyrie Irving trade to the Mavs look if it happened today?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kyrie-Irving.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How would the Kyrie Irving trade to the Mavs look if it happened today?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-10T07:20:45-07:00">April 10th, 7:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-10T07:23:14-07:00">April 10th, 7:23am</time><address><a>Derick Quinanola</a>With a proficient background in basketball, NFL, and football, Derick Quinanola uses his knowledge to write blogs for readers that are both entertaining and informative. He has been writing with ClutchPoints for years and has developed an understanding of the type of content fans resonate with.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Brooklyn Nets thought they had a potential dynasty on their hands when they signed Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in 2019. But four years later, they entered a full rebuild once <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-kyrie-irving-requests-trade-gives-brooklyn-ultimatum">Irving requested a trade in the middle</a> of the 2022-23 season.</p><p>It’s been two years since the Nets moved Irving, but how would the trade look like if it happened today?</p><h2><b>The first domino to fall was Spencer Dinwiddie</b></h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/grading-the-mavs-nets-blockbuster-kyrie-irving-trade">initial trade was Irving and Markieff Morris to the Mavs</a> in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and three future picks: an unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and second-round picks for the 2027 and 2029 draft.</p><p>When the Nets realized their current roster wouldn’t be enough to compete in the East, the first domino to fall was Dinwiddie. The Nets traded him by the 2024 deadline to the Toronto Raptors for Dennis Schröder and former Net Thaddeus Young. This time around, Young wouldn’t get a chance to don a black and white Nets jersey as he was immediately waived to open a roster spot.</p><p>Schröder, on the other hand, had a positive tenure in Brooklyn (<a href="https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors-acquire-guard-dennis-schroder-from-nets-20241215" rel="noopener">trade value-wise anyway</a>). As the Nets primary ball handler, Schröder averaged career-highs across the board and the Warriors took the bait. By December 15, 2024, Schröder (and a top 37 protected 2025 second-round pick) was sent to the Warriors for De’Anthony Melton, Reece Beekman, and three second-round picks (2026 and 2028 via Atlanta and their own 2029 selection).</p><h2><b>The Nets acquired a trove of draft picks from Irving’s trading</b></h2><p>The other domino involved in Irving’s initial deal was Finney-Smith. After a season and a half in Brooklyn, the Nets shipped Finney-Smith along with Shake Milton to try and acquire more future assets. In the end, he’d be traded to the Lakers a few weeks after they traded Schroder for D’Angelo Russell, a seldom-used Maxwell Lewis, and three future second-round picks (Lakers own second-round picks in 2029, 2030, and 2031).</p><p>In hindsight, when the Nets chose Irving over Russell as their “point guard of the future” in 2019, all it did was get them Russell again 5 years later. This time, it came with a lot more assets.</p><p>To summarize, here’s how the trade would look if it happened in the 2024-2025 season:</p><p><b>Nets trade:</b></p><ul><li>Kyrie Irving</li><li>Markieff Morris</li><li>Shake Milton</li><li>2025 second-round pick (top 37 protected from Heat)</li><li>Most favorable selection of the Mavericks and Suns 2029 1st round pick</li></ul><p><b>Nets receive:</b></p><ul><li>D’Angelo Russell</li><li>De’Anthony Melton</li><li>Reece Beekman</li><li>Maxwell Lewis</li><li>Least favorable pick of the three in the 2029 draft (via DAL and PHX to BKN; via DAL or PHX to HOU; via HOU’s right to swap for DAL or PHX)</li><li>Eight second-round picks from 2026 to 2031</li></ul><p>Getting a player of Irving’s caliber is extremely rare. However, acquiring nine picks and a former All-Star for one player is hard to find too. Overall, the Nets seem like they won this trade. While the Mavs did reach the finals with Irving in 2024, he faces a long road ahead of him <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-out-injury-torn-acl">as he recovers from an ACL injury</a>.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Nets got exactly what they were looking for when they traded Irving two years ago: Acquire multiple draft picks and land a veteran point guard.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How would the Kyrie Irving trade to the Mavs look if it happened today?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-dariq-whitehead-drew-timme-prospects-receiving-extended-audition-close-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme among Nets prospects receiving extended audition to close season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Nets.jpg"></figure><h1>Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme among Nets prospects receiving extended audition to close season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-10T06:02:58-07:00">April 10th, 6:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-10T06:07:08-07:00">April 10th, 6:07am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With their draft lottery odds more of a concern than wins and losses, the Brooklyn Nets have auditioned several young prospects recently. While they clinched the sixth-best lottery odds on Wednesday, they will continue their youth movement to close the season. The Nets <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-04-10_08AM.pdf" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell and Day’Ron Sharpe for Thursday’s Atlanta Hawks matchup.</p><p>The game will mark Cam Johnson’s fifth consecutive absence due to a lower back contusion. Russell will miss his third straight game with an ankle injury, while Sharpe has missed eight straight due to a knee sprain.</p><p>With Russell, Johnson and Sharpe sidelined, several backups and G League call-ups have received extended minutes to showcase themselves. Reece Beekman, Drew Timme, Maxwell Lewis, Tyson Etienne, Dariq Whitehead and Tosan Evbuomwan led the Nets in minutes during Tuesday’s 119-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.</p><h2>Nets continue youth movement to close season with lottery odds locked in</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Drew-Timme.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Whitehead, the No. 22 pick in the 2023 draft, is the most notable prospect of the group. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-dariq-whitehead-reveals-reason-shooting-surge-nba-call-up">The 20-year-old has made the most</a> of his extended opportunity, averaging 9.4 points while shooting 41 percent from three in 20.9 minutes per game over his last seven appearances.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-drew-timme-outperforms-anthony-davis-fourth-quarter-comeback-win">Drew Timme has also impressed</a> after signing a two-year deal with Brooklyn following a breakout stint with the Long Island Nets. The former Gonzaga star has averaged 12.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 54.2 percent shooting over six outings. Timme is vying for a roster spot next season, as his contract features a team option in 2025-26.</p><p>Two-way signings Tosan Evbuomwan, Reece Beekman and Tyson Etienne are also trying to secure a spot in Brooklyn’s long-term plans. Evbuomwan has been the most impressive of the group. The 6-foot-8 wing has looked the part during his NBA opportunities, averaging 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 44/32/78 shooting splits over 25 appearances.</p><p>Maxwell Lewis doesn’t need to worry about securing an NBA roster spot next season. The former second-round pick’s $2.2 million salary for 2025-26 is fully guaranteed. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nets-news-brooklyn-trade-acquisition-making-strong-case-expanded-minutes-late-season">Lewis has shown flashes of two-way impact</a> over the last month after joining the Nets alongside D’Angelo Russell in a midseason trade from the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><p>The 6-foot-7 wing has averaged 7.9 points and 3.2 rebounds on 36.4 percent shooting from three in 20 minutes per game over his last 13 outings.</p><p>Following Thursday’s Hawks matchup, the Nets will close the season on Sunday at home against the New York Knicks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme among Nets prospects receiving extended audition to close season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-dariq-whitehead-reveals-reason-shooting-surge-nba-call-up');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nets’ Dariq Whitehead reveals reason for shooting breakout after NBA call-up');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dariq-Whitehead.jpg"></figure><h1>Nets’ Dariq Whitehead reveals reason for shooting breakout after NBA call-up</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-09T15:02:04-07:00">April 9th, 3:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-09T15:09:11-07:00">April 9th, 3:09pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For many G League players, NBA call-ups end in disappointment as they struggle to produce at the highest level. For Dariq Whitehead, it’s been the opposite, at least in terms of outside shooting.</p><p>The 2023 first-round pick has shot 44.8 percent from three over 17 appearances with the Brooklyn Nets this season, compared to 33.5 percent with the Long Island Nets. Whitehead attributed the discrepancy to a simplified role during his NBA minutes.</p><p>“It’s two different games… When I was down in Long Island, that was me trying to do things that I knew I wouldn’t have the chance to do this year up here, which is a lot of off-the-dribble, learning to beat guys off the dribble, and stuff like that. Just getting comfortable with my body again,” he said. “Then up here, coach is very loud about what he wants: shoot threes, play a lot of defense. He wants 50, 55 threes a game. So for me, when I hear that, any shot is a good shot, and I’m gonna take it.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-dariq-whitehead-reacts-to-breakout-performance-during-first-extended-action-of-season">Whitehead first flashed his shooting stroke</a> with Brooklyn in December, scoring a team-high 18 points while knocking down 6-of-10 three-point attempts during a loss to the Chicago Bulls. He’s continued his hot shooting <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-jordi-fernandez-reveals-expectations-dariq-whitehead-nba-call-up">during a late-season call-up</a>, converting at a 41 percent clip on 6.3 three-point attempts per game over the Nets’ last seven outings.</p><h2>Dariq Whitehead stays hot from three during NBA call-up with Nets</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dariq-Whitehead-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Dariq Whitehead <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1909766738431922251" rel="noopener">hasn’t been shy</a> from deep during his NBA opportunities. He’s attempting 15.1 threes per 100 possessions, the seventh-most in the NBA (minimum 15 games played).</p><p>“He’s done a good job just letting it fly,” said head coach Jordi Fernadnez. “He works [hard], works with the coaches. Travis [Bader] does a great job with him. Just trusting that the work he puts in is gonna show up in the game, and right now, he’s been shooting very well. His work in Long Island has been equally great. Those shots in those minutes [down there] are valuable, and these shots in these minutes are very valuable too.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/dariq_whitehead?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dariq_whitehead</a> is COOKIN' this quarter with 12 points off the bench!!! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/AdNXEX2Bhg">pic.twitter.com/AdNXEX2Bhg</a></p><p>— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1909766738431922251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>While Whitehead’s three-point efficiency is an encouraging sign, he’s yet to showcase other aspects of his offensive game. This season with Brooklyn, 67 of his 86 field goal attempts have been threes (78 percent). He struggled with his efficiency in Long Island, averaging 12.7 points on 37.9 percent shooting over 29 appearances.</p><p>However, there’s hope <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/exclusive-nets-dariq-whitehead-opens-up-g-league-journey-former-top-recruit">Whitehead can develop</a> into more than a spot-up shooter. A top-three recruit in the Class of 2022, the New Jersey native was among the nation’s most prolific offensive players in high school. However, lower leg injuries derailed his freshman season at Duke and his rookie season with the Nets.</p><p>After undergoing three surgeries in the last two and a half years, this season marks his first fully healthy season since high school. Whitehead is looking forward to an offseason of strength training and skill work that will set up a pivotal 2025-26 campaign.</p><p>“I feel better now than I did in college. In college, I was hurting… I’d say [I’m at] about 90 percent [now],” Whitehead said. “For me, it’s gonna be continuing to take care of my body and conditioning. That’s gonna be big for me going into the offseason… Doing whatever I can to make sure next year I’m coming in and there’s no thoughts or talk about me [not] being in the best shape I can possibly be in… [This will be] one of my first summers since high school being able to go out there and train and work on things. So just taking advantage of this summer and making sure I come back even better, even stronger.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets’ Dariq Whitehead reveals reason for shooting breakout after NBA call-up

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/jordi-fernandez-shocked-reaction-nuggets-firing-michael-malone');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jordi Fernandez’s ‘shocked’ reaction to Nuggets firing Michael Malone');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Michael-Malone-and-Jordi-Fernandez.jpg"></figure><h1>Jordi Fernandez’s ‘shocked’ reaction to Nuggets firing Michael Malone</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-08T16:42:46-07:00">April 8th, 4:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-08T16:59:30-07:00">April 8th, 4:59pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-michael-malone-fired">Denver Nuggets stunned the NBA world</a> on Tuesday by dismissing head coach Michael Malone. Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, one of Malone’s top assistants from 2016-2022, reacted to the shocking news.</p><p>“The timing, it’s tough with three games to go and the position they are [in] to play for everything. [He’s] a super accomplished coach, a person that means a lot to me and my career. I would not be here without him. Six of the 10 years that he was in Denver, I was there with him,” Fernandez said. “My development and his mentorship towards me, it means the world. And when you hear something like that, it’s not a great day. It’s part of this business, but definitely shocking. With the championship coach that he is, for sure he’ll be back in this league coaching very soon, but not something you want to hear.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jordi Fernandez reacts to the Nuggets firing Michael Malone:</p><p>“The timing, it’s tough with three games to go and the position they are [in] to play for everything. [He’s] a super accomplished coach, a person that means a lot to me and my career. I would not be here without him.… <a href="https://t.co/piNaX9rYfC">pic.twitter.com/piNaX9rYfC</a></p><p>— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslater_/status/1909730555807371406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Malone spent 10 seasons with the Nuggets, leading the team to a championship in 2023. He is the winningest coach in the franchise’s history, posting a 471-327 record. David Adelman, the Nuggets’ lead assistant, will take over as head coach for the remainder of the season.</p><p>Denver also announced it will not renew general manager Calvin Booth’s contract after this season.</p><h2>NBA coaches react to Nuggets’ stunning Michael Malone firing</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Michael-Malone_f9750a.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Numerous reports indicate <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-rumors-michael-malone-calvin-booth-feud-housecleaning">there was a growing divide between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth</a> over the last year. The Nuggets’ decision to clean house comes amid a four-game losing streak that has them in danger of falling into the play-in tournament.</p><p>Denver is currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>“This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully,” Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said of Malone’s firing. “We do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA Championship and delivering another title to Denver and our fans everywhere.</p><p>“While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship-level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now. Championship-level standards and expectations remain in place for the current season, and as we look to the future, we look forward to building on the foundations laid by Coach Malone over his record-breaking 10-year career in Denver.”</p><p>With the Nuggets’ decision, three of the past five NBA champions have fired their head coach within two years of winning the title. Malone joins Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer as championship-winning coaches during that span to be let go within two seasons.</p><p>Malone’s dismissal with three games left ties Hubie Brown (Hawks – 1981) for the latest in-season firing in NBA history. It comes two weeks after the Memphis Grizzlies, another West playoff team, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-part-ways">fired head coach Taylor Jenkins</a>.</p><p>“It does [make you question the state of coaching]. I’m appreciative, but at the same time, it’s a very weird landscape for coaching in the NBA, in my opinion,” said New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green. “[Taylor Jenkins] and Mike Malone, they’ve won. They’ve won at a high level. You try to do what you can and try to help the team the best way you can from your position, but it definitely leaves some questions.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jordi Fernandez’s ‘shocked’ reaction to Nuggets firing Michael Malone

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nets-trade-proposal-lands-ja-morant-grizzlies-drama');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nets trade proposal lands Ja Morant after Grizzlies drama');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Nets-trade-proposal-lands-Ja-Morant-after-Grizzlies-drama.jpg"></figure><h1>Nets trade proposal lands Ja Morant after Grizzlies drama</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-08T05:50:03-07:00">April 8th, 5:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-08T05:50:03-07:00">April 8th, 5:50am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spencersee10" rel="facebook">Spencer See</a>Spencer See is a part-time writer at ClutchPoints focusing on the NBA, evergreen content and celebrity lifestyle. He is also a lifelong fan of LeBron James. In his free time, he either goes fishing or watches basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies have made some questionable moves recently. They failed to make any significant last-minute moves at the trade deadline. But the latest shocker has been the firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins, with the playoffs just around the corner. Just recently, Memphis managed to dodge a potential Ja Morant suspension when their superstar did a gun gesture celebration in a game against the Golden State Warriors. Fortunately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-buddy-hield-stern-warning-nba-gun-gestures">the league only issued a warning</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-fined-75000-gun-gestures-vs-heat">then fined him</a>.</p><p>With all the drama that has ensued and the Grizzlies possibly facing an early playoff exit, it would make sense if Morant wanted out in the offseason. Despite high expectations, Morant and crew are only in the eighth seed, as they will be forced to earn their playoff spot through the Play-In, possibly against a heavily favored Minnesota Timberwolves. Once the offseason rolls by, an enticing destination could be the Brooklyn Nets, who have all the assets to sway the Grizzlies’ front office.</p><h2><b>Nets’ trade proposal for Ja Morant</b></h2><p><b>Brooklyn Nets receive: Ja Morant</b></p><p><b>Memphis Grizzlies receive: D’Angelo Russell, De’Anthony Melton, Cameron Thomas, 2027 First Round Draft Pick, and 2031 First Round Draft Pick</b></p><p>The Nets have a ton of flexibility going into the 2025 offseason. This leaves them a golden opportunity to trade for superstars. It has been quite some time since Brooklyn has landed a star. The last time elite superstars played for the city was back in 2023, the final seasons of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With plenty of enticing assets at their disposal, a move for Ja Morant would certainly make sense.</p><p>To make it happen, the Nets can dangle one-time All-Star D’Angelo Russell, De’Anthony Melton, Cameron Thomas, and a pair of first-round draft picks. All three players have established themselves as capable starters. But more importantly, they’d also fit within Memphis’ gritty culture. These aren’t flashy names, but they can turn some heads on any given night, which will align with the Grizzlies’ underdog culture. Theoretically, shot creators like Russell and Thomas would fit alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. On the other hand, Melton has already established himself as a reliable two-way player.</p><p>But more importantly, the major prize of the deal will be two first-round picks. This should help cushion the blow for the Grizzlies as they prepare for life after Morant. Furthermore, these picks should also give the Grizzlies some assets to build around Jackson, whose contract will also be tackled in the offseason.</p><p>On the other hand, Morant should be looking towards a fresh start after all the drama in Memphis. It’s only natural that he’d be looking for a team that can build around him as a major pillar. With the Nets possessing plenty of assets while searching for a superstar to build around, the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year should be a no-brainer option.</p><h2><b>Brooklyn Nets land a much-needed superstar</b></h2><p>Given that Brooklyn has been positioning themselves for a star, the fallout between Morant and the Grizzlies would make them potential benefactors. Morant has proved that he has what it takes to lead a team. This year, he has averaged 22.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. The former NBA Most Improved Player has also carried the franchise to three straight playoff appearances.</p><p>Furthermore, the Nets don’t only have enough assets to acquire Morant’s services. In fact, they also have enough resources to provide him with a solid supporting cast. Brooklyn possesses a ton of promising talent in Day’Ron Sharpe, Nic Claxton, and etc. They also have a stocked-up draft capital. And if Morant needs more help, the team has the ability to gun for another superstar to pair with Morant. A <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/31/sports/how-nets-are-planning-to-use-flexibility-to-acquire-needed-stars/">good target</a> to pair Morant with would be Giannis Antetokounmpo.</p><p>The addition of Morant should work for all parties. Nonetheless, his acquisition should inject some life back into the franchise, especially with a history that has been littered with disappointment.</p><h2><b>Future of the Memphis Grizzlies</b></h2><p>Things have been rough at the Grizzlies camp since Jenkins was fired. Jenkins’ exit could also be followed by Morant’s departure. The loss of Morant would be a huge blow to the franchise’s future. However, this Nets offer should give them some much-needed time to prepare for his absence. Those first-round picks should easily boost their draft capital.</p><p>When healthy, Russell, Thomas, and Melton can easily give teams opposing teams a run for their money. On the other hand, they’d also make enticing trade candidates should the Grizzlies need more flexibility to accommodate <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-all-star-jaren-jackson-jr-earn-all-nba-supermax-leverage-free-agency-nba-market">Jackson’s potential supermax contract</a>. Nonetheless, the road ahead for the franchise seems like a rocky one as they tackle a myriad of issues heading into the offseason. But historically, the franchise has always found a way to stay relevant despite the odds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets trade proposal lands Ja Morant after Grizzlies drama

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-several-nets-out-pelicans-matchup-as-aims-lock-in-draft-lottery-odds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Several Nets ruled out vs. Pelicans as Brooklyn aims to lock in draft lottery odds');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Nets-news-Cam-Johnson-DAngelo-Russell-remain-out-for-draft-positioning-matchup-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Several Nets ruled out vs. Pelicans as Brooklyn aims to lock in draft lottery odds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-08T05:34:43-07:00">April 8th, 5:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-08T05:43:35-07:00">April 8th, 5:43am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Brooklyn Nets will continue to hold several of their top players out with a chance to lock in their draft lottery odds. Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell, Day’Ron Sharpe and Keon Johnson will miss Tuesday’s New Orleans Pelicans matchup at Barclays Center.</p><p>The game will mark Cam Johnson’s fourth consecutive absence due to a lower back contusion. Russell will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury, while Sharpe has missed seven straight due to a knee sprain. Keon Johnson will have the night off for rest.</p><p>The Nets are already playing with Cam Thomas and Noah Clowney, who have been shut down for the season due to hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively.</p><h2>Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell sidelined as Nets aim to secure lottery position</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cam-Johnson-Nets.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Following Sunday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-brooklyn-verge-clinching-sixth-best-draft-lottery-odds-after-loss-raptors">Nets’ magic number to clinch the sixth-best lottery odds</a> is down to one. Brooklyn can clinch the spot with one loss or one Toronto win over the final four games.</p><p>Following a two-game win streak that cost them a chance at the fifth lottery spot, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nets-news-dangelo-russells-benching-nets-timberwolves-explained-jordi-fernandez">Nets have rolled out lineups of backups and G League call-ups</a> during their last two appearances. Reece Beekman and Drew Timme received their first NBA starts on Sunday alongside Trendon Watford, Ziaire Williams and Keon Johnson. Dariq Whitehead, Tosan Evbuomwan, Maxwell Lewis and Tyson Etienne made up the bench unit.</p><p>However, losing to New Orleans will be challenging regardless of who is available. The Pelicans are also jockeying for lottery position. They sit in fourth place in <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/" rel="noopener">the lottery standings</a>, 1.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, who have lost 11 straight.</p><p>After losing Dejounte Murray to a torn Achilles earlier this season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-cj-mccollum-shut-down-rest-season">the Pelicans recently shut down Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum</a>. Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins and Brandon Boston are also sidelined. Jose Alvarado (right calf soreness) and Kelly Olynyk (left achilles tendonosis) are questionable vs. the Nets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Several Nets ruled out vs. Pelicans as Brooklyn aims to lock in draft lottery odds

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-10-greatest-players-franchise-history-ranked');   ga('set', 'title', '10 greatest Nets players in franchise history, ranked');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Jason-Kidd-and-Deron-Williams-1.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>10 greatest Nets players in franchise history, ranked</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-07T08:25:16-07:00">April 7th, 8:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-07T08:29:14-07:00">April 7th, 8:29am</time><address><a>Tim Crean</a>Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined ClutchPoints in 2022. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL, NBA, soccer, sports media, and more. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie, it is a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York and when he’s not enjoying a round of golf he's probably coaching youth soccer or flag football. You can catch all of his sports-related musings on Twitter at @twcrean.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New York, New Jersey, and Brooklyn fans have seen some of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/brooklyn-nets-retired-numbers" rel="noopener">best players in basketball history</a>, although not always at their peaks. These stars have thrilled the tristate area crowds and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/5-greatest-moments-in-nets-history-ranked" rel="noopener">won two ABA titles</a>, but never brought an NBA championship to New York City’s other franchise.</p><p>But who are the best and greatest Nets players in history? We’ll try to figure that out here with the all-time top-10 Nets player rankings.</p><p>The Nets are currently going through their worst season since at least 2017-18 and are in full rebuild mode. However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/6-nets-non-cooper-flagg-draft-targets-to-watch-in-ncaa-tournament">Nets have six picks in the upcoming NBA Draft</a> and are hopeful of drafting at least one player that will crack this list in the future.</p><p>These all-time top-10 Nets player rankings are based on what these stars did in a New York, New Jersey, or Brooklyn uniform and how they contributed to the franchise. So while James Harden and Kevin Garnett are top-75 players in NBA history, their short tenures with the franchise doesn’t put them on this list.</p><p>With apologies to some of the near-misses for this list, like Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin, and Kenny Anderson, here are the 10 greatest Nets players in <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NJN/" rel="noopener">team history</a>, ranked.</p><h2><b>10. Kevin Durant</b></h2><p>This was a difficult choice near the back end of the top-10 Nets player rankings. In the mix here were grinders who helped the Nets organization win games over a long period of time, like Jefferson, Martin, and Anderson, and superstars who showed up for just a few years but were among the best players in their leagues at the time.</p><p>Ultimately, on a best Nets players list, the shooting stars (no pun intended) won out over the lesser, longer-tenured players.</p><p>So, with that in mind, Kevin Durant kicks off the list of greatest Nets players in history.</p><p>Just the act of signing with the Brooklyn Nets over all the other teams pursuing him — including the New York Knicks — is a major moment in Nets history. And when Durant was healthy and on the court (which only happened 129 times in three-and-a-half seasons), he was one of the three or four best players in the NBA.</p><p>KD had a higher scoring average with the Nets than any other of his teams, putting in 29.0 points per game. He also shot 40% from 3-point range, while adding 5.8 assists and 7.1 rebounds. Plus, he is the franchise leader in free throw percentage at 91.0%.</p><p>And the truth is, despite all the drama that marked his time in Brooklyn and his partnership with Kyrie Irving and Harden, if his foot wasn’t on the line in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals, Durant and the Nets could have been NBA champions.</p><h2><b>9. Rick Barry</b></h2><p>Rick Barry is the second of three players on this list who was only with the franchise for a short time but made a historical impact on the league while a Net.</p><p>With all apologies to the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs, the New York/New Jersey Nets were the jewel of the American Basketball Association and the biggest reason for the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.</p><p>For two seasons, Barry was the best player on the Nets and possibly the best player in all of basketball. In two seasons, he averaged 30.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 7.2 rebounds. To this day, Barry is still the franchise leader in minutes per game (44.0) and points per game.</p><h2><b>8. Deron Williams</b></h2><p>As the New Jersey Nets prepared to move to Brooklyn, the team made a splash move, trading for Utah Jazz All-Star point guard Deron Williams.</p><p>Williams never seemed all that comfortable (or happy) in the tri-state area, even though he would eventually sign a massive five-year, $98.7 million contract extension. He was excellent at times, though, averaging 16.6 points and 7.5 assists per game as a Net.</p><p>In fairness to Williams, the front office never put great talent around him, settling for Joe Johnson after failing to make a Dwight Howard trade. He also led the team after the disastrous Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade with the Boston Celtics.</p><p>In the end, the Nets could have done better by Williams and vice versa. Still, he was an All-Star in New Jersey and comes in at No. 8 in these Nets player rankings.</p><h2><b>7. Vince Carter</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr.-J-honors-Vince-Carter.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Vince Carter played for eight NBA teams, and his second-longest home (behind the Toronto Raptors) was with the Nets.</p><p>Carter played five seasons in New Jersey and averaged more points (23.6) assists (4.7), and rebounds (5.8) per game than at any other stop along the way. He also helped lead the team to three playoff appearances and two playoff series wins.</p><p>Together with Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd, Carter helped the Nets become one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for half a decade. Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat always seemed to be looming to ruin their postseason, but for 82 games, this trio was excellent and maybe more importantly, incredibly exciting to watch.</p><h2><b>6. Drazen Petrovic</b></h2><p>Croatian sensation Drazen Petrovic is the third of four players on this greatest Nets players in history list who was only on the team for a short period of time. However, unlike the others, his Nets career was brief due to his tragic death in a car accident in 1993.</p><p>Prior to that, the Eastern European sharpshooter was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the NBA. Petrovic played his last three seasons for the Nets, and in his final two, he averaged 20.6 and 22.3 points per game while shooting 44.4% and 44.9% from 3-point range.</p><p>Those Nets squads, with stars like Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson, veterans such as Sam Bowie, Rick Mahorn, and Mo Cheeks, and youngsters Jayon Williams and Chucky Brown, could have become contenders if not for the untimely death of an incredibly talented player.</p><h2><b>5. Derrick Coleman</b></h2><p>Speaking of Derrick Coleman, he comes in at No. 5 on this Nets player rankings list. As the No. 1 overall pick out of Syracuse, a lot was expected of Coleman. And while he never delivered what the player taken behind him (Gary Payton) did, he still had an excellent career with New Jersey.</p><p>Coleman played five seasons for the Nets, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1990 and making an All-Star Game in 1994 and two All-NBA teams in 1993 and 1994. As one of the best Nets players ever, he averaged 19.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.</p><p>The death of Drazen Petrovic and Coleman’s own attitude at times derailed his career to a certain extent, but when the 6-foot-10 forward was good, he was very good, and that puts him on this list.</p><h2><b>4. Buck Williams</b></h2><p>After going through several of the best Nets players of all time and excusing their short time with the franchise, let’s celebrate a player who played in New Jersey for eight seasons, Buck Williams.</p><p>Willams played for the Nets from 1981, where he was the No. 3 overall pick, until 1989. This was one of the most successful periods in Nets’ history, as the team made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons.</p><p>During his time with the Nets, Williams averaged 16.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He also is still the franchise’s career leader in games, minutes played, free throw attempts, made free throws, offensive, defensive, and total rebounds, defensive win shares, and win shares.</p><p>Williams is also just four points behind the next player on this list as the Nets’ all-time leading scorer, which is why he comes in as the fourth-best Nets player ever.</p><h2><b>3. Brook Lopez</b></h2><p>Brook Lopez played in New Jersey and Brooklyn for nine seasons, even longer than Buck Williams, and is the longest-tenured greatest Nets player on this list.</p><p>The center made over his career midstream to transition from a game dominated by big men to one dominated by stretch forwards and centers. He started that transformation toward the end of his Brooklyn years, but early in his career, he was one of the best two-way centers in the NBA.</p><p>Lopez averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game with the Nets and is the franchise leader in field goals, field goal attempts, blocks, and offensive win shares. The 7-foot center is also the Nets’ all-time leading scorer with 1,044 points.</p><p>During his last season in Brooklyn, Lopez went from shooting 14 3-pointers the season before to chucking up 346, which allowed his career to continue for six-plus more seasons, unfortunately not with the Nets, though.</p><h2><b>2. Julius Erving</b></h2><p>Back to the shooting stars in Nets history, we move on to Dr. J.</p><p>Julius Erving played for the New York Nets in the ABA for three seasons just before the merger and led his team to win two of the league’s last three championships. He also won an ABA scoring title twice with the Nets, averaging 27.4 points in 1973-74 and 29.3 points in 1975-76.</p><p>All told, Erving averaged 28.2 points, 5.2 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He was simply one of the best players of his time, and if he played more than three seasons in Long Island, he may be No. 1 on this greatest Nets players list.</p><p>Why?</p><p>Because he also revolutionized the game of basketball, pioneering the ultra-athletic, above-the-rim style we see today.</p><h2><b>1. Jason Kidd</b></h2><p>Jason Kidd is undoubtedly one of the best point guards of all time and the best Nets player in history.</p><p>The Nets made a blockbuster trade for the veteran guard in 2001 to have him lead a team with Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn, and rookie Richard Jefferson. Kidd helped take the team to two straight NBA Finals in his first two seasons, losing to the dynastic Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.</p><p>Kidd made five All-Star appearances with New Jersey as well as three All-NBA teams and six All-Defensive teams. He also averaged 14.6 points, 9.1 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game for the Nets. In 2001-02, he finished second in NBA MVP voting to Tim Duncan.</p><p>J-Kidd never won a title with the Nets, but he took them to the precipice twice and still has franchise career records for assists, steals, triple-doubles, and value over replacement. For these reasons and more, Jason Kidd is the greatest Nets player in history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

10 greatest Nets players in franchise history, ranked

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-brooklyn-verge-clinching-sixth-best-draft-lottery-odds-after-loss-raptors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nets on verge of clinching sixth-best draft lottery odds after loss to Raptors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Nets-news-Brooklyn-on-verge-of-clinching-sixth-best-draft-lottery-odds-after-loss-to-Raptors.jpg"></figure><h1>Nets on verge of clinching sixth-best draft lottery odds after loss to Raptors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-07T06:17:18-07:00">April 7th, 6:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-07T06:17:18-07:00">April 7th, 6:17am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Brooklyn Nets had a chance to lock in the sixth spot in the draft lottery standings with a loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. They did everything they could to ensure that outcome.</p><p>With all their starters ruled out, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-several-brooklyn-starters-ruled-out-raptors-draft-lottery-race">the Nets put out a rotation of G League call-ups and backups</a> during a 120-109 loss. Reece Beekman and Drew Timme received their first NBA starts alongside Trendon Watford, Ziaire Williams and Keon Johnson. Dariq Whitehead, Tosan Evbuomwan, Maxwell Lewis and Tyson Etienne made up the bench unit.</p><p>Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin, two of five regular rotation members available for the game, logged DNP-CDs.</p><h2>Nets one game away from clinching sixth spot in draft lottery standings</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Reece-Beekman.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/cam-thomas-makes-free-agency-pitch-nets-best-in-league-declaration">Cam Thomas and Noah Clowney shut down</a> for the season, Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell and Day’Ron Sharpe missed the game with injuries, while Nic Claxton got the night off for rest.</p><p>The loss put the Nets 3.5 games ahead of the Raptors for the <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/" rel="noopener">sixth-best lottery odds</a> with four remaining. Their magic number to clinch the spot is down to one. A Brooklyn loss or a Toronto win will clinch the sixth spot for the Nets.</p><p>The Nets’ odds in the sixth spot would be as follows:</p><ul><li>1st: 9.0%</li><li>2nd: 9.2%</li><li>3rd: 9.41%</li><li>4th: 9.62%</li><li>5th: 0%</li><li>6th: 8.62%</li><li>7th: 29.77%</li><li>8th: 20.55%</li><li>9th: 3.68%</li><li>10th: 0.15%</li></ul><p>Brooklyn will have a 37.2 percent chance of jumping into the top four and a 58.94 percent chance of picking 6-8. The doomsday scenario of falling to ninth or 10th will have a 3.83 percent probability.</p><p>Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper are viewed as the clear-cut top two picks in this year’s class. Beyond that, there is far less consensus, with Rutgers’ Ace Bailey and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/6-nets-non-cooper-flagg-draft-targets-to-watch-in-ncaa-tournament">Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe leading the second tier of prospects</a> in many mocks.</p><p>The Nets will close the season this week with matchups against the New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets on verge of clinching sixth-best draft lottery odds after loss to Raptors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-news-jeff-teague-admits-giannis-antetokounmpo-title-asterisk-story-bucks-nets-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jeff Teague admits Giannis Antetokounmpo title ‘asterisk’ during story about Bucks-Nets series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jeff-Teague-admits-Bucks-title-asterisk-during-story-on-wild-Nets-series.jpg"></figure><h1>Jeff Teague admits Giannis Antetokounmpo title ‘asterisk’ during story about Bucks-Nets series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-06T15:23:06-07:00">April 6th, 3:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-06T17:31:44-07:00">April 6th, 5:31pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo cemented his status as one of the NBA’s all-time greats with his championship in 2021. However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-kevin-durant-shatters-playoffs-scoring-record-in-epic-game-7-masterpiece-vs-bucks">Milwaukee Bucks nearly fell to a shorthanded Brooklyn Nets squad</a> in the second round. Jeff Teague <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L7Mz_oVWz0" rel="noopener">said his former teammate’s title</a> has an asterisk next to it because of the Nets’ dominance before James Harden and Kyrie Irving suffered injuries.</p><p>“People always put an asterisk by [Giannis’ championship] because everybody on Brooklyn got hurt and KD stepped on the line in Game 7,” Teague said on the Club 520 Podcast. “I [believe it], because I was sitting there and I saw the scores… Listen, I got a ring and I’m happy, but I saw when Kyrie was just on the court with KD and they didn’t even have James, they beat us by 50, bro.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/the-greatest-nets-era-that-never-was-a-timeline-of-kevin-durant-and-kyrie-irvings-downfall-in-brooklyn">Nets were viewed as the overwhelming title favorite</a> entering the 2021 playoffs. Brooklyn posted one of the highest offensive ratings in NBA history during a round one win over the Boston Celtics. However, Harden injured his hamstring in the opening minutes of Game 1 vs. the Bucks.</p><h2>Jeff Teague how Nets injuries impacted Giannis Antetokounmpo’s championship</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Nets-Bucks.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Even with Harden sidelined, the Nets went up 2-0, leading by as many as 49 points during a Game 2 victory. However, Irving sprained his ankle while landing on Antetokounmpo’s foot in Game 3 and missed the rest of the series.</p><p>“Once everybody got hurt, we was like, ‘We can win! They just got KD!’ But when they had their whole team, I packed my car up [to leave Milwaukee]… I packed my car up because we lost by 50. I thought it was over with,” Teague said.</p><p>With Irving sidelined and Harden returning to play games five, six and seven on one leg, the Nets still pushed the Bucks to a Game 7. Brooklyn infamously came an inch away from winning the series, with Durant stepping on the three-point line on a game-winning shot in the closing seconds.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">What if I told you one inch changed the trajectory of the NBA forever <a href="https://t.co/r06BXMrJM1">pic.twitter.com/r06BXMrJM1</a></p><p>— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1623565325730996230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have not made a deep playoff run since their title. A 2022 second-round loss has followed first-round exits in the last two seasons. Milwaukee appears destined for a similar fate this year, with Damian Lillard sidelined indefinitely entering the playoffs.</p><p>Depending on how a seeding race with the Detroit Pistons shakes out, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/milwaukee-bucks-dream-nightmare-seeding-matchup-2025-nba-playoffs">Bucks could face the New York Knicks in the first round</a>. Teague said Antetokounmpo beating the Knicks without Lillard would be a more meaningful feat than his championship.</p><p>“Imagine if he beats the fully healthy Knicks by himself?… If he wins that series with all the high praise the Knicks have been getting this year, how well the Knicks played, people thinking they really have a chance to make it to the conference finals. If Giannis can take them out by himself without Dame, that’s bigger than his chip,” Teague said. “If he beats this Knicks team without Dame dolla, it’s gonna feel like he won a championship.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jeff Teague admits Giannis Antetokounmpo title ‘asterisk’ during story about Bucks-Nets series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nets-trade-acquisition-could-draw-interest-free-agency-improved-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nets trade acquisition could draw interest in free agency after improved season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ziaire-Williams-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Nets trade acquisition could draw interest in free agency after improved season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-06T13:07:19-07:00">April 6th, 1:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-06T13:22:54-07:00">April 6th, 1:22pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ziaire Williams was an afterthought among the Brooklyn Nets’ offseason transactions. After blockbuster trades with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/grading-nets-grizzlies-ziaire-williams-trade">Nets acquired the 24-year-old</a> and a second-round pick in a salary dump from the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>Williams’ poor three-point shooting held him back after the Grizzlies selected him 10th overall in the 2021 draft. However, he’s improved with the Nets, shooting 34 percent from deep on 4.9 attempts per game, both career-highs. The 6-foot-9 wing’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-ziaire-williams-receives-best-in-league-praise-key-area">three-and-D potential</a> could draw interest from teams in free agency.</p><p>“I mean, I’d be lying if I told you the thought wasn’t there,” Williams said of how his improved numbers could impact his market. “But it’s not something I really trip over. I try not to [focus on it]. I try just to play winning basketball, man: shoot when I’m open, pass when it needs to be passed. I just play my hardest.</p><p>“I know my agent and my representatives, and more importantly, God, they’ll take care of all of that. So, I’m just enjoying this, just being in the moment, being where my feet are. And then, when that time comes, then I’ll get a little bit more happy about it.”</p><p>Williams shot 30.1 percent on 3.5 attempts per game over his first three seasons with the Grizzlies.</p><h2>Ziaire Williams’ improved three-point stroke with Nets could impact free agency</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ziaire-Williams.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-unlikely-net-emerging-as-top-steal-nba-offseason">Nets forward altered his shot</a> this season, hopping into threes instead of taking a traditional 1-2 step. That change has translated to improved efficiency on career-high volume.</p><p>“It started last year. Anthony Carter from Memphis was the first person who taught me how to hop into a shot instead of 1-2. And that’s allowed me to get a lot more momentum and flow [into my threes],” Ziaire Williams said earlier this season. “I thank god for him every day because I really feel like he honestly somewhat saved my shot… Just consistently getting that base and that momentum to flow, and I’ve just been rolling with it ever since.</p><p>“My summer trainers Joe Abunassar and Chris Johnson, and now with Connor [Griffin] and the rest of the Brooklyn Nets guys, I’ve kinda just translated that over a little bit… Just trusting my work and living with the results.”</p><p>Williams’ late-season improvement has been glaring. He’s shot 36.7 percent on 6.7 three-point attempts per game over his last 18 appearances.</p><p>“When you see the fruits of your labor paying off, it always does help and feels a little good. So, just trying to trust my work,” he said. “It’s really just rhythm. Rhythm and just staying on track, shooting a straight line drive every time. But the main thing is shooting the same shot, not really focusing on the result and not worrying about feet and legs and arms, just focusing … and shooting the same. That’s really about it.”</p><p>Williams could be a restricted free agent this summer. However, the Nets are expected to decline his $8.35 million qualifying offer, making him unrestricted.</p><p>Brooklyn is the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/cap/_/year/2025/sort/cap_maximum_space" rel="noopener">only team projected to have cap space</a>. However, most of the league will have either the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7 million) or non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million) to sign free agents.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets trade acquisition could draw interest in free agency after improved season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-several-brooklyn-starters-ruled-out-raptors-draft-lottery-race');   ga('set', 'title', 'Several Nets starters ruled out for tank-off vs. Raptors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Nets-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Several Nets starters ruled out for tank-off vs. Raptors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-05T21:10:17-07:00">April 5th, 9:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-05T21:17:04-07:00">April 5th, 9:17pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sunday’s Brooklyn Nets-Toronto Raptors matchup will have significant draft lottery ramifications. As was the case for Thursday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Nets are resting several starters as they aim to maximize their lottery odds. Brooklyn ruled out Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell and Nic Claxton vs. Toronto.</p><p>Johnson is missing his third straight game due to a lower back contusion. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nets-news-dangelo-russells-benching-nets-timberwolves-explained-jordi-fernandez">Russell will be sidelined with right ankle soreness</a> after playing just 12 minutes during Thursday’s loss. Claxton will have the night off for rest.</p><p>Day’Ron Sharpe also remains sidelined by a knee sprain, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-shut-down-noah-clowney-for-remainder-of-season-due-to-ankle-injury">Brooklyn recently shut down Noah Clowney</a> for the season with an ankle sprain.</p><p>The Nets can secure the sixth-best draft lottery odds with a loss. Entering the matchup, they lead the Raptors by 2.5 games for sixth place in <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/" rel="noopener">the lottery standings</a> with five remaining.</p><h2>Nets rule out Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell, Nic Claxton for Raptors matchup</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cam-Johnson.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With a handful of rotation players sidelined and Russell spending most of the game on the bench, Brooklyn gave extended minutes to several G League call-ups vs. Minnesota. Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme, Tosan Evbuomwan, Tyson Etienne and Reece Beekman saw expanded roles.</p><p>Whitehead posted 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from three during the loss. Evbuomwan added 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 6-of-11 shooting. The Nets had won two straight games before the defeat.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Raptors have lost three straight following a four-game win streak. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-weighs-in-on-toronto-tanking-strategy">Scottie Barnes is questionable for the Brooklyn matchup</a> due to an MCP joint contusion in his right hand. Immanuel Quickley (rest), Jakob Poeltl (rest) and Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise) have been ruled out.</p><p>Following Sunday’s game, the Nets will close the season with matchups against the New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, Timberwolves and New York Knicks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Several Nets starters ruled out for tank-off vs. Raptors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nets-news-dangelo-russells-benching-nets-timberwolves-explained-jordi-fernandez');   ga('set', 'title', 'D’Angelo Russell’s benching during Nets’ loss to Timberwolves explained by Jordi Fernandez');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DAngelo-Russells-benching-during-Nets-Timberwolves-explained-by-Jordi-Fernandez.jpg"></figure><h1>D’Angelo Russell’s benching during Nets’ loss to Timberwolves explained by Jordi Fernandez</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T10:23:32-07:00">April 4th, 10:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T10:26:04-07:00">April 4th, 10:26am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brooklyn Nets fans calling for the team to embrace tanking lineups received their wish on Thursday. Many questioned why it didn’t come sooner. Following two straight wins that cost the Nets fifth place in the <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/" rel="noopener">draft lottery standings</a>, the team held out Cam Johnson, Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson during a 105-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><p>Starting point guard D’Angelo Russell played just 12 minutes, with Brooklyn giving extended playing time to several G League call-ups.</p><p>“[The] number [reason] one is to give a look at these younger guys during an important part of the game where you can see how they handle it,” Fernandez said of Russell’s limited playing time. “But [D’Angelo] has been dealing with the ankle. And just trying to be smart with that, too. He’s been pretty sore, and I just don’t want to run it through the ground.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jordi Fernandez on why D'Angelo Russell played 12 minutes tonight:</p><p>"Number one is to give a look at these younger guys during an important part of the game where you can see how they handle it. But yeah, he's been dealing with the ankle. Just trying to be smart with that, too." <a href="https://t.co/3Bl1LULUP5">pic.twitter.com/3Bl1LULUP5</a></p><p>— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslater_/status/1907979339947180323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Russell was on Brooklyn’s injury report due to ankle soreness entering the matchup.</p><h2>Nets bench D’Angelo Russell, give extended minutes to several youngsters</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DAngelo-Russell.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Nic Claxton, Trendon Watford and Keon Johnson were the only regular Nets rotation players to play extended minutes. Maxwell Lewis received his first NBA start, and recent G League call-ups Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme, Tosan Evbuomwan and Reece Beekman played expanded roles.</p><p>Claxton posted a team-high 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 24 minutes.</p><p>Whitehead added 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from three. The 2023 first-round pick has averaged 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 18.9 minutes per game over five outings since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-jordi-fernandez-reveals-expectations-dariq-whitehead-nba-call-up">being called up from the Long Island Nets</a>. He’s shot 23-of-52 (44.2 percent) from three but just 3-of-13 (23.1 percent) from two across 15 NBA appearances this season.</p><p>“Just do the right things. I’m sure me, as well as the coaching staff, know by now how talented I am offensively. I’m going to make shots,” Whitehead said of his mindset. “For me, it’s just doing the right things and earning the coach’s trust. Being in the right spots on defense, doing the right things. From there, I know everything else is going to take care of itself.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/dariq_whitehead?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dariq_whitehead</a> continues to let it fly with confidence from beyond the arc 🎯</p><p>17 PTS | 5-9 3FG</p><p>Shooting 44% from three in 15 NBA appearances this season. <a href="https://t.co/M2lgvckiDl">pic.twitter.com/M2lgvckiDl</a></p><p>— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1908203917508260166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Tosan Evbuomwan posted 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 6-of-11 shooting in a team-high 30 minutes. The two-way wing has not looked overmatched during his NBA opportunities this season, averaging 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 44/30/75 shooting splits in 23.7 minutes per game over 23 appearances.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/timberwolves-news-jordi-fernandez-reacts-anthony-edwards-injury-scare-after-collision">Anthony Edwards avoided an early injury scare</a> to lead the Timberwolves with 28 points, five rebounds and three assists on 10-of-15 shooting.</p><p>Following the loss, the Nets hold a three-game lead on the Toronto Raptors for sixth place in the draft lottery standings with five remaining. The sixth spot holds a 37.2 percent chance at a top-four pick and a nine percent chance at the No. 1 pick.</p><p>Brooklyn remains two games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the fifth lottery spot. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-tyrese-maxey-hit-with-season-ending-finger-injury-diagnosis">The 76ers have lost 10 straight games</a> and shut down Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey for the remainder of the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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BrooklynNets NEWS

Nets News: Get the latest Brooklyn Nets news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Nets News

How would the Kyrie Irving trade to the Mavs look if it happened today?

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