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[Brooklyn Nets]

Sean Marks: Brooklyn Nets don’t want to ‘lock ourselves into being a 6-7 seed’

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Alongside Head Coach Jordi Fernández, GM Sean Marks reflected on the 2024-25, and more crucially, revealed major hints about the team’s future plans.

General Manager Sean Marks actually said the damn thing.

Following a predictable, if slightly more competent than expected season for the Brooklyn Nets in 2024-25, Marks and Head Coach Jordi Fernández took the podium at HSS Training Facility for their joint exit interview on Monday afternoon.

A season in which Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson were the team’s two leading minute-getters produced a 26-56 record, and the sixth-best odds heading into the NBA Draft Lottery. These 82 games, the very hiring of Fernández, and Marks’ decision to re-acquire Brooklyn’s own first-rounders in 2025 and 2026 last summer have signaled a full-scale rebuild.

But because the Nets got off to a fanbase-paralyzing 9-10 start, because they kept Cam Johnson through the trade deadline, and because reports of their interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo are still surfacing, Marks had to answer the following question.

What qualities are you looking for in a star trade?

If it seems a little early to be talking about star trades, it is. The Brooklyn Nets have yet to make a single draft pick since signaling rebuild last summer, and yet, Antetokounmpo’s name has been whispered about. Does the front office just love him, or do they just have little interest in losing plenty of games over the next couple seasons?

So, after the ninth-year GM noted Brooklyn’s next star must “fit our culture,” he took an opportunity to clarify Brooklyn’s long-term thinking:

“If you’re going after max-level talent, they have automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team. This can’t be like let’s go get this [guy] and lock ourselves into being a 6-7 seed. When we go all-in, you’re going in to compete at the highest level and contend.” [Emphasis mine]

This seems to answer the question Brian Lewis asked in his New York Post article that name-dropped Giannis at the beginning of the month: “Are potential lesser targets like Ja Morant, Domantas Sabonis, Trae Young or LaMelo Ball worth emptying the proverbial clip for if it means abandoning all hope for the Greek Freak?”

Marks’ quote is about as close to a definitive ‘no’ as you’re going to get, and it may reinforce the idea that the Nets are committed to a long-term rebuild. It may even suggest that, as much as Brooklyn is enamored with Antetokounmpo, now is not the time.

“I think we need to be opportunistic,” Marks said when discussing the upcoming free agent period. “In this market we’re always going to have various different free agents and opportunities thrown at us. Just simply being in a top five market in the league, that’s going to happen. We don’t want to get sped up. We’ve talked multiple times about being systematic and strategic in how we build here. We know we have 15 first round picks in the next six, seven years; so there’s a lot of draft assets at stake. There’s a lot of cap room at stake, and how we use that, it’s probably too early to determine.”

Indeed, Brooklyn is projected to have over $50 million in cap room this summer, in their own stratosphere of flexibility relative to the rest of the NBA...

“There’s only one team that has a lot of cap space and they may want to do a slower rebuild and aren’t looking to spend it all now,” a veteran agent told ESPN. “I’ve never seen a free agency where only one team has real cap space in my career. These free agents are f—ed.” https://t.co/y2Hnx2uKRQ

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) March 30, 2025​

Before the Nets peer out the window, though, they need to do some housekeeping themselves. Between their restricted and unrestricted free agents, they have seven players set to at least test the market, and that’s not even counting the club options they could decline.

Whether it’s re-signing players like Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe or nailing their 2025 NBA Draft, Sean Marks professed the importance of homegrown talent, specifically under the new CBA.

“I do think it is important to have guys under contract that you control the contracts, so to speak. You drafted them, you developed them, and they got to their second contract under your watch. It’s difficult when you’re trying to acquire max-level talent on max contracts. Those days are probably gone of going and getting 2-3 max free agents and so forth. Those are gonna be more difficult to do, but I think it’s important to have some value contracts on your roster.”

It certainly sounds like the Nets have interest in retaining much of the team that won just 26 games this season, and judging by the players’ comments on Monday, the feeling is mutual. Thomas, Sharpe, Ziaire Williams, and D’Angelo Russell were all full of praise for the organization, and we’ll have more on the players’ comments in a separate story.

Their reasons, though, were clear. Head Coach Jordi Fernández once again got rave reviews, not just from his players, but his boss as well.

When asked why free agents around the league may want to play in Brooklyn, Marks said: “I think the sales pitch starts with the guy to my right. I think we’ve, we’ve talked about many players and what they’ve said about Jordi and his staff, I think that’s a huge sales pitch. They want to have coaches be up-front, honest with them, and they feel that, to be quite frank, he’s in it with us.”

While the May 12 draft lottery and subsequent decision-making from Brooklyn will steer the course of this rebuilding ship, one thing seems clear: They hired the right guy last summer.

As for Fernández, he didn’t speak copiously at the exit interview. Most questions were directed to Sean Marks, who in turn, was as direct as he’s ever been when discussing long-term plans. That’s what we’re here for, right?

But Fernández couldn’t depart for the summer without one last endorsement of — here’s that word again — the culture.

“I think it’s the quality of people that we have, and that’s how you drive the culture every day, and people that are pushing in the same direction. And the one thing that is important is communication. Communicate on how you want to do things, so there’s no different messages. A lot of times, there’s where there can be a little bit of confusion, and at the end of the day, you see this slippage. And I think, like the quality of this group, the human quality has been great.”

As the Philadelphia 76ers lead-frogged Brooklyn in the race to the bottom, and as the Utah Jazz were hopelessly miserable this season, many mock-GMs harangued fellow fans about the finer points of tanking, of how to maximize pick value. And they weren’t wrong to do so; the true rebuild starts this offseason.

However, it appears the Brooklyn Nets had no such organizational dissent. Marks and Fernández, unsurprisingly, presented a unified front on Monday. The season went well, they said, with plenty of player-development wins like Tyrese Martin’s assist:turnover ratio and Ziaire Williams’ 3-point shooting.

Now, according to each, it’s a do-or-die summer, just as every day is do-or-die when building a culture.

That build may take a while. Sean Marks does not seem gung-ho on accelerating the timeline, big-game hunting just to end up in the Play-In Tournament. That was the biggest takeaway from Monday’s exit interviews.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/14...-want-to-lock-ourselves-into-being-a-6-7-seed

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

3 Takeaways from Brooklyn Nets Season Finale vs New York Knicks

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

At last, we’ve reached what’s surely the longest awaited finish line for this team in some time

Hello, friends.

While today is marked by most as Masters Sunday, Rory and Bryson aren’t the only ones on the back nine this afternoon. Playing their regular season finale, the Brooklyn Nets, to their fans and the “visiting” New York Knicks, opened the Barclays Center doors for a final time.

Brooklyn’s season has been a stark opposite to the sunny, harmonious vibe the tradition like no other brings. Fans were constantly scratching their heads, wondering whether to cheer or sulk after wins. That, combined with a volatile rotation, pesky injuries, and enough Tankathon spins to make you dizzy snipped the strings to the piano playing Augusta. What we got instead felt like a Motörhead record on blast.

It was only right that it ended with the Knicks — the team that put them on this path last summer. While the Mikal Bridges deal remains an absolute fleece in this beat writer’s eyes, the days when the Nets reap the benefits of it are yet to come. What’s important now is Brooklyn getting to the finish line and they accomplished that this afternoon. Here’s how we got there.

It’s Messy as You’d Expect​

Whether due to the players experiencing some form of senioritis on this “last day of school,” or being undermanned at the point guard spot (likely the latter), the Nets were about as sloppy as you’d expect them to be here in game No. 82.

Brooklyn’s 19 giveaways for the game boiled into 31 New York points. They especially struggled in the half court, unable to get Knick defenders moving once penetrating the first line of defense. Instead of driving and kicking for threes, they often drove right into Precious Achiuwa and PJ Tucker.

“It’s hard to win basketball games when that happens,” Jordi Fernández said postgame.

Even on the plays ending in Brooklyn points, the team looked out of sync. Again, this is a more than understandable fault for a group of guys who’ve logged only a handful of minutes together at this level. However, it was also too noticeable to not call out.

We'll take it. pic.twitter.com/HNRWNIis9O

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) April 13, 2025​

Miraculously, it didn’t hinder Brooklyn’s offense for the majority of the game. After two weeks of subzero shooting, the team doused the floor in gasoline before casting a few sparks, posting 66/50 splits at halftime. Those eventually simmered to 51/34 for the game, but still look fair in comparison to what we’ve seen of late.

Had Brooklyn put a better grip on the ball though, they likely get out of here with one more win on the year, as they their final shooting figures were similar to New York’s and they even won on the glass by a deuce. However, they ended up with 12 extra field goal attempts...those came from somewhere.

Wat, Wilson, and Martin Had Gas Left in the Tank​

Combining for over 5,000 minutes of played basketball this year, Trendon Watford, Tyrese Martin, and Jalen Wilson have been workhorses for Brooklyn in this rather unceremonious ride of a season.

“My body definitely feels it,” Martin remarked postgame. “First time, you know, I played this many games in my professional career, especially at this level. So definitely grateful and appreciative of it, but yeah, definitely feeling it.”

But even amid the wear, tear, and lack of playoff-related motivation, he and his fellow veterans saved some juice for this final run.

Martin put in what was one of his more efficient games of the 2024-25 campaign and by extension his career. The combo guard contributed with 20 points while shooting 8-of14 from the field and 2-of-6 from deep. He also flashed some bag work, making a compelling come-from-behind case for most improved Net this season.

add him to the agenda @balldontstop https://t.co/WhLfmJYEdU pic.twitter.com/qO5IZ70yn9

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) April 13, 2025​

Wilson checked the efficiency box as well, going for 18-points while shooting 5-of-8 from deep. Not only did he give the Nets fans sprinkled around the crowd something to savor, but he also glossed up his metrics before turning them in for the year. After shooting 31.9% from deep through March, he shot 52% in April, bringing his percentage for the year to a slightly more respectable 33.7% on 4.6 attempts per game. Considering he fell to No. 51 in the 2023 Draft because scouts doubted his range, that’s a positive.

Watford almost singlehandedly brought Brooklyn one final win, leveraging his size and touch to finish a number of back-to-the-basket takes that helped make it a two point game without about three to go. He tallied 20 points while going 8-of-12 from the field and splashing one of his two attempts from range.

.@trendonw with the smooooth reverse pic.twitter.com/VbVHQWTOpF

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 13, 2025​

Whether or not these veterans just ended their season or Brooklyn careers is a question for another today. All three are either free agents or have team options on their contracts after this season. But this afternoon, they were Nets, and damn good ones at that. They didn’t hear no bell, even if you as fans have been listening for it for months now.

These Guys Deserved a Final Win Even if They Didn’t Get it​

Wins do not come easy in this league. The Brooklyn Nets know that better than anyone. Not only did they go just 26-for-82, but almost every one they did secure required extra effort, poise from inexperienced players, and yes, a bit of luck.

Brooklyn wasn’t able to get one more tonight — and if you consider their play on the floor — that’s just. I mean, they gave up a 17-0 run in the third quarter and got turned over more times than a rotisserie chicken. That’s losing basketball and they know it.

Alas, there’s always more to a season than wins and losses. Words like “fight” and “grit” have echoed the Barclays Center ceaselessly since September, and while stale and even a bit cliché by now, that doesn’t mean they’re not real or important factors.

The Nets may not have put up their best fight today, but that shouldn’t take away from the bare knuckle slug-fest they put themselves and their opponents through over and over again this year. They made their opponents sweat, bleed, and even unexpectedly introduced a few to the mat.

And frankly, everyone owes these guys a pat on the back anyway.

Individuals or teams who overachieve are rewarded with praise and jubilation 95% of the time. That’s how it’s supposed to work in sports — and honestly life. But the Nets fell into that unfortunate 5% bucket this year. That’s just how it is in the first year of a rebuild.

So, after a season of grind and grit only to pull in wins that made the fanbase feel indifferent at best, this unit deserved a win at home to close the season — perhaps more than any other squad in recent history. If they couldn’t get that, let’s at least show them the appreciation wins usually evoke. Consider this my virtual tip of the cap.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/13...rooklyn-nets-season-finale-vs-new-york-knicks

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty take Adja Kane, French stash, with final pick of 2025 WNBA Draft

With the final pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft, the New York Liberty reached deep in the international pool and took Adja Kane. Read about her here.

The spectacle of the 2025 WNBA Draft hardly involved the team of the host city.

After years of trades and pick-swaps that built a championship winner, and a roster poised to repeat this season, the New York Liberty had just one of the 38 selections on Monday night: pick #38,

Just waiting for 38

— Stewie (@breannastewart) April 15, 2025​

With the final selection of the night, GM Jonathan Kolb’s front office took Adja Kane, from France .

Kane turned 20 in March, and is currently competing in her home country’s top women’s basketball league for Landerneau Bretagne Basket. According to Pro Ballers, she averaged 5/4/1 in 20 minutes a night this season, but crucially, blocked over a shot per game.

This helps define her appeal, listed as a skinny, 6’3” center with a plus-wingspan, serious movement skills, and some flashes of touch around the basket...

Adja Kane was had yet to turn 19 while playing this game? I think I get the pick: pic.twitter.com/wzu24R2vCB

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) April 15, 2025​

“As an organization, we pride ourselves on embracing the global nature of the game and are proactive in assembling a deep group of international talent,” said Kolb in a press release on Monday night. “We had a unique opportunity tonight to select Adja Kane, a talented young player from a strong program in France, who will continue to develop overseas for the next few years with our support from afar.”

That statement confirms the obvious, that Kane will be a draft-and-stash, potentially making her way to training camp in the next few seasons, if all goes according to plan.

Remember Leonie Fiebich was once a stash pick that the New York Liberty traded for, then invested in. In Myles Erhlich’s profile of Fiebich last season, she recounted how the Libs established contact with her while she was playing in Europe: “It seemed like they cared. Whereas, when I was with the other organizations, they didn’t really reach out, or they were not in contact with me. It was the first time that an organization was really interested.”

This isn’t to draw a comparison. Kane, who again, just turned 20, is a long way from playing in the WNBA. Fiebich was 24 when she played her phenomenal rookie season, and already the MVP of the Spanish League.

Kane, who is of Mauritanian descent, was a little-used reserve when she helped France’s U20 team win Eurobasket last year, playing just five minutes in the final game.

Still, there is clear upside, and in a draft environment far less homogenized than the NBA — few teams have the investment in international draft scouting that the Liberty have, and thus, very different-looking draft boards — her slot all the way down at #38 isn’t disqualifying by any stretch.

Kane joins a healthy list of French players the Liberty hold the rights to: Marine Farthoux is a fellow draft stash and a former teammate of Seehia Ridard, who signed a training camp contract with the Liberty...

Seehia Ridard (who signed a training camp contract with NY) and Marine Fauthoux (NY has the draft rights to) during their Basket Landes days in 2022. pic.twitter.com/plgbvWJP8M

— Alford Corriette (@alfcorriette) March 18, 2025​

And of course, fan-favorite Marine Johannes will return stateside this season, re-joining the Liberty after overseas commitments kept her out of the 2024 season.

Whether Adja Kane ever makes it over to the Big Apple, who knows? But the talent is there, and, for now, she seems to be the final move of the New York Liberty’s offseason, as they try to go back-to-back in 2025.

Their regular-season opener is at Barclays Center; they'll face the Las Vegas Aces on May 17.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/15...ench-stash-with-final-pick-of-2025-wnba-draft

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Summer of Our Lives: ProfessorB’s final grades

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

In his day job, ProfessorB is an award-winning social scientist and Presidential Laureate. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other major media outlets. But he also dabbles in NetsWorld.

For 20 teams, the NBA season is still underway. But the Brooklyn Nets have finished their year in the shadows, management has put their best face on it, and summer is looming. Nothing left to do but wait hopefully for the draft lottery — and hand out report cards.

Here are some final ratings for each of the 22 players who played at least 100 minutes for the Nets this season. (The team had 27 players under contract at one point or another, tying a franchise record.)

The total ratings are a weighted average of Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) and LEBRON, two of the NBA’s most trusted overall performance metrics. Both estimate how many points each player added on offense and subtracted on defense per 100 possessions. (Both are imprecise, especially for players with limited minutes, and there are some significant differences between them. The LEBRON ratings are slower to update and therefore less extreme overall. Nonetheless, the two sets of ratings are highly correlated, and the standard error of the “Total” ratings is about half a point.)

A striking pattern here is the mismatch between minutes and performance. Much of that reflects injuries and trades. But the Nets’ team leaders in total minutes, Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson, kept getting substantial playing time despite being among the team’s worst performers all season. The same could be said for Tyrese Martin and even Nic Claxton, who was consistently outplayed by Day’Ron Sharpe. Jordi Fernandez started his coaching career preaching “winning habits” and promising that all his players would have to “earn” their minutes—but sometimes that’s not how things turn out in the NBA.

At the other end of the spectrum, four of the Nets’ eight best players were traded or waived during the season. Such is the cost of tanking. Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder, and Ben Simmons were all veterans on expiring contracts and presumably not in the team’s future plans, anyway. In exchange for these three, the Nets got D’Angelo Russell, an injured De’Anthony Melton, flyers on Reece Beekman and Maxwell Lewis, and a handful of second-round draft picks.

Killian Hayes was a more puzzling case. The 23-year-old performed surprisingly well on a ten-day contract when the team was desperate for a healthy point guard, posting 9.5 assists and just 2.8 turnovers per 100 possessions. Even his shooting was slightly above team average (true-shooting .559), a significant improvement over the .456 true-shooting that got him bounced from Detroit. Yet Hayes was let go at the end of his ten days—one day too late to be eligible for another team’s playoff roster. Unless he got some sort of quiet promise from the Nets for next season, he was a victim of cruel NBA roster math.

Implications for the off-season? The Nets’ three restricted free agents—Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Ziaire Williams—were all among the top five players still on the roster at season’s end. Expect all three to be back on tradeable contracts next year. Trendon Watford is an unrestricted free agent, but the coaching staff seems enamored with his versatility and potential, and he may well be back, too. Dariq Whitehead had trouble staying on the court and Noah Clowney had trouble living up to the hype from his rookie season; but both are young and promising—and on relatively cheap guaranteed deals. Russell says he wants to return, and he might if the price is right; however, he is essentially interchangeable with several other veteran point guards, including Schroder.

The summer holds more uncertainty for several young Nets with unguaranteed (or only lightly guaranteed) contracts. The most consistent performer among them was Tosan Evbuomwan, a 24-year-old wing on a two-way deal. Wilson, Johnson, Martin, Lewis, and Drew Timme all showed flashes at times, but none really proved that he belongs in the NBA. Which, if any, return may depend on who the Nets add in the draft.

Perhaps the most depressing takeaway from these ratings is the dearth of demonstrated talent on the Nets’ roster from top to bottom. Over the course of the season, no Net was even a full point better than an average NBA player. Most of them were at least a full point worse. (A bit of perspective: MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was 7.5 points better than an average player by this combined measure.) Cam Johnson’s improvement was a bright spot, but it only made him “a quality rotation player” (ranked 111-120) in The Athletic’s end-of-season rating of NBA players.

Sean Marks talks about “being systematic and strategic in how we build.” This season’s results underline the need for patience. The Nets have dug their hole, but have barely begun to lay their foundation.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/16/24409756/summer-of-our-lives-professorbs-final-grades

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Summer of our lives: Brooklyn Nets profess their belief in Jordi Fernández, #Culture

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

It was the most unified day of exit interviews for the Brooklyn Nets in years, and no matter what those on the outside think, those in uniform believe in this franchise.

Sean Marks may have given the most important comments of the day at Brooklyn Nets exit interviews on Monday, but one consistent theme emerged among the players: They want to be back.

Brooklyn only has six players under fully guaranteed contracts for the 2025-26 season; the other nine are either free agents or have some sort of club option. In any case, given Brooklyn’s successful hoarding of cap space for this summer, their fates are controlled by the Nets. If Sean Marks wants D’Angelo Russell and Trendon Watford back — even though those two are unrestricted — he has the space to do it.

Furthermore, Marks said, “I do think it is important to have guys under contract that you control the contracts, so to speak. You drafted them, you developed them, and they got to their second contract under your watch. It’s difficult when you’re trying to acquire max-level talent on max contracts.”

The entire landscape of the league, much less one team, can change over an offseason. But for now, all signs are pointing to Brooklyn running back largely the same roster next season, plus some rookies.

I know, I know. The hardcore realists among you will point out that exit interviews are nothing more than hours of lip-service. To agents, to potential future teams, to fans, whoever.

Even with that in mind, 2025 exit interviews were markedly different than those of previous years. Players were wholly unified in their spirit, in their praise of Head Coach Jordi Fernández, and their opinion on the culture Brooklyn professes to be building. And thus, as you’ll see, in their desire to be on the 2026 Nets.

(Individual interviews have been trimmed. Questions have been paraphrased.)

Cam Johnson​

Q: Now a vet coming off a career year, do you go to Sean Marks and ask if you’re getting traded? What are those conversations like?

A: “Definitely, definitely go to him and ask, because I have a very vested interest in what we’re doing here. I feel like I’ve put a lot of effort into trying to be a part of this program, and I take that very seriously. And I feel like I’ve also been given a responsibility to have that approach. I would definitely like to know everything that’s going on and I understand that I’m not going to be let in on every decision or have say in every decision. But I would like to know going forward.”

Q: How do you square being a veteran leader for rebuild with desire to contend?

A: “I think the point I’d make to that is I feel like I’m growing right alongside of them. I don’t feel in any way, shape, or form that I’m a finished product myself ... We’re all working, we’re all trying to get better, we’re all chasing something. So yeah, obviously I wanna win. Bottom line. I play this game because I like to win. I hate losing, it does not sit well with me, but I can also find silver linings in situations. And one thing that I’ll always do is put my head down and work and try to be a better player and teammate and all of those things. So I can pivot and focus on those things, and I think I have to some extent. Obivously I would like to get back to winning as quick as possible, but in the meantime, I’m gonna enjoy every moment of chasing it, because that’s what makes it feel even better, is when you really gotta work for it.”

Takeaways: I saw Cam Johnson in the hallways the day after the trade deadline passed, and he had big ol’ smile on his face and mentioned he was happy to still be in Brooklyn. All off-the-record stuff. Obviously, trade talks will begin again this summer, but all the above seems genuine. He also praised Fernández and the spirit of the team this season.

Cam Thomas​

Q: What’s your relationship with Jordi like compared to beginning of season?

A: “I think now we’re in a really good spot. A great spot, actually. It’s great. I love Jordi, because I learned a lot from him. I can’t wait to run it back next year with him, if that is the case. We’ll see. But, it’s definitely been great learning from him, for sure. I think we are in a great spot, a great relationship. Just want to keep building that and keep growing.”

Q: You said that getting drafted to the Nets was a “match made in heaven.” Do you still feel that way?

A: “I never wavered from that. I always felt like this was a great fit for me. Just seeing the team, even with the team at the time, it was a great fit. For me, obviously, I would’ve loved to play more, get more run. But, it was just part of the league, part of the business. I understood, but I never wavered. I always loved playing here, even when I got the opportunity to play in front of fans, everybody in the arena. I got excited when I was out there playing, scoring. I definitely love playing in Barclays, playing in front of everybody. Even now, I’m just playing freely, playing with a green light, I would say. So, just experiencing that has been great, but definitely never wavered from the match made in heaven that I said on draft day. It still applies to this day for me.”

Takeaways: Thomas also re-iterated that his hamstring injuries were “flukes” and that the team identity this year was “dope,” while giving standard non-answers about free agency. But for the first time in his career, Thomas was effusive with praise for his coach, and probably the most outwardly happy he’s been to be a Net thus far.

Day’Ron Sharpe​

Q: What’s your mindset heading into free agency?

A: “I’m new to this so whatever happens, happens. God willing — I like Brooklyn — so God willing [I’ll be back].”

Q: Do you want to find a situation with more playing time/starts in RFA?

A: “I don’t really look at starting and the bench type of thing. I just look at the minutes, I already know. So if I have to play 18, I have to play 18. If I have to play 14, I have to play 14. If I have to play 30, I have to play 30. You know, it’s whatever I can get. I always just look at it as: There’s people who want to be in my position every day that hoop. Some guys don’t even play, and I used to be in a position where I didn’t play at all.”

Q: Takeaways from Jordi and his staff?

A: “They speak life instead of trying to bring us down, even when we mess up. He tells us if we mess up, don’t take it hard on yourself, that type of thing. He’s always trying to speak life into us and do the right things and play better and play hard. So, that’s what I like the most.”

Takeaways: Sharpe mentioned the challenge of starting the season injured, saying he’s still ten pounds above his ideal weight. But the man of few, often direct words reflected on growing up in the NBA, and going through that journey in Brooklyn, a place he wants to be.

D’Angelo Russell​

Q: What do you see from Jordi and the foundation?

A: “I’ve seen it over the years, you know, just with teams that are trying to shift their direction and their identity and build a culture. I think every way he’s went about doing it, first with just gathering the guys and getting them to believe. When I came here not too long ago, I felt that, you know, everybody believed in their coach. And you saw it, from all the staff to all the players, to Sean, all those guys believe in coach. So to see what he was doing behind the scenes, to kind of make that go.

“It was that genuine feel that he has. He gives you that vibe that you want to play for him. So, with the talent and the group that the guys that were here this year, they’ll have that chip on their shoulders going into next season. All credit to the work and the staff here as well.”

Q: Takeaways from Jordi and his staff?

A: “I just think the care factor is there, you know, from everybody. And I felt that, and I think that’s a start, you know, when you’re trying to build something. Guys gotta care first, and just from the personalities of players in here, you can tell all the guys have that personality. Obviously the team, the staff, and everybody, the analytics that go into who they bring into this building from everybody, I think there’s this care factor that each individual person has.”

Takeaways: Russell previously stated his desire to return to Brooklyn next season, and hardly spoke about free agency. But in his role as a sort of sage outsider, he clarified what makes Fernández & Co. unique.

Nic Claxton​

Q: What was this season like for you?

A: “It was a very humbling season. It was a lot of highs, a lot of lows for me, just physically, mentally, spiritually, everything.”

Q: How was dealing with your back injury this season?

A: “I still need to get it right. It’s still still bothering me, honestly. But right now, we got the whole offseason, I was still able to play 70 games. So that’s a blessing, being able to do that three years in a row. I don’t take that for granted, no major injuries.”

Q: What does getting it right look like? Procedures?

A: No, nothing major. I'm gonna get it right. I got a plan to get it right. No surgeries though, [knocks on wood].

Takeaways: Claxton praised Brooklyn’s “process” this season, opining that the foundation has been set and they’re on the right track, but man, you don’t like to hear that about his back. However it shouldn’t be surprising, saying he expected to be a “long-term” issue and received an epidural during the season. Keep that in mind when inevitable trade rumors pop up.

Other quotes​

Ziaire Williams, the last of the 2021 first-round picks on the roster, and thus another restricted free agent, said, “I appreciate Jordi just being consistent. Every day he was just — he’s always gonna tell you exactly how it is, straight up, and that’s how I was taught and raised. So I love that method. I think it’s really the only method to winning, is holding each other accountable and just being there for one another. So yeah, credit to Jordi man. He’s an amazing job so far, and we proved to people, you know, that we’re a special team, and we got a lot of potential.”

Trendon Watford vouched for Fernández as well, calling him a “great” coach to play for, echoing previous responses. As for his free agency, Watford said: “I know we gotta have some talks or whatever coming up soon, but I enjoy being here. I like what we got going on.”

Noah Clowney showed up with a cast on his right wrist, a surprise to all in the media room. He said he underwent a “minor” procedure, and between that and the wrist, just wants to focus on strengthening all parts of his body this offseason.

Keon Johnson had my favorite insight of the day, later adding that his 20-acre ranch holds 25 goats, for now...

Keon Johnson is excited to go back to his ranch in Dallas.

"Agriculture was my major ... I kind of want to be a farmer once basketball is over. Just be out on my own land, have my own vibe. But the goal would be to eventually get into aquaponics, hydroponic , fish farming."

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) April 14, 2025​

---

Whether it’s Ziaire Williams telling reporters “we” have a lot of potential, or Day’Ron Sharpe and Cam Thomas openly yearning to be back in Brooklyn, part one of this process seems to have been a success.

Jordi Fernández instilled a culture, albeit with guys fighting for their NBA lives, that players wanted to be a part of.

To be clear, this may be the jumping off point for any rebuild, but it is also the least crucial part. It does not matter unless Sean Marks acquires the talent to don these uniforms, and that’s what this summer is about. The Detroit Pistons not only lost 27 straight games last year with a terrible culture, but hired a new coach and signed Tobias Harris, and are suddenly in the playoffs with a great vibe. The common denominator: Cade Cunningham.

Alas, as Brooklyn lies in wait, they met that low bar in 2024-25. They hired the right head coach and got the right guys in the building.

Those guys may be in the building next year, too.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/16...ofess-their-belief-in-jordi-fernandez-culture

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

‘Braille for Sports:’ Brooklyn Nets announce tactile broadcasts for future home games

Brooklyn’s making its games more accessible and a bit of history at the same time

Even after closing the book on a season only a handful of days ago, the Brooklyn Nets are still doing their part to grow the game of basketball, specifically with how its consumed.

Thursday, in partnership with Ticketmaster and OneCourt, the team announced it’ll begin offering what’s called “braille for sports,” tactile broadcasts to blind and low vision fans during home games at Barclays Center free of charge.

Powered by technology from OneCourt, a Seattle-based startup, the tactile broadcast communicates live gameplay data audibly via an earpiece with live updates on the score and play outcomes. It also does so haptically: trackable vibrations that occur on tablet-sized devices. Collectively, this allows blind and low vision fans to follow along with the on-court action.

The technology was first used by the Portland Trail Blazers, as NBC News reported in February:

Now, the Nets are bringing the technology and opportunity to the East.

“All sports fans should be able to enjoy the in-arena, live action experience of their favorite sports teams, regardless of ability, and our collaboration with OneCourt will help unlock an entirely new world for blind and low vision fans,” said Keia Cole, Chief Digital Officer at BSE Global.

“Thanks to our partners at Ticketmaster, we are proud to bring OneCourt’s devices to the East Coast as we continue leading with a fan-first philosophy, ensuring that Barclays Center continues to remain an accessible and inclusive environment for everyone.”

Brooklyn is the first East Coast professional sports team to offer the style of broadcast. Others NBA teams currently featuring it include the Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns. At this time, it’s only available for home Nets games.

“OneCourt is proud to partner with the Brooklyn Nets and Ticketmaster to bring our tactile broadcast to Barclays Center, expanding our reach within the NBA,” said Jerred Mace, Chief Executive Officer at OneCourt. “The rapid growth we’ve experienced is a reflection of OneCourt’s impact on fans. It’s a privilege to work with partners who share our belief that sports should be inclusive, immersive, and truly for everyone.”

At the end of the 2024-25 season, Brooklyn invited individuals from VISIONS - Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired to a handful of games to pilot the tech, gathering feedback on their experiences in the process.

“So many blind and low vision sports fans choose to not attend live games because they feel that they are missing out on the live visual experience that is happening,” said Mike Cush, Chief Program Officer at VISIONS. “With OneCourt, blind and low vision patrons can ‘feel’ what is happening on the court and not have to rely on sighted assistance to know what is going on during a game.”

“As a blind basketball fan myself, I found OneCourt to be a ‘game changer’ in how I experience a live game,” Cush went on. “Kudos to the Nets for incorporating this technology and giving blind and low vision basketball fans a fully immersive experience.”

That extra mile which grants physically impaired fans an improved experience is something the Nets have traveled down before. In 2021, the ‘Clays became the first sports arena to open a designated sensory room for fans who may need a quieter, more secure environment during events. It also provides various support services including assistive listening devices, captioning, and audio descriptions.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/17...unce-tactile-broadcasts-for-future-home-games

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

After quarter century, Frank DiGraci bids farewell to YES Network, but not Nets fans

He’s been grandmaster of the YES Truck and Nets-on-YES talent whisperer. The man behind the curtain. Now, Frank DiGraci is moving on from coordinating producer of YES to the same role for NBC’s NBA coverage. We’re honored he chose us to publish his farewell.

If you’ve watched Nets games on the YES Network, you know me. Ian and Sarah have given me three names: Producer Frank DiGraci.

The man behind the scenes that navigates each broadcast while leading an outstanding crew. Replays, sponsors, music, storylines all come from the Nets on YES truck as we hope to provide an entertaining and informative experience for you, the viewer. This past Sunday was my final game in the chair after 26 seasons of covering Nets basketball. I’m moving on to be the Coordinating Producer for the NBA on NBC. But before I go I’d like to share some memories.

I’ve produced over 1800 games during my time in New Jersey and Brooklyn. three stand out.

Game 5 vs Indiana May 2, 2002: The Greatest Game in Nets history. The electricity and intensity of a fourth quarter was felt right from the opening tip. Indiana was not a normal 8-seed in this win or go home matchup. It was tied at halftime, the end of the third, end of regulation and after the first overtime. We only had overtime because Reggie Miller tied it at the fourth quarter horn on a halfcourt shot that should not have counted. The game spurred a rule change as Steve Hellmuth from the NBA invented putting the LED lights around the backboard and the scorer’s table the next season. Then Miller ties it again with a dunk in OT. But Jason Kidd wills his team to a 120-109 victory in Double OT. A game that changed the direction of the franchise and spurred the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals runs.

Shootout vs Suns Dec. 7, 2006: This was the “7 seconds or less” run-and-gun Suns with Steve Nash in his prime. One night in December, the Nets decide to run with them. Two overtimes, 318 points, 34 lead changes, 21 ties and some classic moments. The Nets outscored the Suns 43-41 in the fourth quarter! Yet Steve Nash tied it with a three with 2.1 left in regulation. Kidd just missed winning it at the end of the first OT. Boris Diaw hit the game-winner with 14.1 left. The Suns won 161-157 in double overtime in a game that is still the Nets record for most points scored and most points allowed. Kidd had 38 pts, 14 rebounds and 14 assists. Nash 42 points and 13 assists. This also airs as a Classic on NBA TV every summer.

Harris halfcourt fling vs Sixers Feb. 23, 2009: 1.8 seconds left. Nets down one with no timeouts. Devin Harris makes a half-court, Hail Mary heave at the buzzer. The refs rule it no good. The replay center in Secaucus hadn’t been invented yet, so the referees would come to the table to talk to the home truck. After a two-and-a-half minute review, using the YES Network replays, we show it was good by 1/30th of one second. The Nets erupt in joy with a 98-96 win. The Newark Star-Ledger headline read “The YES Network proved Harris got the shot off in time.” It was the first game in NBA History using instant replay to have a shot go from “no good” to “good!”

There have been plenty of memorable experiences:​

• The excitement after the Stephon Marbury trade.
• I was the first person to meet Jason Kidd after his trade to the Nets. We were both at the Celebrity Golf Tournament in Lake Tahoe. Then I went to Oakland to interview his Mom. She said on and off camera, “You are going to win. Jason plays hard. EVERY night.” She knew!
• The excitement after the Vince Carter trade.
• Living through 12-70.
• Going to London for first ever NBA Regular Season games back in Europe in 2011. Going back in 2014.
• The entire process for the move to Brooklyn. Broadcasting the actual first game vs Toronto after Sandy postponed the scheduled opener vs the Knicks.
• Joe Johnson Buzzer-Beaters.
• The excitement of the summer of 2019.
• The NBA stopped on March 11, 2020 with us in San Francisco. The Bubble of 2020.
• Vince Carter Night

...and people:

Head Coaches (15): John Calipari, Don Casey, Byron Scott, Lawrence Frank, Kiki Vandeweghe, Avery Johnson, PJ Carlesimo, Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins, Tony Brown, Kenny Atkinson, Jacque Vaughn, Steve Nash, Vaughn again, Kevin Ollie, Jordi Fernandez.

General Managers (4): John Nash, Rod Thorn, Billy King, Sean Marks.

...and plays:

Memorable Plays from great players:

• Stephon Marbury: 50-point game vs the Lakers.
• Jason Kidd: The volleyball tip pass to RJ and the circus shot over his head vs Chicago.
• Kenyon Martin: Blocks Dwyane Wade with two hands and catches the ball ... plus any dunk from Kidd.
• Richard Jefferson: Game-winner vs Cleveland with 42 points plus the game-winning shot and defense in Game 6 vs Raptors in the playoffs.
• Vince Carter: Jam over Zo, reverse alley-oop at Orlando & his 2 buzzer beaters.
• Devin Harris: The Philly shot and 40-point game vs the Mavs as the crowd chants “Thank you, Cuban”.
• Joe Johnson: Double OT Buzzer beater vs Detroit. “That was real. And that was spectacular.”
• Deron Williams: 57-point game at Charlotte.
• Brook Lopez: Becoming Nets all-time leading scorer in his last game as a Net.
• Paul Pierce: Game 1 at Toronto in 2014 playoffs. “That’s why they got me here.”
• Kyrie Irving: 50-point game in his Nets debut. 60-point game in Orlando two days after being allowed to sit courtside at Barclays but not play because he was unvaccinated. And he watched Durant drop 53 on the Knicks!
• James Harden: Point guard vision we haven’t seen since Kidd. Shattering Nets records.
• Kevin Durant. Game 5 and Game 7 vs Milwaukee. 49 points in 48 minutes of Game 5. 48 points in 53 minutes of Game 7. And both toes on the line away from the Nets advancing.

Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets honor iconic YES Network producer Frank DiGraci prior to his last game in the role: pic.twitter.com/zYRgQeGAHh

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) April 13, 2025​

In sports television, the Executives are like General Managers. They put the team together. The Talent are like the Players in that both have to perform. And the Producer is the Head Coach who’s job is to put the Talent in the best position to succeed. I am extremely proud of the men and women who have called our games, with many being national voices. I’ve worked with:

Play-by-Play: Ian Eagle, Mike Crispino, Spero Dedes, Marv Albert, Ryan Ruocco, Chris Carrino, Noah Eagle, Justin Shackil, Chris Shearn, Michael Kay & John Sterling (1 game each).

Analysts: Bill Raftery, Jim Spanarkel, Kelly Tripucka, Mark Jackson, Mike Fratello, Tim Capstraw, Greg Anthony, Donny Marshall, Sarah Kustok, Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, Frank Isola, Kevin Loughery (1 game).

Reporters: Matt Loughlin, Mike Crispino, Leslie Boghosian, Michelle Beadle, Jessica Taff, Sarah Kustok, Michael Grady, Meghan Triplett, Chris Shearn, Andy Adler, Julianne Vianni-Braen.

Wacky Moments, Too:​

• The charter plane won’t start on a cold/windy night in Milwaukee and John Calipari personally took food off the plane to bring back for everyone at the hotel.

*We were to trying to beat a blizzard going to Chicago early in the morning but while on the runway, the airport shuts down. Now the crew needs eight hours rest. The entire team and traveling party go back to the Meadowlands Sheraton for the day. When it’s time to leave, we can’t board because the driver locked his keys in the bus. He breaks a window, we get to the plane and finally take off at 11 p.m. We lost the day game the next day.

• The truck losing power and missing the first half of a game at Izod Center. It happened once at Barclays too.
• “Bloopers,” “sitters,” “wedgies” and “spillage.” Oh, we loved spillage. None better than Mason Plumlee in Washington and a gentle tap knocking over an entire tray of beer on the court.

Elements created: Bill Raftery’s “Onions” cartoon. Mark Jackson’s “You’re Better Than That”, :Where’s Michelle Beadle?,” “Spalding” the YES Network basketball, “Ask the Announcers,” “Wear Brooklyn At?” ”Who Am I?,” “Catching Up with Kustok,” “Pick and Poll,” “I Did Not Know That” (Michael Grady)

Through the years: We’ve gone from 1-inch tape machines to hard drives that continually record all the action. Slo-mo replays to Super Slo-Mo to YES-Mo. Standard Definition to High Definition. World Feeds and a whole season without traveling. 1,700 fans to end the 2021 regular season to 15,000 for Game 1 of the Vaccinated playoffs.

Then, there’s Ian​

You know Ian Eagle as an amazing, extremely prepared and talented broadcaster who has been calling Nets games for 31 seasons. He doesn’t have one signature call. He has a library! “Big Finish,” “Rack Attack,” ”Book it,” “Imaginary Ladder,” the list is endless and always creative. He also says “Ricochet” once a game to test if the truck is listening! I’ve known him since the late 90’s and can tell you he is an even better man off the air. You will not find a more kind, generous, egoless person in this business. And funny. He is very funny! A mentor and a life coach for so many and someone you can count on no matter what.

The best night of my career was being able to celebrate this great man on Ian Eagle Night for his 25th Anniversary. I won’t be producing Nets games with Bird any longer. But I know I have a friend for life.

The mantra he taught me and we worked on as a team all these years was to always focus on the basketball game first. Give the viewer at home insight and knowledge about their favorite team. Everything you needed to know about the Nets - on and off the court - you would get on our show. Then we sprinkle in some bits and humor to keep the viewer engaged. To create the feeling that you better not turn the channel because you don’t know what will happen next. And when it got tense, we could match the intensity and rise to the occasion with our storytelling. In the end, we were putting on a show while covering a game.

Thank you for watching. It’s been the ride of a lifetime.

——————————————

As we noted, It’s an honor to host Frank’s farewell. What he did for a quarter century and what he wrote about today should bring a smile or a tear ... or both. So much of our collective memories as fans, as fathers and sons and mothers and daughters, as brothers and sisters, as friends was his work ... “Did you see...?!?” Our appreciation of those who are so familiar to us now — both Eagles, Sarah, Ryan, RJ, Chris, Frank, and Vince, etc. etc. — is due to his skills as a recruiter, a mentor, an extraordinary producer ... and ultimately as a friend.

Frank says he will be watching the Brooklyn Nets and when they appear on NBC Sports producing them. That will be Frank’s next great evening ... and ours. Thank you. Frank.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/17...ids-farewell-to-yes-network-but-not-nets-fans

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Drew Timme named second team All-G League

Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images

The three-time Gonzaga All-American picked up another accolade this week when he was named All-G League.

Drew Timme who went from averaging 11.9 points and shooting 12.5% from three with the Stockton Kings to 23.9 points and shooting 38.5% from three with the Long Island Nets this year — and earning an NBA contract in the process — has been named to the All-G League second team.

The Long Island Nets announced the accolade...

Congrats to our guy @drew_timme2 on being named All-NBA G League Second Team! Timme becomes the second Long Island player in franchise history to receive the Second Team honor after averaging 23.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 35.6 minutes per game during the 2024-25… pic.twitter.com/NRLxoWv6Fq

— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) April 17, 2025​

Timme quickly became the star of the Long Island Nets after he was traded by the Kings affiliate at the end of December in a three-team deal that sent Amari Bailey to the Iowa Wolves.

To compare, he was averaging 19.3 minutes per game with Stockton, putting up 11.9 points 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists before the December 30 deal. He had shot only 12.5% from deep, putting up only one attempt a game. Once in Long Island, those numbers essentially doubled across the board. The 6’10” 24-year-old averaged 23.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 57.4% overall and 38.5% from three, averaging nearly three attempts.

On March 28, Timme was called up by Brooklyn and signed to two-year, $2,1 million contract with a team option for next season. With the big club, he surprised, averaging 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.7 minutes over nine games, starting two of them.

“It’s great to find a place where you’re given an opportunity to really be able to show what you have,” Timme told NetsDaily at the time. “It’s exactly what I wanted when the trade went through and I couldn’t be more happy to be here.”

In his next to last G League game, he put up 50 points shooting 18-of-21 shots and hitting the winning shot in overtime as Long Island defeated the Motor City Cruise. That won him the G League Player of the Week.

Timme went undrafted in 2023 NBA Draft despite being named to the AP All-American team three times, the last year earning first team honors and being named the Karl Malone Award winner as college basketball’s best power forward. He took Gonzaga to the NCAA championship game in 2021.

Among Timme’s AP All-American teammates in 2023 was Jalen Wilson who became his Nets teammate. Timme and Wilson have known each other since third game in the Dallas area.

• Nets’ Drew Timme selected to 2024-25 All-NBA G League second team - Sharif Phillips-Keaton - USA Today

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/18/24410156/drew-timme-named-second-team-all-g-league

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Season of Our Lives: Brooklyn Nets in ‘driver’s seat’ with cap flexibility says Bobby Marks

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

Bobby Marks, ESPN insider and former New Jersey Nets assistant GM, gives his assessment of the upcoming off-season.

In his ESPN+ round-up of all 30 teams’ off-season prospects, out Saturday morning, Bobby Marks likes what he sees in the Brooklyn Nets future, saying his former team is in the “driver’s seat” in terms of cap flexibility and emphasizes how many draft picks the team has both in the 2025 NBA Draft and over the next four years.

Marks also provides details on some elements of the Nets off-season that haven’t gotten a lot of attention, things like the Nets have so little money on the books next season that they’ll have to add $60 million in salary just to meet the CBA’s minimum payroll before the opening of the 2025-26 season in October. In addition, he notes that Cam Johnson can be extended to a nine-figure deal starting July 6.

And in the debate over whether Sean Marks & co. made a smart move in trading firsts from their 2023 superstar trades to get back their own 2025 and 2026 picks from Houston, Bobby seems to agree with Sean (no relation.)

For the most part, the NBA insider doesn’t make value judgments but lays out where things stand with as you’d expect from him, a lot of detail. Breaking things down...

For the first time since 2010, Brooklyn has a draft pick in the lottery. In fact, the Nets will have four first-rounders for June (including ones from Houston, Milwaukee and New York).

Getting back their own first from Houston following a deal last summer now allows Brooklyn to rebuild on its own timeline. Those five draft picks in June are not the only resources the Nets have to build their roster. Brooklyn is the only team in the NBA to have at least $40 million in cap space.

The cap space figure will change depending on what happens in free agency, both with their own players and others, as well as the Draft. Still, Bobby Marks thinks it’s the flexibility with cap space that gives the Nets their biggest advantage.

The Nets are in the driver’s seat this offseason with cap flexibility. Including the free agent holds of Thomas, Sharpe and their four first-round picks, Brooklyn projects to have $45 million in cap room. The $12 million hold of Thomas allows Brooklyn to use room first and then exceed the cap to sign the guard. The Nets do have a $23.3 million trade exception, but that goes away once they act as a room team.

The Nets have until June 29 to exercise the team options of Johnson, Timme, Martin and Wilson. The four contracts are not guaranteed even if the options are exercised. Besides cap space, Brooklyn has the $8.8 million room mid-level, second-round pick and veteran minimum exception. From now until June 30, Brooklyn is $2.3 million below the first apron and is not allowed to exceed the threshold.

He also lays out the various ways that big salary cap space nut could be used, relying on how Sean Marks used cap space in his first rebuild from 2016-19.

How they do that likely comes to the blueprint general manager Sean Marks put in place when he started in 2016:

Take back salary in exchange for draft picks (Brooklyn acquired two firsts in 2017 with that strategy).

Target restricted free agents with an offer sheet (for example, Quentin Grimes and Jonathan Kuminga).

Sign free agents to short-term but bloated salaries.

Then, there’s Cam Thomas’ situation. Marks devotes a whole section to Thomas and his potentially “polarizing” free agency but like so many pundits have noted, he writes the Nets hold the leverage.

Thomas’ next contract could become polarizing. Thomas, a restricted free agent, had an injury-plagued season and appeared in the fewest games (25) of his four-year career. When he did play, the guard averaged career highs in points (24.7), assists (3.4), rebounds (3.6), field goal percentage (44.8%) and free throw attempts (6.1). But defensively, the Nets gave up 122.3 points per 100 possessions when Thomas was on the court.

Brooklyn has the right to match any offer sheet and is the only team having significant cap space to sign the guard.

As for Cam Johnson’s extension, it could be a very big deal, Marks writes.

Cam Johnson, who averaged career highs in points and field goal percentage this season. He has two years left on his contract ($21.1 million and $23.1 million) and is eligible to sign a three-year, $102 million extension. Outside of their draft picks, Johnson is the team’s most valuable draft asset.

Marks also lists Maxwell Lewis as “extension eligible.”

With the Lottery in a little more than three weeks and the tiebreaker coming up Monday, the 2025 Draft is on the Nets fans’ mind, but Bobby Marks also lays out what the Nets currently own, both in terms of number and how many picks can be traded. He also explains how the lottery could determine when the Nets get the Sixers pick left over from the 2022 James Harden deal.

The Nets have 16 first-round picks, including 13 that are tradable. The Knicks owe Brooklyn three future firsts (2027, 2029, 2031) and swap rights in 2028 (or Phoenix). If the 76ers retain their first this season, they will send Brooklyn a top-8-protected first in 2028. The pick is top-8 protected in 2027 if the (Sixers) first in 2025 is sent to Oklahoma City.

In addition, the Nets have the less favorable 2029 first of Dallas, Phoenix and Houston. The Rockets also have the right to swap firsts in 2027. The Nets also have 16 second-round picks available to trade.

Interestingly, in his tweet on the Nets situation four days ago, Marks said that the Nets have 17 second rounders...

pic.twitter.com/UK8WnPLr7y

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 14, 2025​

Bobby Marks also tackles what the Nets need, aka a lot.

Offensive playmakers and continued development from the perimeter for Nic Claxton. Brooklyn ranked 28th in offensive efficiency, 26th in 3-point field goal percentage and 28th in points in the paint. Claxton took a career-high 80 jumpers but shot only 33%.

While Bobby Marks didn’t deal with Joe Tsai’s willingness to spend, a crucial aspect of the rebuild, Sean Marks did in his media availability on Monday.

“The market speaks for itself, right. Our ownership group speaks for itself,” said Sean Marks summarizing the Nets situation, “So we’re very fortunate to be able to go all in the right time. We’ve done it before. We’ve done it several times. would we do it again? I think Joe is sitting there going, ‘at the right time, you give me the word, and we’ll go.’”

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/19...rs-seat-with-cap-flexibility-says-bobby-marks

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

NetsDaily Off-Season Report - No. 1

Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Every weekend, we’ll be updating the Nets’ off-season with bits and pieces of information, gossip, etc. to help fans get ready for ... whatever.

Good afternoon, Brooklyn Nets fans!

Happy Easter!

Happy Passover!

The rebuild is going to take a long time!

That was the overarching message this week from Sean Marks and Jordi Fernandez in Monday’s media availability and in follow-up media reports. The franchise, fresh off a year that saw them win 26 games and finish with the sixth worst record in the NBA, is unlikely to make big moves this off-season to warrant optimism that the rebuild will be short. ,

The crucial quote, from Marks, was simple:

“If you’re going after max-level talent, they have to automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team. This can’t be like let’s go get this [guy] and lock ourselves into being a 6-7 seed. When we go all-in, you’re going in to compete at the highest level and contend.” (Emphasis mine this time.)

It would appear that the description, carefully crafted, applied to only one player who has any chance of being available this summer: Giannis Antetokounmpo. (No, the chances of Brooklyn bringing back Kevin Durant are nil. Been there, done that and KD turns 37 in September. Not to mention he twice demanded Joe Tsai fire Marks or trade him before he was finally sent to Phoenix.)

And even if the Greek Freak does become available — and there’s every indication the Nets would be interested — Brooklyn would join a long line of petitioners, most of whom are further along in their championship aspirations. Moreover, Antetokounmpo is under contract through 2027-28 when he has a player option. It would be one costly acquisition, maybe the costliest ever.

So, rather than dwell on what it would take to get him or another superstar in the short term, perhaps it’s better to focus on what Marks himself focused on in talking to the media Monday. You could describe the GM’s message as a series of “S” words: being strategic and systematic while seeking sustainable success. He used all of them at one point or another.

The Nets will have to delve into free agency to some degree. As Bobby Marks adroitly pointed out, the new CBA will require them to. They’ll have to add $60 million in salary just to meet the CBA’s minimum payroll before the opening of the 2025-26 season in October.

Some of that money will be spent on their own free agents of which they have seven. If the Nets get a high pick in the May 12 lottery and keep all four of the their firsts, they’ll also have to pay out between $15 and $20 million in rookie deals. And Marks did note they won’t be sitting on their hands come July.

“I think we need to be opportunistic,” Marks said when discussing free agency. “In this market we’re always going to have various different free agents and opportunities thrown at us. Just simply being in a top five market in the league, that’s going to happen. We don’t want to get sped up. We’ve talked multiple times about being systematic and strategic in how we build here. We know we have 15 first round picks in the next six, seven years; so there’s a lot of draft assets at stake. There’s a lot of cap room at stake, and how we use that, it’s probably too early to determine.” (More of our emphasis.)

Again, that doesn’t sound like a short-term fix is in the works. Marks did note that if there is an opportunity that would require a big layout of money, Joe Tsai is ready to spend.

“The market speaks for itself, right. Our ownership group speaks for itself, So we’re very fortunate to be able to go all in at the right time, We’ve done it before. We’ve done it several times. would we do it again? I think Joe is sitting there going, ‘at the right time, you give me the word, and we’ll go.’”

Indeed, Tsai is spending on his Brooklyn sports properties. In the last month, his BSE Global has announced plans for $100 million in fan enhancements at Barclays Center and an $80 million training facility for the New York Liberty. His executives keep talking as well about an “ecosystem” focused on Flatbush and Atlantic modeled after the billion dollar LA LIVE! entertainment district that surrounds the Lakers Crypto.com arena.

He personally has shelled out $323 million in luxury taxes since buying a 49.9% stake in the team seven years ago. Plus he now had deep-pocketed partners in Julia Koch and her children, one of whom, David Jr., is a basketball operations assistant at HSS.

Of course, nothing says future like the stash of draft picks the Nets have gathered. As every crazed Nets fan can recite from memory, Brooklyn has 31 picks between the 2025 and 2031 drafts: 15 firsts, 13 of which can be traded, and 16 seconds, all of which can be dealt.

Marks was not asked Monday about whether he intends to use all of the four firsts and a second in the upcoming draft, but he has been more in an accumulation mode since last June with no indication that he’s done. Since then, the Nets have acquired or re-acquired seven first rounders, a first round swap and eight seconds, including six since December alone. And with the buzz about the 2026 NBA Draft’s strength increasing, expect Marks to add to the one first and two seconds he already has in that draft.

Then, there’s Jordi Fernandez element when assessing the future. If you pay attention to Nets social media accounts, you see that the 41-year-old rookie head coach is treated the way other teams treat their star players. With a roster likely in flux, why not? Our Lucas Kaplan compiled a list of comments from Nets players on Fernandez this week. “Love” was not infrequently used. And Marks cited how well received Fernandez has been in league circles when asked about his selling points for free agents whether now or in the future.

“I think the sales pitch starts with the guy to my right. I think we’ve, we’ve talked about many players and what they’ve said about Jordi and his staff, I think that’s a huge sales pitch,” said Marks of potential free agents. “They want to have coaches be up-front, honest with them, and they feel that, to be quite frank, he’s in it with us.”

In that same Lucas article, the Nets young free agents were universal in their stated desire to return and were optimistic about the future. They want to enjoy the ride, even if long Marks talked about how re-signing young players, rather than going for broke, is a priority, calling them “value contracts.”

“I do think it is important to have guys under contract that you control the contracts, so to speak. You drafted them, you developed them, and they got to their second contract under your watch,” he said, presumably referring to Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe as well as Ziaire Williams and compared them bigger free agent deals.

“It’s difficult when you’re trying to acquire max-level talent on max contracts. Those days are probably gone — of going and getting two to three max free agents and so forth. Those are gonna be more difficult to do, but I think it’s important to have some value contracts on your roster.”

Will it all work and how soon if it does? May 12 will determine just how fast things can turn around. Getting Cooper Flagg would likely help not just with the on-court product, but with recruiting whenever the opportunity arises, providing the Nets’ rebuild a new cachet. The Nets have only a 1-in-11 shot at seeing the Dukie in black-and-white. If that doesn’t happen, June 25 may be just as big. Will Sean Marks & co. make the right moves that night? Do they find a steal, avoid a bust with those three mid to late firsts? And how soon will they develop?

Fernandez is optimistic as he told reporters on Monday. He didn’t put a timeframe on the rebuild either.

“We all wanted to win more games,” he said. “But I also felt like when we fought every game, we felt supported, and the arena was always full, and the energy was there,” he said. “And just in my mind, I’m like, ‘The guys are gonna keep fighting for our fans, and imagine when we win more and more and more.’ Because it’s just a process where it’s gonna happen, and then ... that place is gonna be electrifying, and it’s gonna be great.”

It may be clichéd but at this point, only time will tell when and whether that will happen.

Sean Marks for Executive of the Year?!?​

This is NOT going to happen, okay, but Yossi Gozlan, the increasingly well respected NBA capologist writing for Third Apron, his NBA salary cap analysis newsletter, says that if he had a vote (he doesn’t), it’d go to Sean Marks.

Now, all you anti-Markists, hold on to your lunch. Gozlan offers a lot of caveats starting with the fact that GMs in rebuilds don’t get a lot of votes for EOY. The award goes instead to executives who have brought their franchise to the brink of success, guys like Sam Presti of OKC and Rob Pelinka of the Lakers who made what could be the single best trade of the last quarter century, bringing Luka Doncic to L.A. There’s Koby Altman, too. He put together the Cavaliers roster and hired Kenny Atkinson to coach it. Gozlan also thinks that the Nets trade with Houston last June 24 could easily prove disastrous. Still, he likes what Marks has done. Here’s his reasoning:

If I had a ballot, this would be my vote:

Sean Marks (Nets)

Koby Altman (Cavaliers)

Sam Presti (Thunder)

I explained the cases for Altman and Presti. Both executives pressed the correct buttons to elevate their respective teams to become true championship contenders. While Pelinka deserves a ton of credit for executing the Doncic trade, it also fell on his lap. I can’t put him in my top three when the other party made a generational mistake that continues to get scathed by the media and NBA fans.

You might be thinking: “Yossi, you just praised the Rockets for that pick swap with the Nets. How do you have Sean Marks first? The Suns’ pick this year is just as valuable as the Nets’ own pick they got back!”

Although the Nets received a generational haul for Kevin Durant, they were still in a hole from their acquisition of James Harden in 2021. They owed the Rockets two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps ahead of last year’s draft, including their 2024 first-round pick that jumped up to third overall. They had a high quantity of draft picks to enter a rebuild, but they didn’t have control of their draft picks to commit to one.

The pick swap with Houston, in conjunction with the Mikal Bridges trade to the Knicks for five first-round picks, including four unprotected selections in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, was brilliant. There are fair arguments that the quantity of draft picks the Nets have doesn’t project to be of high quality. The Rockets are looking like they could be coming out on top in that deal, given the Suns’ trajectory and receiving a net gain of one first-round pick from it.

But this was the necessary direction to take after their awful 2023-24 season, and a creative way to do so. And five first-round picks for Bridges, who has never been an All-Star, is yet another haul for the Nets. Those selections might not look appealing now, when looking at how strong the Knicks are right now. But in this league, an injury-riddled season or a disgruntled star could change everything. The Nets know, having been on both sides of this type of trade.

Marks also hired a pretty good head coach.

It’s not quite a ringing endorsement, just Gozlan’s sense of how Marks has set the stage for the Brooklyn Nets future. His position is decidedly not in the majority among NBA pundits, but he’s saying there are enough hedges in what Marks has done to warrant some praise. For the record, Gozlan thinks Pelinka will take home the trophy.

It does seem like Marks has gotten some begrudging respect of late. Bobby Marks analysis of the Nets off-season, while not a value judgment, points to how the ninth year Nets GM has laid some valuable groundwork.

Also, an ESPN+ colleague, newcomer Zach Kram, had some kind words for the Nets rebuild so far in a Wednesday analysis on where the 10 teams that didn’t make the post-season stand. He too mentions Fernandez and things the Nets could have a “big turnaround.”

As they continue a multiseason rebuild, the Nets nailed a bunch of transactions over the last year. They traded Mikal Bridges, landing five future first-round picks and a swap for a role player and also reacquired control of their own 2025 and 2026 first-round picks. (Brooklyn now boasts four first-round picks in a deep 2025 draft.)

The Nets further increased their optionality by setting themselves up for by far the most cap space in the league this summer. They also hired a strong coach in Jordi Fernandez. Now they just have to use all those resources to build a winning roster, because it’s unclear how many current Nets are long-term fits. But the pieces are in place for a big Nets turnaround in the years to come.

As we have noted repeatedly, the key to everything is the execution: how Sean Marks & Co. use their assembled assets. We won’t have a full picture of that for a while, meaning years.

However, know this: there was NO indication, NONE, that Joe Tsai has lost respect for Marks. The length of Marks’ contract or whether it’s been extended — the grist of a lot of fan discussion on Marks, is immaterial. Tsai is not one of those business leaders who eschews dumping CEOs. He’s on his fourth CEO at BSE Global and on taking over the top job at Alibaba two years back, he unceremoniously dumped his CEO there. If he doesn’t like the job you’re doing, you’re gone and Marks is still there.

Draft Sleeper of the Week​

In the 18 years of our Off-Season Reports, this is probably the section that gets the most interest. (In our first year, we liked DeAndre Jordan of Texas A&M!)

With the aforementioned four firsts and one second as of now, there’s plenty of possibilities, but rather than go with Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper or the others near the top of everyone’s mock, we decided to take a look at a player who’s been projected anywhere between No. 13 and No. 23 in a dozen recent mock drafts, arguably the Nets sweet spot: Noa Essengue who currently plays for Ratiopharm Ulm in the German League. The 6’10” French forward is the second youngest player in the 2025 Draft pool. Only Flagg is younger by three days. So he’s raw, but there’s a lot to like.

At the moment, ESPN has him at No. 17. Jon Givony, writing this week about Essengue’s decision to declare for the Draft, had this to say about him:

Essengue creates matchup problems every time he steps on the floor, showing impressive speed covering ground fluidly, getting off the floor quickly for dunks and offensive rebounds, and often being tasked with guarding point guards thanks to his quick feet and outstanding length. He draws fouls prolifically, finishes effectively around the rim despite his slight frame, and shows a good feel for cutting, leaking out in transition and finding teammates with intelligent passes.

Noa Essengue creates matchup problems every time he steps on the floor, with impressive speed covering ground fluidly, getting off the floor quickly for dunks and offensive rebounds. At 6'10, he's often tasked with guarding PGs thanks to his quick feet and outstanding length. https://t.co/k6BFAc38eg pic.twitter.com/pjsGZX8tQ2

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 18, 2025​

Essengue himself said this of his game.

“My biggest strength is my defense,” Essengue told Givony. “I have the versatility to guard 1 to 5. If an NBA coach wanted to put me on the court right now, it would be because I can stay in front of point guards and also put a body on centers. I need to keep improving every aspect of my game, though. I’m playing tougher every game, trying to match the intensity and physicality of my opponents.”

Expect Essengue to rise as he makes the rounds of NBA training camps. It happens a lot with top international prospects.

Lottery Luck​

Who will represent the Nets on the dias May 12 when representatives of the 13 teams with lottery possibilities gather in Chicago for the NBA Draft Lottery? (San Antonio has two picks currently at Nos. 8 and 14 in lottery odds.)

There have been a number of suggestions including Mr. Whammy, but for us, there’s only one acceptable choice: Clara Wu Tsai, co-owner of the Nets and co-governor as well as driving force of the Liberty. Wu Tsai, Joe’s wife of nearly 30 years, deserves it. Five days after the Lottery, she will be at Barclays Center for the raising of the arena’s first championship banner, commemorating the Liberty’s first WNBA title.

Final Note​

Before the Lottery, the Nets will have another drawing on Monday that will determine draft position. At 3:00 p.m. ET, representatives of the Nets, Wizards and Heat will be on hand or on line at NBA Headquarters in New York’s Olympic Tower to break the tie among the three teams for picks No. 18 through 20. The drawing, a so-called virtual coin toss, could be crucial with so many top prospects bunched up in the middle of the first round.

So good luck to us.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/20/24411934/netsdaily-off-season-report-no-1

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

FanDuel’s ‘No Sweat’ Single Game Parlay for the NBA Playoffs: Looking at you, Giannis

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

This post is in partnership with FanDuel. We cannot be held responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of gambling.

The NBA playoffs are here and FanDuel is back as the best place to bet player prop bets and same game parlays. Use the link here if you’re interested in FanDuel’s newest NBA Playoffs offer (info provided below).

POOCH’S PICK: BUCKS VS. PACERS, GAME 1 ​

• Bucks (+5.5): -110 |
• Giannis Antetokounmpo: 30+ points (-172)
• Myles Turner: 3+ three-pointers made (+140)

SGP: +488 ($10 WOULD WIN YOU $48.81)​

Advice: The Bucks won three of four against the Pacers this year. An outright win isn’t far fetched but we’re playing on the safe side with Damian Lillard out.

That’s also why we’re riding with Giannis at 30+ points — he averaged 30.0 points on 18.5 field goal attempts against the Pacers this season. We’re playing the odds for a superstar that is likely to attempt nearly 20 shots AND gets to the free throw line against Indy for roughly 8.3 attempts in those four contests. With his sidekick out, too.

Myles Turner with at least three-pointers made. This is the money-maker part of the SGP which means it’s also the most risky. We’re riding this because Turner, a 40% shooter from deep, attempted an average of 7.0 threes in the four matchups against Milwaukee.

Expect Milwaukee to hedge on Tyrese Haliburton pick-and-rolls, thus Turner will have several opportunities to pop out and get an open three. It’s a make or miss league — he attempted seven three-pointers in those four games against Milwaukee. There’s no reason he isn’t somewhere near that area, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t make three of them. He did such in 23 games this season (72 games played).

***

FanDuel No Sweat Token:​

1. Click NOW on the FanDuel home page to claim your No Sweat Token.

2. After clicking “Claim Now” on the Promotion, you will be awarded one No Sweat Token. Your No Sweat Token may be used on a 3+ Leg Same Game Parlay / Same Game Parlay Plus wager for any NBA Playoff Game(s) taking place that weekend

3. Your wager must have final odds of +400 or longer to qualify.

4. Build your 3+ Leg SGP / SGP+, toggle-on your No-Sweat Token, and place your bet!

5. There is a maximum refund associated with use of your No-Sweat Token. Users will have to log in for more details.

FanDuel link.

***

Please be advised, while we give advice and information, we cannot be held responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of gambling.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/19...p-for-the-nba-playoffs-looking-at-you-giannis

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

In tiebreaker, Brooklyn Nets win 19th pick in NBA Draft

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

In three-way tiebreaker, Nets get middle pick.

The Brooklyn Nets wound up with the 19th pick in Monday’s three-way tiebreaker held Thursday at NBA Headquarters in Manhattan. The pick originally owned by the Bucks was among the first five rounders traded by the New York Knicks last June 24th in the Mikal Bridges deal...

Five ties among teams with identical regular-season records were broken today through random drawings to determine the order of selection for NBA Draft 2025 presented by State Farm. pic.twitter.com/FExaNFXF2B

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 21, 2025​

The Washington Wizards who own the Memphis Grizzlies first won the 18th pick and the Miami Heat, who own the Golden State Warriors first won the 20th pick.

The Nets now have the 19th, 26, 27th and 36th picks as well as the sixth best odds in the NBA Lottery on May 12. In the lottery, the Nets have a 9.0% chance of winning the overall No. 1 pick and a 37.1% chance at top four pick. Brooklyn has the most picks in the 2025 and is seen as having the best set of picks in Tankathon’s Draft Power Rankings.

Among the most likely picks in the range are prospects like Nolan Traore, the French point guard; Danny Wolf, the multi-talented 7-footer from Michigan; Carter Bryant, the defensive minded wing from Arizona; and Noa Essengue, the big-framed French forward.

In another tiebreaker of interest to Nets fans, the Houston Rockets who own the Phoenix Suns first wound up with 9th pick in a tiebreaker with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Rockets acquired the Suns pick in their trade with the Nets the same night as the Bridges trade.

Sean Marks in his media availability last Monday said Jordi Fernandez will have a say in who the Nets pick.

“We talk every day, so there’s going to be no surprises at the draft, who we draft, because he would’ve had a say in it,” said GM Sean Marks. “His staff is empowered to voice an opinion and we truly collaborate on this stuff. That’s really important.

“We have a year under our belts of understanding Jordi’s system and how he wants to play and what sort of talent he’s looking for, what attributes he’s looking for. What’s important to him is super important, and vice versa. There’s an education piece on the draft. I didn’t know he’s had this role in the draft in the past, but I’m thoroughly looking forward to continuing to build this and build this with him.”

Assistant GM B.J. Johnson has run the Draft for the past five years.

• Where Nets will be picking in NBA draft after tie-breaker frenzy heading into lottery - Brian Lewis - New York Post

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/21/24413484/in-tiebreaker-brooklyn-nets-win-19th-pick-in-nba-draft

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

ESSAY: A personal nod to the 2024-25 Brooklyn Nets season and the future

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

The REAL season starts now...

I left Barclays Center sometime late in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Exhausted on a hot summer night, I walked slowly onto an old-school LIRR train. You know, those smelly one with the torn red and blue cushions. As I looked around for a seat, a young fan saw my Draft lanyard and flaunted his makeshift Brooklyn Nets jersey that read “FLAGG” taped over “DURANT”.

That was the moment it all hit.

We’ve got our first Cooper Flagg Nets jersey-tag sighting on the Long Island Railroad. pic.twitter.com/UTo9WpN6N0

— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) June 27, 2024​

It wasn’t easy. It had its moments, but they were short-lived. And it’s probably best for everyone that we can look forward to May 12.

That goes for the fans, players, coaches, front office, and ownership. It was understood the Nets would not be winning basketball games entering the season. The expected protocol is egregious and shameless when you think about a rebuild — or “tank”.

... Now is the moment of truth.

The Nets were irrelevant and finished a strange season with a 26-56 record, the sixth-worst record in the NBA (or sixth-best odds) at the No.1 pick in the draft. In fact, it’s hard to think of a more irrelevant team this year. Wait. The Charlotte Hornets say hello.

To some, that isn’t bad enough to justify a tank and maybe they’re right.

The blueprint to greatness didn’t work and the blueprint to rebuilding isn’t guaranteed. The Thunder are the poster boys for such and Brooklyn can only pray they’re so lucky. But even the Thunder had really bad days — including a 73-point loss in 2021 that led their most dedicated fan, a young woman from Tokyo to declare a temporary respite.

Even the most innocent basketball fans struggle with tanking. Even though it meant sacrificing a season ... or two ... for the greater good.

In Brooklyn, we severely underestimated the professionalism of NBA players — who live with a chip on their shoulders — in buying into a coach and his system which led to positivity and effort. That alone feels like half the battle during an era of “load management.” The philosophy of tanking or rebuilding is a difficult and time-consuming effort for everyone involved.

That’s why this season was so confusing. The Nets accomplished what they also intended to do — lose games but establish an identity under head coach Jordi Fernandez. They did that, perhaps too much so early in the season when they were 9-10 following a three-game West Coast win streak. It had gone too far at that point and Marks pulled the plug, trading Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith less than a month later.

It was confusing but it had to be done.

Jordi Fernandez: pic.twitter.com/WLxrairtGn

— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) November 26, 2024​

The Nets ran into the clash between reality and what I personally hoped to see from them before the season. A tug of war between establishing a sustainable culture and the logical-yet-risky side of playing the NBA lottery game.

“This year is about establishing an identity and building a foundation with a handful of young players — starting with Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton. Lose and get a high pick. Play hard, compete, and garner respect so teams know a game in Brooklyn isn’t going to be an easy one, no matter what the standings say.”

It was and wasn’t shameless. There’s cautious optimism around Brooklyn as fans and pundits recognize its draft capital, financial flexibility, good coach, New York market, and plenty more.

Sean Marks says the Nets biggest selling point is “the guy sitting next to me,” pointing to Jordi Fernandez, our Lucas Kaplan wrote at Marks’ exit interview.

That and the New York market. No doubt about it. But if we’re going to call out the current era of basketball, including tanking, load management, etc., then we’d be naive to believe that any coach is safe in 2025. That does not pertain to Fernandez now nor anytime in the near future, it’s just to point out that the Nets and its fans should remain humble because it’s only the first year. We went down a similar road with Kenny Atkinson.

As the year went on, fans pondered: Is it better to have a good coach with players who might win enough games to make a play-in? Or is it better to have a team that gets blown out every night with a better chance at a top-3 pick?

Marks said himself in the exit interview that the Nets don’t want to acquire a player for the sake of being a six or seven seed. By that philosophy, there’s no sense in rooting for wins from an franchise that wasn’t planning on winning much to begin with.

As someone who covers the team, the offseason is refreshing. There were fun moments (DLo game-winner, Tyrese Martin vs. the Suns, etc.) but it felt dull for the most part. The team’s most exciting scorer Cam Thomas — in a contract year — played 25 games. Nic Claxton didn’t show much improvement from last year and his constant technical fouls were a sign of constant immaturity, the same year he signed a four-year, $97 million deal. Cam Johnson was the bright spot but some fans wanted him traded because of how he was impacting the tank!

There wasn’t much to get excited about, and if you did, then you were told not to. Sigh. There was a divide and a level of arrogance in how one side would tell the other how they should root for their team — a battle in Brooklyn between anti-tankers and pro-tankers. It was tiresome to say the least.

A good coach can only get you so excited when the team isn’t making the playoffs and benefits more from losing games. It’s a strategy that’s battered the NBA product in its biggest market.

We can nitpick at things in hindsight but what good is that? Fans on both sides will debate the success of this season — and the future — beyond the Draft Lottery on May 12 and the NBA Draft on June 25.

There are other things that go into this. I remind you this is a perspective piece. I host a podcast and I’m the Site Manager at this wonderful website. In an era filled with rising hostility towards media and journalists, scapegoated amid the social media era of misinformation, clickbait, and AI manipulation; journalism is more critical than ever.

These games aren’t always the easiest to cover but we take pride in offering the most comprehensive Brooklyn Nets coverage, with integrity, with quality over quantity. The reason I mention this is because the majority of the ND team have work obligations with other tireless jobs, yet everyone still shows up for every game and event… with class and with joy. Net Income, Lucas Kaplan and Collin Helwig covered all 82. It’s a love-hate thing, you know? Like the Nets, we hope for better days for journalists.

Patience is a virtue and the fate of this past season will be determined within the next few weeks and next two months.

While a ton rides on May 12, other things weigh heavily on the franchise future like how the NBA Playoffs shake out and which superstars might be on the move, specifically Giannis Antetokounmpo, reportedly Plan A. Know this: the Brooklyn Nets will not avoid a star of his caliber.

“If you’re going after max level talent, they’ve got to automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team,” said Marks.

There’s only a finite number of players who can change the trajectory of a team without dismantling whatever’s on the team, as it is now, 26 wins and all. Giannis is decidedly one of them — especially in a weak East.

If their alleged Plan A doesn’t work, then it’s more likely that Brooklyn takes on bad salaries and run it back with their new group of rookies. They did, after all, trade those Phoenix picks to Houston so they could retain their 2025 and 2026 picks. The 2026 Draft is loaded at the very top.

Brooklyn is in the driver’s seat to maneuver things however they’d like this offseason. If not, free agency is wide open in 2026.

Whatever it is, it’ll be better than this past season. Hopefully.

It’ll be the highest draft pick they’ve had since taking Derrick Favors third overall in 2009. They literally have not had a lottery pick since moving to Brooklyn. Making matters worse, the Nets were on the butt-end of every joke because of all the picks they’ve thrown around allowing other teams to become successful.

There’s no way of predicting how things will shake out, but there’s solace knowing that the real season starts now — and all that Nets fans endured this season will be rewarded in some capacity, which will allow everyone to move on and understand what to expect for the 2026 season.

It will include a top-10 draft pick. It might include a star. It might be another season of “ethical tanking.” Either way, we’ll all be here, anxiously waiting for better days in Brooklyn.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/22...-nets-jordi-fernandez-sean-marks-cooper-flagg

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Summer of Our Lives: Are Brooklyn Nets interested in Jonathan Kuminga?

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The Nets basically have a monopoly of cap space this summer. They can move in a lot of different ways. Would signing Jonathan Kuminga be one option.

Jonathan Kuminga can’t get off the bench in Golden State. The 6’7” 22-year-old who averaged 15.3 points a game on 45/31/67 shooting splits racked up a DNP-CD and nothing else in Game 1 of the Warriors-Rockets series, his third straight game-long benching. It’s quite clear, as long-time Bay area basketball writer Tim Kawakami said, Kuminga is simply “out of the rotation, period.”

Making things even more confusing is that Kuminga is a restricted free agent, meaning that he can go into the free agent market in July in hopes of earning a lot more than the $7.6 million he picked up this season. Kuminga turned down the Warriors offer last summer, reportedly seeking a deal with an average salary of $35 million. That was $5 million more than the Warriors were willing to pay.

And so, his future has become as much of an issue as his present. Since there’s only one team with cap space this season, there’s been speculation that the Nets could have interest in the Congolese native who finished up his high school career at the Patrick School in Hillside, N.J.

Cue Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Steinline. Writing Monday, Stein and Fischer had this to say about the possibility of Brooklyn interest:

The Brooklyn Nets have long loomed as a potential suitor that the Warriors have been monitoring given the Nets’ projected cap space. Brooklyn’s true level of interest remains to be seen, but Kuminga could not come to terms with Golden State last fall when he was seeking a contract higher than the $30 million in average annual salary that went to fellow Class of 2021 first-round draftees Jalen Suggs (Orlando) and Jalen Johnson (Atlanta).

The Nets, at present, are projected to be the only team with $40 million in salary cap space this summer, theoretically positioning them to mount a firm Kuminga pursuit if they wish. That lack of abundant cap space has led various team strategists this week to suggest that a sign-and-trade could be the ultimate mechanism that delivers the former No. 7 pick out of the Bay Area come July.

Not really a lot there. Stein and Fischer are careful not to say the Nets have interest, just that the Warriors are “monitoring” the Nets as a potential sign-and-trade partner, that the Nets could “theoretically” pursue Kuminga with all that cap space and that Brooklyn’s “true level of interest remains to be seen.”

Back in December, when Golden State made their deal for Dennis Schroder, there were some reports that the Warriors were interested in expanding that deal to include Cam Johnson and Kuminga but that the Nets demands were “too steep.” Sean Marks & co. were seeking first round draft assets for Johnson at the time.

Other reports back then questioned the level of Nets interest in Kuminga whose offensive decision-making and general defense have long been questioned.

Brian Lewis, in a lengthy discussion of how the Nets might move this summer — with all that cap space and all those draft picks — Tuesday also indicated Kuminga might not match the Nets plans. Same with other similarly situated free agents.

[T]he opportunity cost of using their $45 million in cap space on available targets such as Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes and Santi Aldama could be too high...

Despite Kuminga regularly being linked to the Nets, it seems unlikely.

Lewis backed up his supposition with this quote from last Monday’s media availability.

“I think we need to be opportunistic,” Marks said. “In this market, we’re always going to have various different free agents and opportunities thrown at us. Just simply being in a top-five market in the league, that’s going to happen. [But] we don’t want to get sped up. We’ve talked multiple times about being systematic and strategic in how we build here. We know we have 15 first-round picks in the next six, seven years, so there’s a lot of draft assets at stake.

“There’s a lot of cap room at stake. And how we use that, it’s probably too early to determine. But there’s a variety of different pathways we can go on. And it’s just about being opportunistic as to how we build and when we go all-in again, so to speak. And that could be going all-in with whether it’s free agents or trades, but it also could be go all-in with systematically growing some homegrown talent.”

Lewis suggests that Marks is likely to move slowly — “we don’t want to get sped up” — with some of the same strategies he used in the early part of his first rebuild: taking on bad contracts in return for more draft assets, being a third wheel in multi-team deals involving superstars, etc.

So, bottom line, expect the Nets to be the subject of a lot of rumors in the coming weeks and months, but also be skeptical of the Nets making big deals and be prepared for what Lewis called, “Tank 2.0”

• The Nets have the cap space and extra picks to upgrade this summer — that doesn’t mean they will ($) - Brian Lewis - New York Post

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/22...ts-interested-in-jonathan-kuminga-not-so-fast

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

POLL: How do you want the Nets to build from here?

Photo by Michelle Farsi/Getty Images

Our latest SB Nation reacts poll..

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brooklyn Nets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Sean Marks said the Nets biggest selling point is “the guy sitting next to me,” pointing to Jordi Fernandez, our Lucas Kaplan wrote at his exit interview. That and the New York market, are Brooklyn’s biggest sell to free agents and stars. No doubt about it.

We can nitpick at things in hindsight but what good is that? Fans on both sides will debate the success of this season — and the future — beyond the Draft Lottery on May 12 and the NBA Draft on June 25.

While a ton rides on May 12, other things weigh heavily on the franchise future like how the NBA Playoffs shake out and which superstars might be on the move, specifically Giannis Antetokounmpo, reportedly Plan A. Know this: the Brooklyn Nets will not avoid a star of his caliber.

“If you’re going after max level talent, they’ve got to automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team,” said Marks.

The Nets will have the sixth-best odds at the No. 1 pick — their first lottery pick since 2009.

So, how do you want the Nets to build from here?​

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/23/24413374/poll-how-do-you-want-the-nets-to-build-from-here

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty sign Annika Soltau, German shot-blocker, to rookie deal

Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images

With Liberty training camp opening next week, the team announced Tuesday they’d signed Annika Soltau, a promising German big, to a rookie deal.

The New York Liberty have signed Annika Soltau, a 6’4” German shot blocker who went undrafted in last week’s WNBA Draft, to a rookie scale contract. The signing was announced on the WNBA transaction page:

The 20-year-old, who plays for Baden Basket 54 in the Swiss league, is known primarily for her defense, particularly her shot-blocking prowess, but she averaged 21.1 points and 9.5 rebounds for Baden.

She will join two other German stars on the Liberty roster. Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally, both of whom played critical roles for the New Yorkers in their successful title quest in October. Soltau who’s played for Germany’s youth teams, is a candidate to join Fiebich and Sabally on the German senior national team this summer.

Soltau was tabbed to be taken as high as the second round of the three-round WNBA Draft but went undrafted. Here’s one take on her potential.

Earlier this year, Soltau was named by FIBA as one of Europe’s 20 rising stars.

A power forward who is very long and loves to block shots and cause problems in the paint for her defenders down the other end of the floor, she has enjoyed an eye-catching FIBA youth career.

The Liberty had the 38th and final pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, and chose Adja Kane of France, a 6’3” center. Jonathan Kolb, the Liberty GM, said post-draft that Kane would likely stay in Europe for a few years.

In addition to the news about Soltau, the Liberty also announced two international prospects slated to join the Liberty will not. As our SB Nation sister site, Breakway noted, Spanish forward Raquel Carerra is staying with Valencia in the Spanish women’s league while French forward Seehia Ridard is out of the season due to an injury. The Libs starting forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is also out for five months following meniscus surgery.

The Libs open training camp next Tuesday in Brooklyn, then after two preseason games, will open their defense of the WNBA crown and raise the championship banner at Barclays Center on May 17.

• Liberty Sign German Prospect to Rookie Contract - Geoff Maglioccetti - Sports Illustrated

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/23...ika-soltau-german-shot-blocker-to-rookie-deal

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Jordi Fernández mum on Brooklyn Nets’ draft plans while celebrating Catalan holiday at P.S. 001

Fernández participated in a celebration of Catalonia’s most revered holiday on Wednesday, so I showed up and ruined the vibe by asking about the upcoming NBA Draft.

The Brooklyn Nets are nearing the critical point of their 2024-25 season.

No, not the ongoing NBA Playoffs, but the NBA Draft Lottery, which will take place on May 12. Once the ping-pong balls are drawn, the placement of all five picks Brooklyn has in the 2025 draft will be set.

More important than picks #19, #26, #27, and #3, they have the sixth-best lottery odds, meaning a sub-40% chance to jump into the top-four and above a 60% chance to picks 6 through 9...

Earlier Thursday, Jonathan Givony of ESPN posted his “big board,” not a mock draft per se but his sense of the top 100 players available. He had Texas wing Tre Jones at No. 6, followed by Michigan big Danny Wolf at No. 19; followed by forwards Adou Thiero of Arkansas and Yaxel Lendeborg of UAB at Nos. 26 and 27 and finally, Spanish point guard Sergio De Larrea at No. 36.

By now, much of Nets World has memorized every table and mock drafts by heart, but I didn’t get that vibe from the students of P.S. 001 on Wednesday morning...

At P.S. 001 in Brooklyn with Jordi Fernández and his family, who are helping students celebrate Catalonia’s Day of Books and Roses: pic.twitter.com/f0LSgk9cpM

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) April 23, 2025​

There, Jordi Fernández and his family were helping the students celebrate a hallowed date in his home region of Catalonia, April 23rd.

Bona Diada de Sant Jordi

Today, Head Coach Jordi Fernández and his family visited P.S. 1 in Brooklyn to share a beloved Catalan tradition with the next generation.

A thread pic.twitter.com/cSx5JOWFCy

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 23, 2025​

As Brooklyn’s head coach explained to a room full of antsy elementary schoolers, Saint George’s Day — fittingly known as Sant Jordi’s Day in his native tongue — celebrates the patron saint of Catalonia.

“It’s love and culture and knowledge,” Fernández explained. “And I think that if you guys haven’t been to Barcelona, or anywhere in Catalonia, on April 23 you guys should go. It’s a beautiful day. The streets are gorgeous, and everybody’s outside.”

So, in the spirit of exchanging knowledge, Fernández was asked to reveal any he had about Brooklyn’s upcoming draft plans, from desirable attributes in prospects, to his role in the process, to his belief that Brooklyn may actually use all five of these picks.

“Obviously, this is my first time as a head coach going through this process, so it’s going to be nothing like what I’ve done before. I think, Sean [Marks] always talks about collaboration, and that’s what I’m ready for. I’m ready to help and do whatever I can to give my opinion.”

However, Fernández didn’t give much on what those opinions might be. When asked what attributes he might value in a young player, he went back to that same well Brooklyn’s been going to all year: “I’m going back to what our identity is, right. We want to create a competitive group, so a player that players that will show competitiveness, players that can accept the role and not just accept it, but embrace it.”

One question looms large: How many young players can the Nets develop at once? Though they’ll likely continue to churn through the bottom of the roster, uncovering as many rocks as possible in the hopes of finding a gem in a player like Maxwell Lewis or Drew Timme, incoming rookies will need stability. So too might Noah Clowney and, with an improved summer, Dariq Whitehead.

“Yeah, it’s a good question, probably a question more for Sean than it is for me. I’ll be ready to coach whatever group we put together. And the coaches, as we always try to do, will help them get better and show them the way and the habits.”

In this way, Jordi Fernández is in the same position as all Nets fans: waiting. Brooklyn’s first choice in the draft will be pretty easy if they end up in the top-2, which has a 18.2% chance of happening. Cooper Flagg will be the #1 pick unless he loses a limb between now and June, and though Dylan Harper isn’t as firmly entrenched as the #2 overall prospect, it’d be an epic upset if he doesn’t go in the second spot.

In the overwhelming likelihood that Brooklyn is picking anywhere else, there’ll be endless debate. And unlike the rest of us, Sean Marks will have to take Fernández’s opinion into account.

That’s probably for the best.

• Nets, Jordi Fernandez keeping NBA draft strategy close to the vest - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• A guide to celebrating Sant Jordi: the day of books, roses, and love - Unexpected Catalonia

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/24...s-while-celebrating-catalan-holiday-at-ps-001

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

With Sands giving up on casino plan at Nassau Coliseum, Long Island Nets staying put?

Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images

The aging Nassau Coliseum, home of the Long Island Nets would’ve been demolished if the Las Vegas Sands had won a casino license. but now the Sands have backed out.

Las Vegas Sands, the big international casino-hotel company, issued a statement Wednesday that they are ending their plan to seek a license for a casino at Nassau Coliseum. The decision appears to secure another season for the Long Island Nets at the 50-year-old venue.

The Sands, which controls the Dallas Mavericks franchise, had planned to seek one of three downstate casino licenses by a June 27 deadline. If they had been awarded one of the licenses, expected in December, the Coliseum would’ve been demolished and the Nets G League affiliate would presumably have had to find a new home.

According to Newsday, the company cited a number of reasons for its decision, including a plan to legalize igaming, online slots and table games. Casino companies have long opposed that saying it could “cannibalize” brick-and-mortar casinos. Sands also said U.S. economic climate and better uses of capital to gird further depreciation of the company’s stock value.

In announcing the decision, Sands President Patrick Dumont, said Sands would attempt to find another bidder to replace it in the licensing process.

“We are in the process of attempting to secure an agreement with a third party to whom we can transact the opportunity to bid for a casino license on the Nassau Coliseum site. This would include those that may be able to address both land-based and digital markets in New York,” said Dumont said on a call with analysts Wednesday. (Dumont is also principal owner of the Mavericks.)

On Friday, a spokesman for BSE Global, the Nets parent company, responded to a NetsDaily inquiry about the G League team’s future this way, “The Long Island Nets have no comment at this time.”

The plan for a $6 million “integrated” resort on the 77-acre Coliseum property was highly controversial with local groups and nearby Hofstra University leading the opposition along with some politicians.

The Long Island Nets have played at the Coliseum since 2017 when the Nets then-owners Mikhail Prokhorov and Bruce Ratner upgraded the arena with a $180 million facelift in hopes of reviving it. But when COVID hit and Prokhorov backed out. The Long Island Nets are the main tenant at Nassau. There’ve been no concerts at the venerable facility in more than two years and other than home furnishings and wedding shows, it’s been mostly empty.

Last month, prior to the Sands’ decision, a spokesperson for BSE Global told ND that there was no “current plans” to relocate.

“The Long Island Nets have no current plans to relocate the team from its home arena, Nassau Coliseum, and remain dedicated to creating an exciting, family-friendly environment for our fans both locally and throughout the region,” said the spokesman.

Indeed, BSE Global has been able to beef up attendance at the Coliseum, mainly through a strategy of combining basketball with community events.

• Las Vegas Sands will no longer pursue casino bid at Nassau Coliseum, company executives say ($) - Candace Fredette - Newsday
• Third-party casino bidder at Nassau Coliseum would need to stick with Las Vegas Sands’ terms, official says ($) - Candace Fredette - Newsday

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/25...-nassau-coliseum-long-island-nets-staying-put

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn’s Next Nets: What is Day’Ron Sharpe worth?

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Day’Ron Sharpe’s restricted free agency is seen as something of a formality, given Brooklyn’s cap situation. But you know what? He’s actually pretty good.

The Indiana Pacers won 50 games this season, and now seem poised to advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. They are a very good team, just shy of greatness, in part because a phenomenal record in the clutch this season papers over a lack of true, 50-win dominance.

Still, 50 wins is 50 wins. Per Cleaning the Glass, which filters out garbage time, Indiana had a +2.3 net rating this season, which is exactly what the Brooklyn Nets have posted with Day’Ron Sharpe on the court in each of the past two seasons.

Granted, there’s still some noise. Sharpe has played just 1828 total minutes since the start of 2023-24, and given how bad Brooklyn has been on the whole, there’s a nice chunk of garbage time in there. Over that span, opponents are shooting nearly 5% worse from three when he’s on the court, some good luck that Ty Sullivan of CAA Sports will deny as such this summer.

But Sullivan, his agent, needn’t fret. Day’Ron Sharpe has proven himself a valuable NBA player, and there are nights where he reaches for something more.

Though his rookie contract has expired, he’ll likely be back in Brooklyn next season, given the team’s abundance of cap space and ability to be patient with their assets. They’re a long way away. Plus, Sharpe wants to be here: “God willing,” as he put it in his exit interview.

Why wouldn’t he feel that way? 18 months ago, Sharpe wasn’t guaranteed to get a second contract. Other than offensive rebounding, he didn't have an NBA-ready skill. But in 2024, Jacque Vaughn took a leap of faith by putting Sharpe in the rotation, and in 2025, Jordi Fernández found defensive coverages Sharpe can thrive in.

This season, the 23-year-old was not just playable, but a positive defensively. In an aggressive scheme slanted to force turnovers, Sharpe showed off serious mobility and hand-eye coordination. In his season debut (after missing six weeks with a left hamstring strain) he made this play...

Nets running out of positives in this one, but Day'Ron Sharpe making this play in his season debut is nice: pic.twitter.com/07LNDBclJT

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) December 3, 2024​

When Brooklyn’s aggressive hedges would turn into switches, Sharpe had the juice to keep up with, and occasionally stonewall some of the NBA’s shiftiest guards. Amen Thompson’s lack of a reliable jumper means defenders can give him a cushion, but rookie and sophomore Day’Ron Sharpe could not move his feet like this...

Day'Ron Sharpe with an impressive two-way sequence ... I think he's been the best player in this game so far? pic.twitter.com/vwACqLyUSX

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) February 2, 2025​

However, what kept rookie and sophomore Sharpe off the court — aside from decent LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond minutes — was not so much a lack of mobility, but a wobbly interior presence.

Despite standing at 6’9”, he played a traditional center role early on. The native Carolinan played drop coverage almost exclusively over his first two seasons, and struggled mightily; he had a sky-high foul rate due to poor technique, and didn’t have the vertical pop required to block many shots.

Now, he might be best playing “up the floor,” as Fernández terms it, but he has made astounding strides doing traditional big man stuff. Here he is breaking up alley-oops, timing blocks from opposite block, and meeting drivers head-on...

To me, it’s not the seven points / 100 possessions Brooklyn’s defense improved with Sharpe on the floor — he mostly got to play against far less talented bench units, rather than starters, and the opponent 3-point shooting variance is too weird to ignore.

Here, instead, are your juicy numbers. Per Basketball Reference, Sharpe stole the ball on 2.3% of opponent possessions this season, and blocked 4.6% of possible shots. Because he only played 907 minutes, he didn’t qualify for end-of-season leaderboards, but if he had, each mark would have ranked 13th in the NBA. Of all players with at least 820 minutes — ten ticks a night — only Jonathan Isaac also recorded a 2.0 steal pct and 4.0 block pct.

Sharpe’s conditioning has improved greatly — see: his 30-minute domination of the Oklahoma City Thunder — but he still benefits from playing just 18 minutes a night, inflating his rate-stats thanks to short stints.

That may lead to fair questions about his viability as a long-term starter. He probably won’t be as impactful of a defender playing 32 minutes a night, but before penciling him in as a career backup, consider that this is a solid, two-season trend-line. Even asking these questions represents a huge win for Sharpe, given his first two seasons.

In 2025, Day’Ron (with help from Fernández) may have revealed defensive future in the NBA, an active big man best suited to play in turnover-hungry schemes, though capable of eating some traditional innings. The UNC product is not Rudy Gobert in the restricted area, but he is no slouch, and was a destructive force for a Brooklyn Nets defense whose singular goal was to be destructive.

All that said, he was most destructive on the offensive glass. What else is new?

Here is the all-time career list for offensive rebounds / 100 possessions. He is about halfway to the 400-game minimum to qualify for this list,

but Day'Ron Sharpe grabs 8.7 offensive boards / 100 in his career: pic.twitter.com/3YVsz0jer4

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) April 9, 2025​

As evidenced, Sharpe is not just a great offensive rebounder. He is a special one, statistically one of the greatest ever now 192 games into his career. When he says, “I’m just a beast on the boards, I don’t really think nobody can mess with me in the paint,” it’s not unfounded braggadocio.

However you value that skill will determine how you value Sharpe; luckily for him, the pendulum is swinging his way.

In 2020, only one NBA team rebounded 30% of their own misses; the average team snatched under 27% of available o-boards. Five years later, a whopping 14 teams cracked 30%, and only five teams were sub-27%.

It's easy to see why. Not only do offensive rebounds constitute extra possessions, but they are often better ones too. Per PBP Stats, the average “first-chance” possession was worth about one point per possession (PPP) across the NBA this season. The average second-chance possession was worth 1.22 PPP, an offensive rating better than any team has ever accomplished.

The offensive rebounding means Sharpe will have a place in any rotation in the league. It solidifies a floor. But yet to sign a second contract, we need to ask what a realistic ceiling looks like.

It’s probably time to give up on the idea that he’ll become a positive finisher. Though his touch on floaters and hooks has gotten better, he still shot just 62% at the rim this season per CTG, right in line with career averages. That places him in the 16th percentile among “bigs”, right behind noted oafs Jock Landale and Drew Eubanks...

It’s hard to see where improvement is gonna come from. Though he’s in much better shape at 23 than 20, he’s still 6’9” with a slightly above average wingspan and mediocre leaping ability. The safest bet is he converts some of his more ill-advised attempts into push shots and floaters, where he’s shown real touch, but he’s never going to be a real downhill threat.

Speaking of touch, it was nice to see Sharpe shoot 76% from the line after hovering in the low-60s over his first three years. The improvement did not feel unsustainable. Conversely, I don’t feel much need to address his 11-of-45 season from deep. He’s not gonna be an actual floor-spacer, and that’s fine.

Jordi Fernández’s system was close to the best use of Sharpe’s skillset this season. He got his first taste of real dribble-handoff responsibility, and made some nice 4-on-3 reads, hit some cutters, took some fake-handoffs to the rim, and occasionally flashed some nice screening ability...

Wanted to highlight Day'ron Sharpe's passing

Legit hub and handoff screener, connector at the 5, elite interior passer always finding cutting teammates,

Career highs in APG, ast/100, ast/min on ball pic.twitter.com/4IftWFccCr

— Nets Film Room (@NetsFilm) February 27, 2025​

It wasn’t always perfect, but even many of the mistakes were encouraging. He’d recognize the opportunity for a slip-cut to the basket, but telegraph it and commit a turnover, that type of thing.

Well, I think that about covers it.

---

Keith Smith of Spotrac predicts a three-year, $30 million deal for Sharpe to come home in restricted free agency this offseason: “The Nets can’t just let him walk, but bigs don’t generally get paid as much as scoring wings/guards do. And Brooklyn already has Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney under contract too. That’ll push Sharpe’s deal down a bit, but he should still get a nice payday.”

Restricted free agency can be finicky, especially this offseason, where Brooklyn controls all the cap space and will thus be linked to everybody. Seriously. Get ready for the churn of the rumor mill.

Anyway, Grant Williams hit RFA in 2023, Obi Toppin hit RFA in 2024. Williams is now making $13.5 million a year, Toppin $15 million a year. Those aren’t perfect comparisons, but if the Nets can pay Sharpe less than those guys, they’ll do it.

They should do it. There are plenty of reasons for the Nets to re-sign Day’Ron Sharpe this summer: the cap space, the ability to trade him in the future, limiting roster turnover while trying to build a culture.

But most of all, Day’Ron Sharpe has turned into a pretty good player.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/23/24414201/brooklyns-next-nets-what-is-dayron-sharpe-worth

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Natasha Cloud talks big off-season, getting adjusted to NY Liberty, and more at training camp

The New York Liberty’s big off-season pickup took some time to chat with the media about her new home and navigating a jam packed off-season.

When you’re a champion, the work never stops. You can’t rest on your laurels and count on last season to propel you forward. The competition is always getting better and when you're at the top, you have to fend off challengers from all angles. Luckily for the New York Liberty, they have a new infusion of energy to help in their title defense.

Over the winter, the champs acquired star guard Natasha Cloud in a trade. Before making it to New York, it was a bit of a rough road for the former All Defensive first teamer. When the offseason began, she was on the Phoenix Mercury and actively recruiting Satou Sabally, who announced she was leaving the Dallas Wings. Satou wound up on the Wings... but Cloud was sent out the door and off to the Connecticut Sun as part of a massive four-team trade. The move shocked her, and the way she found out (on social media along with everyone else) shocked her even more as she was told by the Mercury that she was going to retire with the team.

The Sun lost their head coach and entire starting five this off-season. For a 33-year-old vet like Cloud, being on a team entering the rebuilding stage was difficult and she reportedly asked for a trade from Connecticut. Madeline Kenney of the New York Post asked about her feelings surrounding the trades, and Cloud spoke about her faith guided her journey and her goal of being more patient. She added:

“I would be crazy not to thank Connecticut. (Sun President) Jen Rizzotti and (Sun General Manager) Morgan Tuck were great and amazing from the time that the trade happened. I think we have two people that have been in this basketball realm and understand that business can sometimes f***ing suck, and that doesn’t always benefit us as players.

“And then for [Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb] to fight for me, for this organization to fight for me for over a month, to be wanted... that is the most amazing feeling. To be in the position to where I know that at 33, what I still feel like I have to give this game, that is going to be best used in here in New York. And to be a part of an organization that has broken barriers, has pushed us so far as a league, as other teams. I think some people forget, while there’s a lot of big other teams, New York really started these talks of “let’s progress us forward, let’s invest, let’s make sure that our players have everything that they need...” I just come and get to be a basketball player [and] get to be Tash.

“I’m so thankful for where God allowed my journey to go and I’m really thankful for this organization for coming and saving me in a lot of senses.”

A new city, but a familiar feeling​

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Now that she’s settled in with her new team, the business of defending the WNBA championship can begin in earnest. Cloud arrived two weeks early to get acclimated with her new team, adjust to the new surroundings, and meet everyone. As the point guard, Cloud will be tasked with finding the best shots possible for the Big 3 of Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu. She’s finished in the top five in assists per game since 2019 and helps amplify the skills and talents of her teammates.

Multimedia journalist Greydy Diaz asked Cloud how this training camp feels like compared to previous camps, and Cloud compared it favorably to the 2019 Washington Mystics. The Mystics, led by Cloud, Elena Delle Donne, and Ariel Atkins, were the best team in the league in 2019 and captured their first championship in franchise history later that fall.

Like the great Mystics teams of the late 2010s, this Liberty team is flush with talent up and down the roster. Even without Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for the next five to six months, the team features All-Stars, Gold Medalists, All-Defensive team members, and players with numerous international accolades as well.

“I can’t wait to get ready” Cloud said. “I know that I bring an energy and a tenacity that they already had here, but I intensify it. I’m gonna get into people on the defensive end. I’m gonna push pace. I’m gonna make sure I get our franchise players shots and just be that exciting factor.”

With training camp underway, it’s an exciting time to be with the Liberty. The team is ready to begin their championship defense starting May 17 and the new players on the team will look to play a big part in their success. For Natasha Cloud, the journey to New York was a long and sometimes difficult one. But now that she’s here, she’s ready to take the champs to a whole new level.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/4/28...ning-camp-interview-connecticut-sun-unrivaled