The Brooklyn Nets yesterday (Sunday) announced that they have hired Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach. Atkinson will become the 21st head coach in the franchise’s NBA history.

“We are thrilled to announce Kenny Atkinson as our new head coach and to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “Kenny’s years of NBA coaching experience working under successful head coaches such as Mike Budenholzer and Mike D’Antoni have provided him with the foundation and experience we were looking for in a head coach. We believe that Kenny’s core principles, leadership, communication skills and exceptional background in player development make him an ideal fit for the culture we are building in Brooklyn.”

Atkinson currently serves as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and will continue in this capacity until the conclusion of Atlanta’s postseason. With respect to the Hawks and their playoff schedule, a press conference to formally introduce Atkinson will be held on a date that has yet to be determined.

“I’d like to extend a personal welcome to Kenny and wish all of us success as we begin a new era at the Brooklyn Nets,” said Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov. “Aside from his tremendous skills and experience, he has the mindset we need to build a winning team day by day, step by step. Together, we can do great things.”

Atkinson joins the Nets after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks under Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. The Hawks made playoff appearances in each of Atkinson’s four seasons, including the club’s first-ever trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The 2014-15 Hawks registered a franchise-record 60 wins, including a franchise-best 19-game win streak, and captured their first division title in more than 20 years. Atkinson served on the 2015 Eastern Conference All-Star coaching staff, and he guided Team World in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend in New York. Prior to his tenure with the Hawks, Atkinson was an assistant coach for four seasons with the New York Knicks (2008-12), helping the team reach the postseason in 2011 and 2012. Atkinson also spent one season as the Director of Player Development for the Houston Rockets (2007-08).

“I am truly honored and humbled to be named the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and I would like to thank Nets’ ownership and management for this tremendous opportunity,” said Atkinson. “Together with Sean and his staff, we look forward to building a winning tradition here in Brooklyn. I also want to acknowledge and thank Mike Budenholzer and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for their cooperation and support throughout this process. While I am eager to begin working with the Nets, I remain committed to my coaching responsibilities with the Hawks for the remainder of the postseason.”

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the Brooklyn Nets, whose season was a bit lacking in the wins department:

As the shorthanded Nets stumble to the finish of this painfully long season, interim coach Tony Brown has begged with them to show some grit. In Monday’s 120-111 loss at Washington — the first quasi-competitive effort in their nine-game skid — the Nets actually showed some fight, even if it was against each other.

After the Nets had come out flat to dig themselves a 20-0 hole right from the start, Brown benched his starters and watched his bench claw back into the game, eventually leading 85-79. And in the second quarter, backup Sean Kilpatrick had a confrontation with Bojan Bogdanovic, one both claimed was nothing but a positive.

“Honestly, I think that’s good for the team, especially when we lose a couple of games,’’ said Bogdanovic. “We have to get some fire, fight with each other a little bit to wake up everybody. So, there is not a problem between me and Sean.’’

The Nets — who are 21-60 and finish their season Wednesday vs. Toronto — haven’t just been asleep, but comatose. Before Monday’s six-point loss, they’d dropped eight straight by an average of almost 19.3 points, every one by double-digits.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Henry Sims to a second 10-day contract.

Originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 17, Sims has appeared in four games with the Nets, averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game.

The Nets are 21-51 this season which is the second worst record in the Eastern conference.

The Brooklyn Nets today signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a multi-year contract.

Initially signed to the first of two 10-day contracts on February 28, Kilpatrick played in nine games with Brooklyn, averaging 11.9 points on 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range in 19.1 minutes per game. Kilpatrick has scored in double figures six times, including each of the last four games.

In 21 career NBA games split between Brooklyn, Denver and Minnesota, Kilpatrick has averaged 7.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Henry Sims to a 10-day contract. The team’s roster is now 15 players.

The 6’10”, 248-pound Sims has played in 121 games (57 starts) in parts of three seasons with New Orleans, Cleveland and Philadelphia, recording averages of 7.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.8 minutes per game.

Sims spent the 2014-15 season with the 76ers, averaging 8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.2 minutes per game in 73 games (32 starts).

The Baltimore native went undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft after a four-year collegiate career at Georgetown.

The Brooklyn Nets signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a second 10-day contract today.

Kilpatrick signed his first 10-day contract with the Nets on February 28 and made his team debut on February 29 against Clippers in Los Angeles.

In five games with Brooklyn, Kilpatrick averaged 9.4 points in 16.6 minutes per game while shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range. He scored in double figures twice, including a career-high 19 points in 26 minutes on March 5th against the Timberwolves in Minnesota.

The Brooklyn Nets have hired Trajan Langdon as assistant general manager.

“We are very pleased to welcome Trajan and his family to the Brooklyn Nets,” said General Manager Sean Marks. “Trajan is someone I worked with closely at the Spurs, and he brings a unique combination of NBA and European experience to the position. Trajan’s recent front office post with Cleveland added to his professional resume, and I want to thank the Cavs for their cooperation in this effort. The Nets look forward to Trajan’s contributions.”

Langdon joins Brooklyn after having served as director of player administration and basketball operations for the Cavaliers since September, 2015. While with the Cavs, Langdon worked with the team’s general manager on basketball and front office matters, with their community relations team on player programs, and was responsible for pro player personnel reporting for opponents, college and NBA Development League scouting. Langdon began his NBA front office career with the Spurs, working as a pro scout from 2012-15, and was a member of the team’s front office during their 2013-14 championship season.

A first round pick (11th overall) of the Cavaliers in 1999, Langdon played three seasons with Cleveland, where he totaled 119 games, and became the first Alaskan to play in the NBA. Following his stint in the NBA, Langdon played nine seasons overseas in Russia, Turkey and Italy. His best years came with CSKA Moscow, where he was a two-time Euroleague champion (2006, 2008), Euroleague Final Four MVP (2008), two-time All-Euroleague First Team selection (2007, 2008) and All-Euroleague Second Team selection (2006). He was also named to the Euroleague 2001-10 All-Decade Team.

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Langdon played collegiately at Duke where he left as the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made and was a First-Team All-ACC selection (1997-99) and consensus Second-Team All-American (1999). After graduating from Duke with degrees in mathematics and history, he played for the USA Basketball National Team in the 1998 FIBA World Championship, winning the bronze medal.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract, General Manager Sean Marks announced today.

Kilpatrick (6’4”, 219) joins the Nets from the NBA Development League’s Delaware 87ers, where he has appeared in 28 games this season, averaging a league-high 26.4 points per game on 47.2 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three-point range, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 38.4 minutes per game en route to D-League All-Star honors. He has also appeared in eight games with the Denver Nuggets this season, averaging 3.4 points in 10.3 minutes per game, and spent the 2015 preseason with the New Orleans Pelicans. In 2014-15, Kilpatrick appeared in four games with the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 5.5 points in 18.0 minutes per game. He also played in 44 D-League contests split between Delaware and the Santa Cruz Warriors. Kilpatrick spent the 2014 preseason with the Golden State Warriors before being waived prior to the start of the 2014-15 regular season.

The 26-year-old Yonkers, N.Y. native went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft after a standout four-year collegiate career at the University of Cincinnati. Kilpatrick earned consensus second-team All-American honors after averaging 20.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.8 minutes per game.

Small forward Joe Johnson averaged just 11.8 points on 40.6% shooting this season for the Brooklyn Nets, plus 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per outing. His career is winding down. Still, he’d make a terrific addition to just about any team that wants him as a member of the supporting cast. Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting:

Six years later, the Cavaliers have reportedly lost out on another free agent to the Miami Heat. This one, however, doesn’t sting nearly as much.

Joe Johnson will join the Miami Heat after he clears waivers Saturday night, according to multiple reports. The soon-to-be free agent guard was considering the Cavs, but has chosen South Beach instead. Yahoo Sports reported Johnson chose the Heat for the chance to start and play meaningful minutes.

LeBron James, who also spurned Cleveland for Miami in 2010, confirmed earlier Friday the Cavs had interest in Johnson, but stopped short of saying he would reach out to him.

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on Andrea Bargnani, General Manager Sean Marks announced today. It was a buyout agreement between the two sides.

Bargnani, who signed with the Nets on July 17, 2015, appeared in 46 games for Brooklyn, with averages of 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game.

The Nets roster now stands at 14 players.

The Brooklyn Nets announced today that the team has named Sean Marks as General Manager.

“After an exhaustive vetting process, we are delighted to have Sean as our General Manager,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said. “His experience on the court, in coaching and management gives him a 360 degree view of the job at hand. His background helping to build one of the greatest teams in the NBA gives him an unparalleled frame of reference. And he impressed us all with his vision, his values, his personality and his enthusiasm for the club. The vote to select him from an incredible list of talent was unanimous. We welcome Sean into our Nets family and look forward to his strong leadership and independent thinking as we build our own success story.”

“I am very excited to be named the General Manager of the Brooklyn Nets, and to become a member of the vibrant and dynamic organization that represents Brooklyn,” Marks said. “I would like to thank Nets’ ownership for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to the challenge of creating a unified culture and building a winning team.”

Marks joins the Nets after spending the past five years with the San Antonio Spurs, including the last two seasons as the team’s assistant general manager. Prior to serving as assistant general manager, Marks spent one season as an assistant coach on the Spurs’ 2014 NBA Championship team, one season as the team’s director of basketball operations and general manager of the Spurs’ NBA Development League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, and one season as a basketball operations assistant.

A veteran of 12 NBA seasons, Marks was originally selected with the 44th pick in the second round of the 1998 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. Over the course of his playing career, he suited up for six different franchises, including the Toronto Raptors (1998-00), Miami Heat (2001-03), Phoenix Suns (2006-08), New Orleans Hornets (2008-10) and Portland Trail Blazers (2010-11). He also spent two seasons with the Spurs (2004-06) and was a member of the 2005 NBA Championship team.

Prior to embarking on his NBA career, Marks spent played four seasons at the University of California, Berkeley, where he served as a captain during his senior season (1997-98). He earned his degree in political science from the school in 1998.

Marks is a native of Auckland, New Zealand, representing the country in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. He was also a part of the team that finished fourth at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

The Nets (13-38) are having a tough season. But beyond 2015-16, with a lot of losses and no first round draft picks for years due to trades, their future is cloudy. A new front office leader is needed. Here’s ESPN.com with the latest:

The Brooklyn Nets will begin formally interviewing candidates for their general manager vacancy on Monday, sources told ESPN.com.

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will be in attendance, as will the other members of the team’s GM search committee: Nets chairman of the board of directors Dmitry Razumov, trusted Russian basketball confidant Sergey Kushchenko, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Brett Yormark and president of ONEXIM Sports & Entertainment Irina Pavlova.

The interview process is expected to last for a few days, sources said.

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on the Nets (11-33, which is the third-worst record in the league) and now-available coach David Blatt:

The Nets already made their coaching change earlier this month, even if it was not nearly as surprising as David Blatt’s ouster Friday in Cleveland.

Brooklyn already has dropped 10 games in January – including six of seven since interim coach Tony Brown took over for fired Lionel Hollins — with Friday’s 108-86 loss to Utah at boo-filled Barclays Center.

“This was by no means our best effort,” Brown said. “I’m going to keep coaching, but some soul-searching needs to be done. I’m going to keep fighting. I just hope they do, too.”

The Nets’ 1-10 record this month represents just one fewer loss than the Cavaliers totaled all season before Blatt — a candidate with both NBA success and ties to Russian basketball — became available on Friday for Mikhail Prokhorov to possibly consider as the next coach of the Nets.

Like much of the Eastern United States, New York City is covered with a ton of snow. So today’s area game is being moved to a later start time.

The NBA announced that the Brooklyn Nets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game at Barclays Center scheduled for 3:30 pm ET today has been delayed to 7:30 pm ET “due to the impact of severe weather conditions in the New York area.”

Yes, there’s bigtime playoff football on today. But the chance to see Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and friends unleash their basketball magic in person is a great draw. We’ll be at the game.

Brooklyn Nets guard Jarrett Jack underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery this morning at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. The surgery was performed by Nets’ Medical Director, Dr. Riley J. Williams and Dr. David Altchek.

A full recovery is expected, and it’s anticipated that he will be ready to participate in full basketball activities for the 2016-17 season.

Jack, who sustained the injury during the second half of the Nets’ game at Boston on Saturday, January 2, played and started in 32 games for Brooklyn this season, and posted averages of 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team-high 7.4 assists per game.

A highly disappointing season has prompted a major shakeup in Brooklyn, New York.

The Brooklyn Nets today reassigned General Manager Billy King within the organization and have parted ways with Head Coach Lionel Hollins.

For the remainder of this season, Assistant Coach Tony Brown will serve as interim head coach. The GM position will remain open until a replacement is named.

“After careful consideration, I’ve concluded that it’s time for a fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team,” said Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov. “By making this decision now, it enables our organization to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records. It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership. With the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching. We have learned a great deal during the past six years and our experiences will guide us for the future. Following the consolidation of team ownership last month, I can assure you that I’m more determined and committed than ever to build a winner.”

“I want to thank Billy for his hard work in the development of the Nets. At every step of the way, he has been aggressive in his quest to build a winning team and has been a key factor toward the Nets making the playoffs for each of the last three seasons. Beyond this, he has been a tremendous friend, wonderful colleague, and loyal partner and we wish him success in the future. I also want to thank Lionel for his efforts and dedication on behalf of the Nets franchise. To our fans, I thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support and please know that brighter days are ahead. I’m excited to begin the process of choosing the best GM and head coach available.”

King was named as the Nets’ GM on July 14, 2010, and was in his sixth season in that role. During his one and a half seasons as Nets coach, Hollins had a regular season record of 48-71 and guided the team to the first round of the NBA Playoffs last season.

The Nets (10-27) have the third worst record in the NBA this season, ahead of the Lakers (8-30) and Sixers (4-35).

According to MassLive, “The Celtics own Brooklyn’s unprotected first-round picks this summer and in 2018, plus the right to swap first-round choices in 2017. That major debt and a current lack of talent make the Nets, possibly, one of the league’s most hopeless teams. They will have cap space this summer, but, with the salary cap booming, so will most of the league. Their roster isn’t just bereft of quality, but also trade chips.”

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green were today named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 3.

Lopez led the Nets to a 2-1 week behind averages of 26.7 points (second in the Eastern Conference), 13.3 rebounds (third in the conference) and 3.67 blocks (second in the conference). He made 60.9 percent of his field goals, sixth best in the East. Lopez recorded point-rebound double-doubles in all three contests, including his 30-point, 13-rebound effort in a 100-97 win over the Boston Celtics on Jan. 2.

Green helped the Warriors to a 3-1 week behind averages of 18.8 points, 11.3 rebounds (tied-fourth in the Western Conference) and 9.5 rebounds (fourth in the conference). Green recorded two triple-doubles, raising his league-leading total to six on the season. On Jan. 2, Green powered the Warriors with 29 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists in a 111-108 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, Cleveland’s LeBron James, the Los Angeles Clippers’ J.J. Redick, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Portland’s CJ McCollum, San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan.

A tough season for the Brooklyn Nets just got tougher.

Nets guard Jarrett Jack has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and small medial meniscus tear in his right knee. The injury occurred during the second half of the Nets’ game at Boston on Saturday, January 2. Jack will miss the remainder of the season and will undergo surgery on a date that has yet to be determined.

Jack has played and started in 32 games for Brooklyn this season, posting averages of 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team-high 7.4 assists per game.

The Nets are 10-23 this season - the third worst record in the league.

Brook Lopez’s size was too much for Boston’s smaller lineup.

The 7-footer scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 100-97 victory over the Celtics on Saturday.

“I did my best to make the right play every time, realizing that, and just tried to read the double teams,” said Lopez, who scored seven of his points in a key 9-2 run when Boston was making its charge with a smaller, trapping lineup…

Joe Johnson added 20 points, Thaddeus Young 16 with 10 boards, and Bojan Bogdanovic 13 points for the Nets, who won for just the third time in 11 games.

– Associated Press

Per the following press release, Mikhail Prokhorov’s company now owns 100 percent of the Brooklyn Nets team and the Barclays Center arena. According to CNBC, the deal values the team at $875 million and the arena at $825 million.

Onexim Sports and Entertainment Holding USA, Inc. today has signed an agreement with Nets Sports and Entertainment, LLC, an entity controlled by Forest City Enterprises, to consolidate a 100 percent equity interest in Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets. The transaction was approved unanimously by the NBA’s Board of Governors earlier this month.

In 2010, Onexim acquired 80 percent of the team and 45 percent of the arena. Since the arena opened in 2012, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment has managed the team and the arena and will continue to do so under the new structure.

Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of Onexim, said, “Today’s deal brings the ownership structure of the Brooklyn Nets and their state-of-the-art home in line with NBA guidelines and comes at an opportune time for all involved. We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Forest City and Bruce Ratner and worked together to open one of the most successful arenas in the country and to bring professional sports back to Brooklyn. We will continue to support arena management to provide a high level of service to our fans and the best sports and entertainment experience in the world. We also remain fully committed to community programs that were created as part of the arena. We believe a successful arena must be a destination, but also be part of the communities that surround it and more broadly the collection of neighborhoods that represent Brooklyn.”

Bruce Ratner, Executive Chairman of Forest City’s New York subsidiary, Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), added, “The development of Barclays Center enabled the return of major league professional sports and world-class entertainment to Brooklyn, and in just over three years of operation, it has become one of the top-grossing arenas in the country. As an anchor for the continued development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, Barclays Center stands as an iconic landmark for the borough.”

“It’s a seamless transition due to the incredible partnership between Onexim and Forest City over the years,” said Brett Yormark, Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “Exciting times are ahead for our fans, partners, and employees as we continue to improve and grow all of our businesses.”

The parties expect to complete the transaction either late this year or early in 2016.