Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

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G League: Jordan Crawford is back on the Long Island Nets

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have reacquired guard Jordan Crawford from the available player pool to replace guard Tyrone Wallace while he plays for the New Orleans Pelicans on a 10-day contract.

Crawford (6’5”, 195) was previously acquired by Long Island on Dec. 30 and appeared in eight games (two starts) with the team this season, averaging 13.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29.4 minutes per contest prior to being waived on Jan. 31.

The 33-year-old has also appeared in 281 career NBA games (99 starts) across six seasons with New Orleans (2016-18), Boston (2013-14), Golden State (2014), Washington (2011-13) and Atlanta (2010-11), recording averages of 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 24.4 minutes per game. Crawford has also appeared in 53 career NBA G League games (27 starts) over three seasons with the Grand Rapids (2016-17), Fort Wayne (2014-15) and Long Island (2021-22), averaging 21.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.6 minutes per contest. Additionally, Crawford has played five seasons (2014-21) internationally in China, Germany, Israel, Russia and Turkey.

James Harden struggles in Sixers loss to Nets

Thursday night in Philly, as a still-inactive Ben Simmons looked on, the Nets easily handled the Sixers, winning 129-100. Here’s the Philly Voice on the play of James Harden, who shot a miserable 3 for 17 and shot just two free throws for 11 points against his former squad:

James Harden was absolutely horrendous in this game. All the issues he has been accused of having when it matters in the playoffs came roaring to the forefront in a game with all eyes on it, and it was probably the single biggest reason the Sixers found themselves down 20 points early in this game. Brooklyn’s perimeter stars played at an A1 level, and Harden was a mess, turning the ball over and getting his shot packed whenever he tried to get into the painted area.

There were far too many attempts from Harden to sell contact and draw fouls when he could have simply played basketball. He didn’t look particularly good or shoot well even when he tried to reach deep into the stepback bag, but that was frankly a secondary issue. Throughout this game, Harden looked without a hope or a plan after spending most of his time here to date completely controlling games.

You look at Harden’s passing a lot differently when the other team has completely shut him down as a scorer. There were moments in Thursday’s game where it felt like Harden was so in his head and stuck in the mud that he simply wanted to get rid of the ball, uninterested in attacking the teeth of Brooklyn’s defense. And this isn’t even a good defense! Far from it, in fact. It’s almost hard to describe just how bad and detrimental to the cause Harden was in this game.

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Andre Drummond and Seth Curry off to good start for Nets

The Nets are still waiting new addition Ben Simmons to become available to play, but other players in the trade that sent James Harden to the Sixers have quickly shown their high value. Via the NY Post:

How key was prying Andre Drummond and Seth Curry out of Philadelphia in the James Harden-Ben Simmons swap? The pair haven’t just started since the trade went down, but they’ve posted the best plus-minus stats on the whole Nets roster.

Drummond is a plus-34 with Curry right behind at plus-33 in five starts coming into Monday’s tilt versus Toronto, both having filled glaring needs.

The floor-spacing Curry is averaging 19.2 points on 47.4 percent shooting from deep, while Drummond is posting a double-double (11.2 points, 11.0 boards) in just 22 minutes. Both have seemed to fit in seamlessly.

On paper, the Nets are absolutely loaded with talent. But the wait for full squad health continues. In the meantime, there’s a lot of responsibility on Curry and Drummond’s shoulders.

Nets sign Goran Dragic, and waive Jevon Carter

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Goran Dragić.

And in a related transaction, Brooklyn has requested waivers on guard Jevon Carter.

Dragić (6’3”, 190) has appeared in 872 career games (524 starts) across 14 seasons with Phoenix (2008-11, 2012-15), Houston (2011-12), Miami (2015-21) and Toronto (2021-22), recording averages of 13.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.9 minutes per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from 3-point range and 76.7 percent from the free-throw line. Dragić played in five games this season with the Raptors, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.0 minutes per game. The 35-year-old native of Slovenia was named an All-Star in the 2017-18 season with the Heat, and he secured All-NBA Third Team honors, as well as the NBA Most Improved Player Award with the Suns in the 2013-14 campaign. Dragić has also seen action in 56 playoff games (37 starts) in five postseason appearances, registering averages of 14.9 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field, 34.6 percent shooting from long distance and 76.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 27.4 minutes per contest while helping lead the Heat to an NBA Finals appearance in 2020 and the Suns to the Western Conference Finals in 2010. Dragić was originally selected with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft by San Antonio, and his draft rights were traded to Phoenix. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Dragić played professionally for four years (2004-08) in Europe. Dragić has also competed on the international stage, with his final appearance coming in 2017, when he led Slovenia to its first-ever FIBA European Championship at the 2017 EuroBasket. Dragić was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and earned Slovenia’s Sportsman of the Year award.

Carter saw action in 46 games (one start) with Brooklyn this season, posting averages of 3.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.0 minutes per game. The 26-year-old was originally acquired by the Nets in a trade with the Suns on Aug. 6, 2021.

Nets to reportedly sign Goran Dragic

The Nets, per multiple reports, will be signing a veteran point guard who can help maintain backcourt order while the team waits for Ben Simmons to become available while dealing with Kyrie Irving only being allowed to play road games due to coronavirus safety restrictions in New York. And one who is already quite familiar with Nets head coach Steve Nash: Goran Dragic. Via Bleacher Report:

Ahead of the trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors sent Dragic to the San Antonio Spurs in a deal for Thaddeus Young. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported his time in San Antonio wasn’t expected to be long, with the Spurs likely to buy out the final year of his contract.

Dragic originally landed with the Raptors as part of the Miami Heat’s sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry. Many believed his time with Toronto would be a marriage of convenience, with the team moving him on at a later date.

Per the New York Daily News, “adding Dragic to the Nets backcourt addresses several needs. He is no superstar, but he has played at a high level — both in the NBA and internationally — for decades. He was a 2018 NBA All-Star and has averaged 14 points and five assists per game entering his 14th NBA season. And he is set to play inspired basketball after landing in Toronto as part of the Kyle Lowry trade to the Miami Heat, only to be benched and dealt to the Spurs at the trade deadline.”

The Nets are just 31-28 this season, which is the 8th best record in the Eastern conference. Their season has been more about missed games than stars being available to play together. Adding Dragic is a solid move for the sake of stability.

Will Kyrie Irving’s availability change for Nets this season?

Will the Nets eventually have Kyrie Irving available as a full-time player this season? Well, maybe? It’s possible. Many things are possible. This is one such example. Via the NY Post:

Kyrie Irving expressed optimism Thursday night that an eventual relaxation of COVID-19 vaccination mandates could alter his part-time status with the Nets at some point this season.

General manager Sean Marks, whose sinking team executed the blockbuster trade of James Harden on Thursday, shortly before losing its 10th consecutive game, also sounds hopeful the unvaccinated Irving eventually will be able to participate in home games in Brooklyn.

“The decision on the [New York City] mandate, that’s obviously far above my pay grade and not something that I’m overly concerned about now,” Marks said Friday. “I mean, I think we’re always going to be optimistic.”

Sixers trade Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and draft picks to Nets for James Harden and Paul Millsap

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired guard/forward Ben Simmons, guard Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond and two future first round draft picks in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for guard James Harden and forward Paul Millsap.

In a related transaction, the Nets have requested waivers on forward DeAndre’ Bembry.

“James Harden is one of the truly elite players in the league. His career has been defined by incredible personal achievement, including honors as NBA MVP and three-time NBA scoring champion,” Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris said. “We’re thrilled to pair him with Joel Embiid and this dynamic roster in our pursuit of an NBA title. I am proud to welcome James and Paul Millsap – a proven veteran and former All Star – to the 76ers, and can’t wait for what the future holds for the city and our fans.”

In the trade, Philadelphia sent Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Ben Simmons, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick to Brooklyn. The 2027 first-round pick is protected for selections 1-8. Should it not convey in 2027, it becomes a 2028 first-round pick, protected selections 1-8. If the pick does not convey in the first round of the 2028 NBA Draft, it becomes a 2028 second-round pick and cash consideration.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, Seth, Andre and their families to Brooklyn,” Nets General Manager Sean Marks said. “Ben is an All-NBA and All-Defensive player with elite playmaking abilities, while Seth has proven to consistently be one of the league’s best 3-point shooters and Andre has been one of the league’s top rebounders for the last decade. Together, the three will enhance our core by providing versatility and depth on both ends of the floor while better balancing our roster.

“The decision to trade James was a difficult one, however after recent discussions with him and his representatives we felt that this move would be best for all involved, as it better positions us to achieve our goals this season and in the years ahead. We appreciate everything that James has done for our organization both on and off the court and wish him, Paul and DeAndre’ the best moving forward.”

A three-time NBA All-Star (2019-21) and All-NBA Third Team selection in 2020, Simmons (6’10”, 240) has appeared in and started 275 career games in four seasons with Philadelphia, registering averages of 15.9 points on 56.0 percent shooting from the field, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Simmons is a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team performer (2020 and 2021) and led the league in steals per game (2.1) in the 2019-20 season. The 25-year-old Simmons is one of just five players in NBA history to total 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 2,000 assists within their first four seasons, joining Grant Hill, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. He has also seen action in 34 playoff games across three postseason appearances, recording averages of 13.9 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field, 8.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 35.1 minutes per contest. Simmons was originally selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Philadelphia and secured Rookie of the Year honors after a standout first season with the 76ers. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Simmons spent one year (2015-16) at Louisiana State University, earning consensus first-team All-America honors, All-SEC First Team honors and the SEC Freshman of the Year award.

Curry (6’1”, 192) has appeared in 358 career games (180 starts) in eight seasons with Philadelphia, Dallas, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, Memphis and Cleveland, recording averages of 11.1 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field, 43.7 percent shooting from 3-point range and 85.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.9 minutes per game. He has seen action in 45 games this season with the 76ers, posting averages of 15.0 points (a career high) on 48.5 percent shooting from the field, 40.0 percent shooting from distance and 87.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 34.8 minutes per contest. Across the last four seasons (2018-22), the 31-year-old Curry has shot 43.9 percent from 3-point range, second among all players (minimum 1,000 attempts), trailing only Joe Harris (45.8 percent). Curry also ranks fifth in NBA history in career 3-point percentage, trailing only Harris (43.9 percent) among active players. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Curry went undrafted in 2013 after playing collegiately at Liberty (2008-09) and Duke (2010-13), where he earned All-ACC First Team honors in his final collegiate season.

Drummond (6’10”, 280) has appeared in 694 games (606 starts) across 10 seasons with Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit, recording averages of 13.9 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field, 13.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game. In 49 games (12 starts) with the 76ers this season, Drummond has posted averages of 6.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 18.4 minutes per contest. The 28-year-old is a two-time All-Star (2016 and 2018), an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2016 and a four-time league leader in rebounds (2016, 2018-20). Among active players, Drummond ranks fourth in rebounds (9,272) and second in offensive rebounds (3,160). His career rebounds per game average is tops among all active players and 10th in NBA history. The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native was originally selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft by Detroit after spending one year (2011-12) at the University of Connecticut, where he earned Big East All-Freshman Team honors.

For his career, Harden has appeared in 921 games (707 starts) with Brooklyn, Houston and Oklahoma City and holds averages of 25.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The only non-active NBA players ever to average at least 25-5-6 for a career are Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. Harden’s 67 triple-doubles rank eighth all-time in NBA history.

Harden was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021 by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters.

This season, with the Nets, Harden has averaged 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists (second in the NBA) in 37.0 minutes per contest across 44 games (all starts), making him the only player this season with such averages. Harden has recorded nine triple-doubles, tied for the third-most in the league this season. He’s also registered 29 double-doubles, tied for the sixth-most in the league this season and the most among guards.

Earlier this month, Harden was named to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his 10th career selection. His streak of 10 consecutive All-Star selections is the second-longest active streak in the NBA.

Prior to joining the Nets in January 2021, Harden spent parts of nine seasons (2012-21) with the Rockets. During that time, Harden was named the 2017-18 NBA MVP after leading the NBA in points per game (30.4) and finishing third in assists (8.8). He was also among the top-three vote-getters for the award each season from 2016-20. Harden ended his Houston career as the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers (2,029), free throws (5,554) and assists (4,796) while ranking second in team history with 18,365 total points and third with 1,087 steals.

Harden, a three-time NBA scoring champion (2018-20) is one of four players in league history to have multiple seasons averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. He’s in the midst of the third such season of his career. The only other players to do so more than once are Russell Westbrook (five times) and Hall of Famers Magic Johnson (three times) and Oscar Robertson (five times). His 36.1 points per game average in 2018-19 was the second-highest by any player since the start of the 1970-71 season, behind only Hall of Famer Michael Jordan’s average of 37.1 in 1986-87.

In his 13th NBA season, Harden was initially drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft where he went on to play three seasons and captured the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011-12.

Prior to entering the NBA, Harden spent two years (2007-09) at Arizona State, earning All-Pac-10 First Team honors twice and earning consensus first-team All-America honors. He was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year in his second and final collegiate season, leading the Sun Devils to a 25-10 record while averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

Millsap has appeared in 1,076 career games (745 starts) across 16 NBA seasons with Brooklyn, Denver, Atlanta and Utah, recording averages of 13.5 points on .489 shooting from the floor, .341 from three-point range and .736 from the free-throw line, along with 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game.

This season with the Nets, Millsap appeared in 24 games and averaged 3.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 11.3 minutes per contest. Millsap’s teams have qualified for the postseason 12 times in his 15 NBA seasons, and he’s played in 129 total playoff games (75 starts) with averages of 12.2 points, while shooting .457 from the field, along with 6.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 27.5 minutes per contest.

Millsap was originally selected by Utah with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. After seven seasons with the Jazz, he signed with Atlanta where he was named an All-Star in four consecutive seasons, as he averaged 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. In 2015-16, Millsap was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team when he was the only NBA player to rank in the top 15 in both steals and blocks per game. For his career, he’s totaled 1,322 steals and 1,043 blocks, making him one of 10 players in NBA history to post at least 1,300 and 1,000. Millsap played his college basketball at Louisiana Tech University where he became the only player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in rebounds in three consecutive seasons.

Bembry appeared in 48 games (20 starts) this season, recording averages of 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.8 minutes per game after signing as a free agent with the Nets on Aug. 8, 2021. In 288 career games (55 starts) across six seasons with Brooklyn, Toronto and Atlanta, Bembry has averaged 6.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.4 minutes per contest.

In G League, Long Island Nets add Thon Maker

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have acquired center Thon Maker from the available player pool. In a related move, Long Island requested waivers on forward Chris Walker.

Maker (7’0”, 221) has appeared in 263 career NBA games (65 starts) across five seasons with Milwaukee (2016-19), Detroit (2018-20) and Cleveland (2020-21), recording averages of 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game. Most recently, he spent the 2021-22 season overseas in the Israeli Basketball Premier League with Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club, where he averaged 3.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per contest over six games. The South Sudan native was selected by Milwaukee with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft. He earned Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors after his sophomore season in high school at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Va., before transferring to Athlete Institute in Ontario, Canada.

Walker was selected by Long Island with the 20th pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA G League Draft. In 11 games with the Nets this season, Walker averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per contest.