G League: Long Island Nets waive Isaiah Wright

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have requested waivers on guard Isaiah Wright.

Wright was acquired from the available player pool on Nov. 16 to replace Long Island guard Josh Gray while he played for USA Basketball in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Games. In two appearances with the Nets, Wright recorded five points, two rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes total.

Blake Griffin out of Nets rotation lately

Veteran Nets big man Blake Griffin is healthy yet has been riding the bench lately. Via ESPN.com:

Falling completely out of the Brooklyn Nets’ rotation was not something Blake Griffin saw coming.

After starting 17 games this season, Griffin has sat the past two games after Steve Nash inserted LaMarcus Aldridge into the starting lineup.

“No, I mean listen, [Aldridge] has been playing unbelievable,” Griffin said. “So, I totally get starting him, especially Joe [Harris] has been out, and I totally get that.

“Being completely out of it, though, I didn’t necessarily see that coming. But that’s not my decision. As players it’s our job to do whatever coaches see best, so at this point that’s what it is.”

The Nets are 14-6 this season, which is the best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2021-22 are Kevin Durant at 28.6 points per game, James Harden at 20.3 ppg, and LaMarcus Aldridge at 13.8 ppg.

Griffin is averaging 5.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.7 minutes per game.

Nets swingman Joe Harris undergoes ankle surgery

Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Joe Harris underwent arthroscopic surgery today on his left ankle.

The procedure, performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery, involved the removal of a loose body. Harris has missed the past six games since injuring the ankle on Nov. 14 at Oklahoma City.

An estimate return date for Harris isn’t known yet.

Harris currently ranks second in the NBA in 3-point shooting (.466) while averaging 11.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 30.2 minutes per contest in 14 games this season.

Nets waive Edmond Sumner

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on guard Edmond Sumner.

Sumner was acquired by Brooklyn in a trade with the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 6. He’s appeared in 108 games (29 starts) across four seasons (2017-21) with the Pacers, recording averages of 5.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.1 minutes per game. He was originally selected by Indiana with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

Longtime official Nets scorer Herb Turetzky is retiring

The Brooklyn Nets announced today the retirement of Herb Turetzky after a remarkable 54-year run as the only official scorer in the franchise’s history. In recognition of his years of dedication to the Nets organization, Turetzky has been named official scorer emeritus.

“For 54 years, I’ve had the best seat in the house,” Turetzky said. “It’s been a joy to work with so many incredible people over the years, and I am very proud to be a part of this great organization.”

“We want to extend our sincerest appreciation to Herb for his more than five decades of faithful service to the organization,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “Herb is part of the fabric of Nets basketball, and it’s fitting that he was able to finish his career in his home borough. Herb, his wife, Jane, and their family will always be a part of the Brooklyn Nets family.”

“We are all grateful to Herb for his enduring impact on the Nets organization,” said John Abbamondi, CEO of BSE Global. “For over five decades, Herb had a front row seat to the development and evolution of our franchise, and he will forever hold an unparalleled place in Nets history. We are looking forward to welcoming Herb and the Turetzky family back to Barclays Center this season so he can enjoy his first-ever Nets game as a fan following 54 years of incredible service.”

A native of Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, Turetzky scored the first game in franchise history, a matchup between the New Jersey Americans and Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association (ABA) on Oct. 23, 1967 at the Teaneck Armory, while he was a senior at Long Island University. That game began a career that spanned more than 2,200 games and was eventually certified as a record for professional basketball games scored in the Guinness Book of World Records. Turetzky also worked 1,465 consecutive regular season and playoff games, beginning in the 1984-85 season and concluding in Oct. 2018. Turetzky’s tenure saw him score games in nine home arenas with more than 500 players donning a Nets uniform in that time. He was on hand to score the greatest moments in franchise history, including ABA championships in 1974 and 1976 and consecutive trips to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

Turetzky has earned a number of honors throughout his career with the Nets, including his induction into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Old Timers of America Hall of Fame.

Pacers trade Edmond Sumner to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired guard Edmond Sumner and a 2025 second round draft pick in a trade with the Indiana Pacers (via Miami) for the draft rights to guard Juan Pablo Vaulet.

Sumner has appeared in 108 games (29 starts) across four seasons (2017-21) with the Pacers, recording averages of 5.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.1 minutes per game. He was originally selected by Indiana with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

Vaulet was selected with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft by Charlotte, and his draft rights were traded to Brooklyn.

Nets trade Sekou Doumbouya to Rockets, who waive Khyri Thomas

The Houston Rockets today announced they have acquired a 2024 second round pick and forward Sekou Doumbouya in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, who receive cash considerations.

And in a related move, the Rockets have waived guard Khyri Thomas who appeared in five of the final six games for Houston last season.

Doumbouya was acquired by Brooklyn in a trade with the Detroit Pistons on Sept. 4. He played 13 minutes in the Nets’ preseason victory at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon, totaling 11 points and four rebounds. In 94 games (30 starts) across two seasons (2019-21) with the Pistons, Doumbouya averaged 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game.

Comcast drops MSG Network from Xfinity channel lineup

A ton of Knicks fans have lost TV access to the team’s games as the season approaches. Hopefully it’s just temporary. Here’s the latest, via the New York Post:

Another promising Knicks season is around the corner – but hundreds of thousands of New Jersey and Connecticut fans may not be able to watch it due to a dispute between MSG Network and Comcast.

According to a Garden release, Comcast has chosen to drop MSG Network from its Xfinity channel lineup “despite our best efforts to reach a new agreement.’’

If the situation drags on, Comcast subscribers will miss 85 percent of Knicks games. MSG Network will broadcast 70 of the 82 contests – with the rest on national networks.

The disagreement will also affect games for the NHL’s Islanders, Rangers and Devils.

G League: Long Island Nets hire James Maye, Jimmie Oakman, Lance Harris as assistant coaches

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have named James Maye, Jimmie Oakman and Lance Harris as assistant coaches on Head Coach Adam Caporn’s staff.

Maye joins Long Island after spending the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach with the NBA G League’s Greensboro Swarm. He previously spent one season (2018-19) as an assistant coach with NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Maye played 14 professional seasons (2003-17), mainly overseas and for one season (2006-07) in the NBA G League with the Dakota Wizards. He also played five collegiate seasons (1998-03) at UNC Greensboro, where he currently ranks fifth all-time in scoring with 1,574 career points, and later earned a Master of Business Administration from the American College of Thessaloniki in Greece.

Oakman will enter his fourth season with the Long Island Nets and his second as assistant coach. He originally joined the Long Island staff ahead of the 2018-19 season as head video coordinator and served in the same role the following season with added player development responsibilities. Prior to working with the Nets, Oakman spent three seasons (2015-18) as Boston University’s director of basketball operations and one season (2014-15) as the team’s special assistant and director of advance scouting. The University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate also previously served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for three seasons (2011-14) at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H.

Harris joins Long Island after spending the 2020-21 season with the Brooklyn Nets as a video seasonal assistant. He previously spent one season (2019-20) as an assistant coach at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Prior to beginning his career in basketball operations, Harris played professionally overseas for more than a decade (2007-19) in Slovenia, France, Turkey, Russia, Italy, Ukraine and Greece following four collegiate seasons (2003-07) at Kansas State.

Nets sign forward Devontae Cacok

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Devontae Cacok.

It’s probably a non-guaranteed deal made to bring Cacok to training camp.

Cacok (6’7”, 240) joins the Nets after spending the last two seasons on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 21 games (one start), he recorded averages of 2.1 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field and 1.8 rebounds in 5.1 minutes per contest. Cacok was also a member of the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship team. In addition to his NBA experience, the 24-year-old appeared in 33 games (two starts) with the Lakers’ NBA G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, during the 2019-20 campaign, posting averages of 19.3 points on 66.0 percent shooting from the floor, 11.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 23.9 minutes per game, earning All-NBA G League First Team and NBA G League All-Rookie Team honors. Cacok went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft after spending four years (2015-19) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he garnered Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore and was named All-CAA First Team as a junior and senior.