Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

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Nets forward Kevin Durant set to return Saturday vs. Warriors

The Nets are getting Kevin Durant back in time for tomorrow’s game against Stephon Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors. Via the NY Post:

The Nets superstar rejoined the team for practice Friday, following a six-day quarantine with negative COVID-19 tests after he came into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus last Friday. He will be a full go for Saturday night’s game against the Warriors as the Nets tip off a five-game West Coast road trip…

The week off marked Durant’s second COVID-19 quarantine of the season, though this one was much messier. He was a late scratch for the start of last Friday’s game against the Raptors because of an inconclusive COVID-19 test for the person he came into contact with, then was allowed to play late in the first quarter. But Durant was eventually taken off the floor in the third quarter when that person’s COVID-19 test came back positive.

The Nets are 15-12 this season. A record good enough for 3rd best in an Eastern conference with just four teams with records above .500 through Thursday’s games.

Nets fans can attend home games starting February 23, limited to 10 percent arena capacity

New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that Barclays Center has been approved to reopen beginning Tuesday, Feb. 23, when the Nets take on the Sacramento Kings at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Following State guidelines, the venue will be limited to 10 percent capacity until further notice.

Per BSE Global, who manage and operate Barclays Center and the Nets, “Barclays Center will employ robust health and safety protocols that have been developed in coordination with the New York State Department of Health, the National Basketball Association and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC). These protocols include: a negative PCR test for all patrons, administered within 72 hours in advance of the game; mandatory temperature checks; social distancing and use of face masks; and thorough cleaning and sanitation procedures. To help further ensure the safety of Barclays Center fans and employees, the venue will also continue to provide COVID-19 testing to all arena employees prior to each game. Barclays Center has achieved GBAC STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities.”

“Thank you to Governor Cuomo and his team at the Department of Health for collaborating with us in creating a robust health and safety plan that allows fans to return to our arena,” said BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi. “The Governor has played a tremendous role in getting New York businesses back on their feet and we are proud to announce that for the remainder of the season we are donating a portion of ticket proceeds to support vaccination efforts here in Brooklyn. We would also like to thank our fans for their support this season and we are looking forward to bringing their energy back to Barclays Center!”

Nets sign Noah Vonleh

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Noah Vonleh.

Vonleh (6’10”, 257) has played in 335 career games (171 starts) across six NBA seasons with Charlotte (2014-15), Portland (2015-18), Chicago (2018), New York (2018-19), Minnesota (2019-20) and Denver (2020), recording averages of 5.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. Vonleh’s most productive season was the 2018-19 campaign with the Knicks, as he registered career-best averages of 8.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.3 minutes per contest.

Most recently, Vonleh signed with the Bulls on Nov. 27, but was waived on Dec. 14.

The 25-year-old has also made three postseason appearances with the Trail Blazers (2016 and 2017) and Nuggets (2020).

Vonleh was originally selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by Charlotte after spending one season at Indiana. In his lone collegiate season, the Haverhill, Mass., native was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while also garnering All-Big Ten Third Team honors.

Kevin Durant removed from Raptors vs. Nets game due to COVID-19 contact tracing concerns

It was an unusual situation in Brooklyn tonight, centered around Nets star forward Kevin Durant.

Via the Toronto Star:

Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant was going to play, then wasn’t allowed to play, then got clearance to play and finally had to stop playing in the third quarter of a truly odd Nets-Raptors game in Brooklyn.

The Durant saga underscores the oddities in a testing/contact tracing world the NBA is trying to navigate through this regular season.

It put a damper on, and added considerable confusion to, a delightful offensive display by both teams but highlights the inherent difficulty with pulling off games and seasons with daily testing, contact tracing and other aspects of dealing with a raging pandemic.

The game itself was delightful as Kyle Lowry simply willed the Raptors to a 123-117 win with typical fourth-quarter brilliance.

Lowry finished with a season-high 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and Pascal Siakam added 33 points as the Raptors played one of their best games of the season.

And the New York Post:

Kevin Durant was a last-minute scratch from the Nets’ starting lineup Friday night, then was inserted into the game late and finally pulled for good, all due to COVID-19 contact tracing.

Durant will not travel with the team to Philadelphia on Saturday, according to ESPN.

The NBA said in a statement that Durant was pulled from the game “out of an abundance of caution” after someone he interacted with tested positive for coronavirus after their initial test was inconclusive. The league also said Durant tested negative three times in the past 24 hours.

The entire world is learning to navigate through the the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s certainly a learning process for any event-based organizations, especially sports leagues. The NBA certainly has to examine exactly what happened today, and what to take away from this going forward.

Nets are much-improved in TV ratings department

The Nets are rising in the TV ratings department. Via the New York Post:

James Harden hasn’t faced the Knicks in his new Brooklyn uniform but he’s already beating them.

Harden was obtained in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 13, hours before the Nets played the Knicks at the Garden.

The Nets, since Harden’s first game, are averaging 122,000 viewers per game to the Knicks’ 111,000 viewers, based on Nielsen ratings, according to sources.

This isn’t a surprise. The Knicks are playing respectable basketball this season but are in a rebuilding state. While the Nets have three of the NBA’s best and most popular players, are still working out team chemistry, especially on the defensive end, but are focused on competing for the 2021 NBA championship and should certainly make the playoffs.

James Harden, Nikola Jokic named NBA Players of Week

The NBA announced today that Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Jan. 25, through Sunday, Jan. 31.

The honor is Harden’s first as a Net and the 25th Player of the Week award of his career.

Harden led Brooklyn to a 3-1 week, including a 3-0 mark in games he appeared in. Harden recorded averages of 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 37.6 minutes per game, while shooting 56.8 percent from the field, 55.0 percent from 3-point range and 88.2 percent from the free-throw line. His assists per game were the highest in the league for the week. Harden opened the week by recording 20 points, four rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes in a 98-85 victory over the Miami Heat at Barclays Center on Jan. 25. He followed up that performance by posting 31 points, eight rebounds, a Nets season-high 15 assists, two steals and one block in 46 minutes in a 132-128 overtime win at the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 27. In that game, Harden became the second player this season, and the first player in the Eastern Conference, to register 30 or more points and 15 or more assists in a game. He also became the first Nets player since Stephon Marbury on Jan. 20, 2000, versus Detroit to notch 30 or more points and 15 or more assists in a game. Harden rounded out his week by logging his third triple-double in eight games as a Net, registering 25 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in 32 minutes in a 147-125 victory on Jan. 29 at Oklahoma City. The 147 points for the Nets matched a franchise record for points scored in a regulation game. Harden sat out Brooklyn’s fourth and final game of the week last night at Washington with a left thigh contusion.

Harden is the 27th player in franchise history to earn Player of the Week honors and the second this season, joining Kevin Durant, who captured the award on Jan. 18. Harden and Durant are the first Nets teammates to win Player of the Week awards in the same season since Brook Lopez and Deron Williams in the 2014-15 campaign, and the second set of teammates to earn Player of the Week honors in the NBA this season, joining Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (Jan. 25) and Tobias Harris (Jan. 4).

In his 12th NBA season, Harden has appeared in 16 games this season, including eight with the Nets. In those eight games as a Net, he’s registered averages of 24.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 11.8 assists (first in the NBA) and 1.1 steals in 39.9 minutes per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from 3-point range and 87.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Jokić wins the award in consecutive weeks, becoming the first Nugget to win in back-to-back weeks since Carmelo Anthony in 2006 (11/27/06 & 12/4/06). He has now earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors eight times in his career, the second most in franchise history.

Jokić, 25, averaged 30.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.30 steals while shooting .623 from the field and .455 from three-point range. He helped lead the Nuggets to a 3-1 week, including a home win over the Utah Jazz on 1/31, snapping their 11-game winning streak and two road wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. The 3-1 week moved Denver’s record to 12-8, fourth best in the Western Conference.

Jokić started the week by registering 20 points (8-13 FG’s), 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals in a road victory over the Dallas Mavericks on 1/25. Denver then headed to Miami, where he put up a stat-line of 21 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes. Jokić followed that performance up with another massive game, finishing with 35 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one steal at San Antonio on 1/29. He finished the week with arguably the best game of his career vs. Utah, tying a career-high with 47 points (17-26 FG’s), 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 37 minutes, becoming the first Nugget to ever post those numbers. He scored 22 points in the first quarter and 33 points in the first half, both career-highs in any single quarter or half.

Jokić leads the NBA in PER, is third in total assists, fifth in assists per game, sixth in rebounds per game and 12th in scoring, while averaging 26.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.75 steals in 35.8 minutes. He has also produced a double-double in all 20 games, becoming just the second player since 1976 to record a double-double in each of the first 20 games (Walton).

Nets sign center Norvel Pelle

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent center Norvel Pelle.

Pelle (6’10”, 231) spent the 2019-20 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, originally signing a two-way contract with the team on July 2, 2019, before having his contract converted to a standard deal on Feb. 7, 2020. In 24 games off the bench, Pelle recorded averages of 2.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 9.7 minutes per game. He registered multiple blocks in 11 of the 24 games he saw action in, including a season-high four blocks on Nov. 29, 2019, at New York. He also appeared in one playoff game for the Sixers in their first round playoff series against Boston.

Per the New York Post, “the Nets have been looking for interior help since trading away center Jarrett Allen in the megadeal for James Harden. While they’ve been linked with a number of veteran Cleveland big men like Andre Drummond and JaVale McGee, those are only targets. Pelle is a Net, albeit a low-risk, high-upside flier who brings a 7–foot-3 1/2 wingspan, athleticism and rim protection.”

Prior to his NBA career, the 27-year-old played professionally for six years (2013-19), competing overseas in Italy, Lebanon and Taiwan and in the NBA G League in four stints with the Delaware Blue Coats. In 83 career NBA G League games (38 starts), Pelle averaged 8.7 points on 63.5 percent shooting from the field, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 18.1 minutes per contest and earned NBA G League All-Defensive Team honors at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.

Pelle was born in Antigua and Barbuda, attended high school in California and has played for the Lebanese national team.

Nets will be without Kevin Durant against Cavs tonight

The Nets won’t be at full strength tonight. Via the Sun Sentinel:

The second appearance of the Brooklyn Nets’ Big Three was put on hold Friday until the Miami Heat’s Saturday visit to Barclays Center.

As they continue to manage Kevin Durant’s recovery from the torn Achilles that kept him out last season, the Nets announced Friday that Durant would not play in Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Instead, Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden are expected to play for only the second time as a trio when the Heat open their two-game set against the Nets at 8 p.m. Saturday, a set that concludes Monday at Barclays Center.

The Cavs handed the Nets a loss in double overtime on Wednesday.

With Durant out, this gives everyone a chance to focus on how Harden and Irving play alongside each other. Which is actually the biggest thing to pay attention to on the Nets roster right now.

New Pacer Caris LeVert out after a small mass was discovered on his kidney

Pacers shooting guard Caris LeVert will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed a small mass on his left kidney during a physical prior to finalizing the four-team trade with Brooklyn, Houston and Cleveland.

LeVert will undergo further medical tests.

“On behalf of my family and myself, we want to thank the Indiana Pacers for their support and guidance,” said LeVert in a statement. “We are grateful for their extreme thoroughness during the physical process and I am looking forward to joining the team and being part of this great organization as soon as possible.”

Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard: “We acquired Caris because of who he is as a young man first and foremost. His basketball skill and on court play speaks for itself and we know he has a great career ahead of him. We will support Caris through this time and know that he will join us on the court as soon as he is able.”

Recent three-team James Harden trade amended into four-team trade to include Pacers

The Houston Rockets today announced that their three-team trade with Brooklyn and Cleveland has been amended into a four-team trade involving Indiana.

Click the link in this sentence to see the original three-team James Harden to Nets trade from a few days ago.

The Rockets traded guard James Harden to the Nets and a 2023 second round pick to the Pacers while acquiring guard Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE-po) from Indiana, guard Danté Exum from the Cavaliers, and forward Rodions Kurucs (RO-dee-ahns KOO-rootz) from the Nets.

Houston also acquired the following draft assets:

– Three unprotected first round picks from Brooklyn in 2022, 2024, and 2026.

– The right to swap first round picks with Brooklyn in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027.

– Milwaukee’s first round pick in 2022 from Cleveland.

As part of the deal, the Pacers also received a future second round draft pick from Houston and a future second round draft pick from Cleveland.

“First and foremost, we want to thank Victor for what he gave to the Pacers through his play, his diligence in rehab coming back from a serious injury, and his community efforts,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “These decisions are obviously never easy and this one in particular was hard because of our relationship.

Continued Pritchard, “Caris is a high-quality person who will fit in with what we as an organization are doing, on and off the floor. He’s a versatile young talent who we think will be a great fit with the direction our team is taking. He can play multiple positions and affect the game at both ends of the floor.”

Originally drafted by the Pacers in the 2016 NBA Draft, LeVert was traded to the Brooklyn Nets on July 7, 2016. A 6-6, 205-pound guard, he spent part of five seasons with the Nets. He will wear jersey #22 with the Pacers.

Oladipo (6-4, 210) is in his eighth season and is a two-time All-Star. In 430 career games with 370 starts, he is averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 steals. Over the past three seasons, he was the only player to have averaged at least 20.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 rpg, and 1.90 spg. In 2017-18, Oladipo was named Most Improved Player, All-NBA Third Team, and All-Defensive First Team.

Exum (6-5, 214) was the fifth overall pick by Utah in the 2014 NBA Draft. In 245 career games with 72 starts, the 25-year-old is averaging 5.7 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game. Over the past three seasons, Exum averaged 14.6 ppg, 5.0 apg, and 4.2 rpg per 36 minutes played.

Kurucs (6-9, 230) was the 40th overall pick by Brooklyn in the 2018 NBA Draft. In 115 games with 55 starts, the 22-year-old is averaging 6.5 points, and 3.4 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game. Over his first two seasons, Kurucs averaged 13.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 1.9 apg per 36 minutes played.