Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 27 – NBA Blog

Nuggets trade Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forwards Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur, along with a protected 2019 first round draft pick and a 2020 second round draft pick, from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Isaiah Whitehead.

According to the New York Post, “the Lin trade erases his $12.5 million expiring deal from the books.”

More from the Post: “Nets get Faried, and his $13.8 million expiring salary, as well as Darrell Arthur to get a 2019 first-round pick (protected 1-through-12) and a 2020 second-rounder.”

“DA is one of the best guys I have ever come across in all my time in the league,” said Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly . “When we traded for him, he and his amazing wife Niecy instantly impacted our community. They have done so much to help those in need, and almost all of it was done with no fanfare. As a player his toughness, ability to guard multiple positions and stretch the floor will be sorely missed. As a person it’s hard to quantify what he has meant to our team. Brooklyn is getting one of the league’s true gentleman.”

“There aren’t many players in the league who play with more energy or passion than Kenneth Faried,” stated Connelly. “To watch him develop as a player and a man in Denver has been a joy to watch. Last season he handled a diminished role like a consummate professional. I’m excited for his next opportunity, but he will certainly be missed.”

Faried (6’8”, 228) averaged 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game over 32 games for the Nuggets during the 2017-18 season. The Newark, N.J., native played seven seasons for Denver, registering averages of 11.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per contest through 441 career games. Selected with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Nuggets, Faried earned All-Rookie First Team honors following his inaugural season. The Morehead State product was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and three-time OVC Defensive Player of the Year.

Arthur (6’9”, 235) played in 19 games for the Nuggets during the 2017-18 season, averaging 2.8 points in 7.4 minutes per contest. The Dallas, Texas, native has posted career averages of 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game in 503 career games over nine NBA seasons with Denver (2013-18) and Memphis (2008-13). Arthur was selected with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by New Orleans. He spent two years at the University of Kansas, where he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as a sophomore and helped lead the Jayhawks to the 2008 National Championship.

Whitehead played in 89 games for Brooklyn over the past two seasons, recording averages of 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.5 minutes per game. He was selected with the 42nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Utah and was acquired by Brooklyn in a draft-night trade.

Nets trade Jeremy Lin to Hawks

The Nets today traded veteran guard Jeremy Lin, a 2025 second round draft pick, plus the right to swap second round picks in 2023 to the Atlanta Hawks. And in return for this package, the Nets receive the draft rights to guard Isaia Cordinier, plus a protected 2020 second round draft pick.

“We would like to thank Jeremy for all of his contributions to the Nets organization both on and off the court over the past two seasons and wish him much success as he moves forward with his basketball career,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks.

Lin, who originally signed with the Nets as a free agent on July 7, 2016, spent most of his time on the team sitting on the bench injured. He played in 37 games (34 starts) in the past two seasons with Brooklyn, averaging 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 24.5 minutes per game.

In 406 career games with the Nets, Hornets, Lakers, Rockets, Knicks and Warriors, Lin averages 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 26.6 minutes per game.

Lin starred collegiately at Harvard, where as a senior in 2009-10, he put up 16.4 points, 4.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 32.2 minutes (.519 FG%, .341 3FG%, .755 FT%). He was the first player in Ivy League history to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals in a career.

Born in Torrance, CA, Lin grew up in Palo Alto, CA, where he attended Palo Alto HS.

Cordinier was selected by Atlanta with the 44th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The French national currently plays for Olympique Antibes of the LNB Pro A.

Nets sign rookie Dzanan Musa

The Brooklyn Nets have signed Dzanan Musa, the 29th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, to a multi-year contract.

All players selected in the first round of the draft are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to begin their NBA career right away. Therefore, this signing is standard and was expected.

Musa (6’9”, 195), a native of Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, played the past three seasons for Cedevita Zagreb of Croatia A1. In 58 career games, the guard/forward averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 21.9 minutes per game. In 2017-18, the 19-year-old appeared in 23 contests, averaging 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.5 minutes per game.

Musa has also represented Bosnia in international competition, most recently in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers, where he averaged a team-leading 15.2 points per game. He was previously named MVP of the U16 European Championship in 2015 while leading Bosnia to its first-ever FIBA championship, and became the youngest player to draw a start in a Euroleague game at 16 years old before debuting for the Bosnian senior national team the following summer.

Hornets trade Dwight Howard to Nets, who waive Howard

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired center Timofey Mozgov, the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo (45th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft), a 2021 second-round draft pick and cash considerations from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for center Dwight Howard.

According to multiple reports, the Nets will likely buy out Howard’s contract. After that, Howard may sign with the Wizards.

UPDATE: The Nets have waived Howard.

An eight-year NBA veteran, Mozgov has played in 454 career games (273 starts) for the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets with career averages of 6.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game. The 7-1 center was a member of Cleveland’s NBA Championship team in 2015-16. In his lone season with the Nets in 2017-18, Mozgov appeared in 31 games (13 starts) and averaged 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.

Howard originally joined the Hornets on June 20, 2017, in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. He played in and started 81 games in Charlotte, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game.

Nets announce additions to Performance Team

The Brooklyn Nets have announced three new additions to the Performance Team, joining Zach Weatherford, director of human performance, Dan Meehan, director of sport science and Sebastien Poirier, head athletic trainer.

Les Gelis has been named director of sports medicine and will begin in this role at the conclusion of his World Cup commitment with the Australian national team. With over 20 years of experience, Gelis comes to Brooklyn after most recently serving as head of physiotherapy for Football Federation Australia, a position he held since 2010. In that role, Gelis oversaw the physiotherapy departments of the Australian national football team, all FFA national teams and the national league. Previously, Gelis served as head of physiotherapy for the Manly Sea Eagles of the Australian National Rugby League and the South Melbourne Soccer Club. He worked two stints as an Olympic team physiotherapist for the Australian national football team, including at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Gelis earned a Bachelor of Science in physiotherapy and a Master of Science in sports physiotherapy from La Trobe University in Melbourne.

Stefania Rizzo has been named director of performance rehabilitation. Rizzo comes to Brooklyn from Fortius Sport & Health in Vancouver, where she most recently served as director of physiotherapy. Since 2006, Rizzo has also functioned as the lead physiotherapist for the Canadian national alpine ski team. In this role, Rizzo has worked over 40 international World Championships, World Cup Finals and the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. Among other past positions, Rizzo has served as head of rehabilitation for the Buffalo Sabres and as a physiotherapist with the Canadian national snowboard team, the Canadian national women’s soccer team and BC Provincial Rugby. Rizzo earned Bachelor of Science degrees in biology and physiotherapy from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Clinical Science from the University of Western Ontario.

Daniel Liburd has been named head strength and conditioning coach. Prior to joining the Nets, Liburd spent nine years (2009-2017) with the Buffalo Bills as the team’s assistant strength and conditioning coach. During the 2017 NFL season, Liburd worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a similar strength and conditioning role. Other previous experience includes strength and conditioning positions with American International College and Springfield College. Liburd earned a Bachelor of Science in exercise science from Boston University and a Master of Science in human performance from Canisius College.

Dan Meehan has been promoted to the position of director of sport science, following two seasons as the team’s head strength and conditioning coach.

Sebastien Poirier has been elevated to the position of head athletic trainer. Poirier, who joined the organization in 2016, served the past two seasons as assistant athletic trainer.

Nets have not had an All-Star for years

In the NBA, players that make the All-Star team tend to be scorers above all. Or great point guards. But usually, regardless of position, it’s a player who can put points on the board. Which is pretty important. The Nets have gone years without an All-Star. For more on that, here’s the NY Post:

The Nets have not had an All-Star in four years, and it has been far longer since they had a young franchise player to build around. They’re convinced D’Angelo Russell can be that, but only if he buys in and gets more consistent.

“Nobody in this arena will question his talent. You just want him to do it consistently,” said DeMarre Carroll, 31, who has been tasked with taking Russell under his wing. “D’Angelo’s probably the closest thing we have to an All-Star on our team if he did it consistently. Me, being his big brother, being a leader, I just challenge him to come in and hit it hard every day…

The Nets haven’t had an All-Star since 32-year-old Joe Johnson in 2013-14. That might be unrealistic, but they have bet high on the 22-year-old Russell, who dealt with a knee surgery that cost him 32 straight games.

“We’ve got a long way to go, me and him,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “But he’s headed in the right direction. With each game I compare it to a rookie quarterback, second, third-year quarterback not forcing it into tight areas. His shot selection’s improving, defensively he’s getting after it. I’m just pleased. There’s a serenity to him now.”

Full article

Jeremy Lin aims to start for Nets next season

Here’s the New York Post with the latest on Nets guard Jeremy Lin, who is coming off of serious injury and aims to be a key Brooklyn Net in 2018-19:

Jeremy Lin endured hamstring injuries his first year with the Nets and ruptured his patella tendon in this season’s opener.

But after having to actually change the way he moves — undoing 29 years of muscle memory isn’t exactly like wiping a hard drive — his marathon rehab is finally in the home stretch.

As the Nets wrap up this season, Lin said when they tip off the next he expects to resume his role as a starter and leader — even in a crowded backcourt that includes D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert.

“I came here having the same role. I don’t expect it to change,” Lin said. “If it does, it’ll be something we communicate over. But I’m not even thinking that far in advance. I’m thinking about my health, about moving properly. And I have full confidence if I’m doing that, everything will be [OK]. Everything will make up for lost time, and we’ll see what I’d envisioned my time in Brooklyn being.”

Full article

Isaiah Whitehead undergoes wrist surgery

Brooklyn Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead underwent successful surgery yesterday (Tuesday) to repair the scapholunate ligament in his right wrist. The procedure was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

A timetable for his return to basketball activity will be determined at a later date.

Whitehead appeared in 16 games for Brooklyn this season, recording averages of 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 11.2 minutes per game. He also appeared in 30 games on assignment with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, averaging a team-high 22.3 points per game along with 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.7 minutes per contest.

Nets to honor legacy of Drazen Petrovic

On Monday the Nets will celebrate the legacy of the late Drazen Petrovic. It’s been 25 years since the Hall of Famer’s tragic death, and a quarter of a century later he still hasn’t been forgotten — or replaced.

From the giveaway Petrovic figurines to the video tribute to his mother, Biserka, being welcomed from Croatia, the night will be about Petrovic, whose red, white and blue No. 3 was retired by the Nets after his death in 1993.

“This guy,” ex-teammate Kenny Anderson told The Post, “was special.”

Voted the best European player ever by players at the 2013 FIBA European Basketball Championship, Petrovic led legions of European youngsters to take up the game behind him, and led a rising young Nets team to the playoffs in both of his full seasons in New Jersey — until an offseason automobile accident cut his life short at just 28.

— NY Post

Pelicans trade Dante Cunningham to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forward Dante Cunningham from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Rashad Vaughn.

Cunningham (6’8”, 230), currently in his ninth NBA season, has played in 51 games (24 starts) for the Pelicans this season, posting averages of 5.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game. Selected out of Villanova University by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 33rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Cunningham holds career NBA averages of 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per contest in 629 games with Portland, Charlotte, Memphis, Minnesota and New Orleans.

Vaughn appeared in one game for Brooklyn after being acquired on Feb. 5 from Milwaukee.