Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 36 – NBA Blog

Nets sign Sean Kilpatrick to 10-day contract

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.

Joe Johnson will reportedly join Heat

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.

Nets waive Andrea Bargnani

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.

Nets hire Sean Marks as General Manager

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.

Report: Nets will begin general manager interviews soon

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.

David Blatt may be coaching option for Nets

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.

Thunder at Nets game start time moved to 7:30pm ET

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.

Jarrett Jack undergoes ACL reconstruction surgery

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.

Nets reassign GM Billy King, and fire coach Lionel Hollins

Nets reassign GM Billy King, and fired coach Lionel Hollins

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.”

Brook Lopez, Draymond Green named NBA Players of Week

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.