Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

Here’s ESPN.com with an update on the Nets and Jason Collins, who is on his second 10-day contract:

The Brooklyn Nets will sign center Jason Collins for the remainder of the season on Saturday, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.

Sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that the Nets, who feel they’re getting everything they expected from Collins when they signed him for frontcourt depth Feb. 23, are already operating under the premise that the 34-year-old will finish the season with them even though his second 10-day deal doesn’t expire until after Friday. Sources say that the internal expectation all along was that Collins would be a Net for the rest of the season, from the moment he signed his first 10-day deal, as long he proved that he could still be an effective defender, which he did immediately.

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on veteran Brooklyn Nets forward Paul Pierce, who is up there in age but playing good basketball and has no retirement plans just yet:

Pierce understands that his post-playing career belongs with the Celtics, which is why he brought up the idea of “working” for the organization while talking to the Boston media on Friday night.

But the 36-year-old — an unrestricted free agent in July — has made it pretty clear that he has no plans to retire after this season. However, he is taking a pounding as a power forward, including some pain in his right shoulder that briefly put him on the bench against the Celtics.

“It’s been a problem for me throughout the last few years,” Pierce said. “It’s weak right now, so whenever I get hit in that shoulder . . . just with the constant years of banging, especially now that I’m playing the 4. So it’s a quick stinger.”

The Nets need Pierce because he fuels their preferred style of play. If they want to catch the Raptors, they also need to hit their long shots and continue their trend of collecting steals.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Jorge Gutierrez to a 10-day contract, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Gutierrez (6-3, 195) joins the Nets from the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League, where he has appeared in 35 games (all starts) this season, averaging 13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists (tied for third in the D-League) and 1.2 steals in 32.7 minutes per game. Prior to the 2013-14 NBA season, Gutierrez was signed to the Nets’ training camp roster, where he appeared in five preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, before being waived on October 26.

After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, Gutierrez spent last season with the Charge and was named to the NBA D-League’s All-Defensive First Team and All-Rookie First Team. A four-year player at the University of California, Gutierrez was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year following his senior season.

A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, Gutierrez will wear #13 for Brooklyn.

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on center Jason Collins, who will apparently stick with the Nets for at least another 10 days:

Jason Collins will have at least another 10 days to continue his trailblazing tour.

Sources confirmed the Nets plan to re-sign Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, to a 10-day contract after his current one expires Tuesday.

After that 10-day deal, which would start Wednesday, Brooklyn will have to decide whether to cut him or sign him for the remainder of the season. Collins, meanwhile, said he was oblivious to any agreement.

Brooklyn Nets center Kevin Garnett will not play Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks due to back spasms.

Mason Plumlee will start in Garnett’s place.

Garnett, 37, has appeared in 49 of the team’s first 56 games, though he’s missed just one game due to injury, resting the other six.

— ESPN New York

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that it will donate all proceeds – not to be less than $100,000 – from the sale of Jason Collins Brooklyn Nets jerseys to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. In addition, the league will auction off Collins’ autographed, game-worn jerseys to benefit the same organizations.

Collins became the first openly gay, active male athlete from one of the four major North American professional team sports on Feb. 23, after signing with his original team, the Nets. Since he was added to the roster, Collins’ jersey rose to the No. 1 spot on the top-selling jersey list at NBAStore.com. Collins chose to wear the number “98” in honor of Matthew Shepard, a college student who was murdered in 1998 after being targeted for being openly gay.

“I’m thrilled to work with the league to support two fantastic organizations, both of which work tirelessly to ensure LGBT youth get the resources and assistance they need to be successful in life,” said Brooklyn Nets Center Jason Collins.

The NBA has a long history of supporting the LGBT community including partnerships with GLSEN, GLAAD and Athlete Ally and was the recipient of the 2012 Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion Award at the GLSEN Respect Awards. In addition, Jason Collins received the 2013 Courage Award at the 10th annual GLSEN Respect Awards and Denver Nuggets star Kenneth Faried was awarded the 2012 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, in part because of his relationship to Athlete Ally and his work championing equality and bringing awareness to the importance of respect and inclusion.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Jason Collins to a 10-day contract, General Manager Billy King announced today.

“The decision to sign Jason was a basketball decision,” said King. ” We needed to increase our depth inside, and with his experience and size, we felt he was the right choice for a 10-day contract.”

Collins is an openly gay player, and this is the first time in NBA history that an openly gay player has been active in the league. That’s a much bigger story than his basketball ability at this point, which has always been mostly limited to defense, hustling and being a big body.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the Collins signing: “Jason told us that his goal was to earn another contract with an NBA team.  Today, I want to commend him on achieving his goal. I know everyone in the NBA family is excited for him and proud that our league fosters an inclusive and respectful environment.”

A 12-year NBA veteran, Collins rejoins the Nets after spending the first six and a half seasons of his NBA career with the franchise. Selected with the 18th pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, the Stanford product was acquired by the Nets as part of a multi-player draft night trade. In 510 games, including 404 starts, with the Nets from 2001-08, Collins averaged 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game. He also appeared in 75 playoff games with the Nets, amassing playoff averages of 3.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game and helping the Nets reach back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Collins is tied for third in Nets history in games played (510), ranks eighth in minutes played (12,493), ninth in offensive rebounds (782) and is tied for 10th in total rebounds (2,304). He holds NBA career averages of 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game through 713 contests, including 476 starts, after spending time with the Memphis Grizzlies (2008), Minnesota Timberwolves (2008-09), Atlanta Hawks (2009-12), Boston Celtics (2012-13) and Washington Wizards (2013).

Collins will be available for tonight’s game versus the Los Angeles Lakers.

Here’s ESPN New York reporting that veteran center Jason Collins will soon sign a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets:

Jason Collins will become the first openly gay athlete in North America’s four major professional sports when he signs a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets and plays against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday evening at Staples Center, sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN

The Nets moved quickly to make the historic signing of the 35-year-old free agent center to have another big body available against the Lakers. Brooklyn had been contemplating signing Collins for the past week and the need for Collins became greater after the Nets dealt rebounding specialist Reggie Evans to the Sacramento Kings last week.

ESPN.com reported that the Nets quietly auditioned Collins last week in Los Angeles, paving the way from him to rejoin the franchise he spent his first six-plus seasons in the league.

The Nets were in the running to land Glen Davis but Davis opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and informed teams of his decision. Davis is set to officially become an unrestricted free agent Sunday at 5 p.m. ET if, as expected, he is not claimed off waivers by another team.