Erik Slater Articles - Page 29

It’s no secret that the Brooklyn Nets are a candidate to go star-hunting this summer. Following the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, general manager Sean Marks left the door wide open for a blockbuster acquisition: “It goes back to how we build,” Marks said ahead of the offseason. “Do we build quick and […]

The Brooklyn Nets have cornered the market on 3-and-D wings following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With a rotation that includes Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O’Neale and Joe Harris, opposing teams are inquiring about the availability of two Brooklyn veterans, according to the Ringer: “Multiple reports have already said […]

Deandre Ayton assigned Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson a nickname ahead of the 2019 season: “The Twins.” His reasoning was simple: they did everything together, on and off the court. That trend will continue this offseason with Johnson committing to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup alongside Bridges. The Nets duo joins […]

The Brooklyn Nets hold two first-round picks in this year’s draft at 21st and 22nd overall. While general manager Sean Marks has been active using late first-rounders in trades during his six-plus years at the helm, he has never moved up in the first round. The Nets could break that trend this year with Marks […]

Brooklyn Nets big man Ben Simmons continues progressing through a rehabilitation program for his injured back ahead of the FIBA World Cup in late August. According to Michael Randall of the Melbourne Herald-Sun, Simmons is “feeling good” but still has “boxes to tick” before he can confidently commit to the Boomers: “Simmons, who has been […]

The Brooklyn Nets will face several franchise-altering decisions this offseason, the biggest of which will be whether to aggressively pursue win-now talent or sell veteran pieces and build around youth. With the Portland Trail Blazers shopping the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft in search of an elite small forward, Mikal Bridges’ name has […]

The Damian Lillard to Brooklyn Nets speculation isn’t slowing down anytime soon. During an appearance on Showtime Sports, the seven-time All-Star identified the Miami Heat and Nets as “obvious” trade destinations: “Miami is the obvious one. Bam (Adebayo) is my dog.” Lillard said. “Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. […]

Cam Johnson was heralded as a centerpiece of the Brooklyn Nets’ blockbuster return for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline. Less than four months later, the Nets are facing heavy competition for the 27-year-old in restricted free agency. With several teams expected to enter the bidding for Johnson’s services, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported on […]

The Nets may face difficult decisions as they navigate Cam Johnson’s restricted free agency in the coming month. With Brooklyn pushed up against the luxury tax, the 6-foot-8 sharpshooter is expected to garner interest from multiple teams on a four-year offer sheet worth as much as $22.5 million annually. While Johnson said he has plenty […]

After a breakout 2022-23 campaign, Mikal Bridges’ return to the hardwood will come sooner than expected. The Brooklyn Nets forward has committed to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup in late August, according to Shams Charania. Bridges joins a list of commitments that already includes Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Austin […]

Ben Simmons is back in the gym working toward his return to the hardwood. After missing the second half of the season due to knee and back injuries, the Nets big man posted several pictures of himself training in recent weeks. Simmons recently posted pictures of himself training at the Nets’ HSS Training Center and […]

The Brooklyn Nets were not known for their wing depth throughout the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era. However, following the trades of both stars at this year’s deadline, the team was suddenly left with a logjam at the position. Dorian Finney-Smith was among the wings to join the Nets in the blockbuster deals. The 29-year-old’s stock […]

Many questioned the timing of Royce O’Neale’s trade to the Brooklyn Nets last summer. News of the deal broke just minutes after Kevin Durant’s bombshell trade request. Through a season that saw Kyrie Irving suspended and later traded alongside Durant, Ben Simmons sidelined, and a slew of new faces enter the fold, O’Neale was one […]

Rumors of Damian Lillard and Mikal Bridges joining forces have gained momentum following the Portland Trail Blazers star’s courtside appearance for Game 3 of Nets-Sixers at Barclays Center. That speculation grew even louder Sunday after Bridges joined Lillard’s Instagram Live session: Mikal Bridges just slid on Dame IG Live just to troll him😭😭🤣 pic.twitter.com/3aNOc81vvd — […]

Three months removed from the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the conversation surrounding the Brooklyn Nets’ failed Big Three continues. In a recent appearance on The Dan LeBatard Show, Bruce Brown opened up on his departure from Brooklyn last summer. Brown was among the Nets’ top performers during their first-round sweep against the […]

Among the most crucial decisions of the Brooklyn Nets’ offseason centers on Cam Johnson’s restricted free agency. After joining Brooklyn with Mikal Bridges at the trade deadline in a package for Kevin Durant, Johnson averaged 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals on 47.5 percent shooting in 29 games with the Nets. The […]

After trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, much of the conversation surrounding the Brooklyn Nets’ revamped roster centered on Mikal Bridges. However, lost in Bridges’ breakout stretch was the production and growth of his “Twin,” Cam Johnson. In 29 games with Brooklyn, Johnson averaged 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals on […]

Among the main storylines of the Brooklyn Nets’ offseason is the restricted free agency of Cam Johnson. The 27-year-old was among the team’s top performers after Brooklyn acquired him at the deadline as part of a package for Kevin Durant. In 25 games following the trade, Johnson averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and […]

Spencer Dinwiddie returned to the Brooklyn Nets as the team’s starting point guard following a midseason trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. Like his first stint in Brooklyn, Dinwiddie had his moments. He led the Nets to a thriller victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 10, scoring or assisting on all […]

The Brooklyn Nets hold two first-round picks in this year’s NBA Draft, their own at 21st overall and the Phoenix Suns’ at 22nd. This is not unfamiliar territory for general manager Sean Marks, who held multiple first-round picks outside the lottery entering the 2017 and 2019 drafts. Marks traded one of his picks ahead of […]

After securing the third pick in the NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers’ eyes aren’t on Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller but rather on a trade for a win-now piece alongside Damian Lillard. “Speculation is already widespread that a package of the third pick and Anfernee Simons might be used to snag an elite small […]

The Brooklyn Nets have several veterans who could be packing their bags this summer. Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie should all have trade value to contenders, and depending on the direction Brooklyn takes, could be on the move. O’Neale increased his trade value the most out of those three during the 2022-23 campaign. […]

For the second consecutive year, the Brooklyn Nets are entering an offseason of uncertainty. Last summer centered on trade requests from superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With both out the door, the questions now surround which direction the Nets take with their younger, yet still experienced core. Do they push their chips in and […]

Ben Simmons has been cleared to take the next step in the rehabilitation process for his injured back, which could mean expanded on-court activities in the coming weeks. “Ben has been cleared to progress to his next stage of his rehab and is progressing really well,” Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee told the New York Post’s […]

The most anticipated NBA draft lottery in 20 years ended with Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French unicorn that NBA scouts have been salivating over for two years, heading to San Antonio. The Spurs secured the first pick in the draft with the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets rounding out the top four. […]

Nets owner Joe Tsai is under fire from Brooklyn fans after announcing the Barclays Center will host a showing of “38 at the Garden,” a documentary of Jeremy Lin’s breakout 2012 season with the New York Knicks. A film about a thrilling Knicks moment screened in the Nets home? https://t.co/thfNpJdZOn — Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) May […]

The Brooklyn Nets are hiring Jay Hernandez as an assistant coach to Jacque Vaughn’s staff, league sources told HoopsHype. Hernandez spent the last five seasons as an assistant for the Charlotte Hornets. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Orlando Magic, where he briefly worked under Vaughn in a player development role. The hiring […]

Nic Claxton was not named First or Second Team All-Defense despite a breakout season anchoring an improved Brooklyn Nets unit. Claxton finished third in the center voting behind Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat. BKN’s Nic Claxton and Mikal Bridges received votes for the NBA All Defensive teams: […]

The Brooklyn Nets quickly became the title favorite when they acquired James Harden to star alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2020-21. While those championship aspirations never came to fruition, a new quirk in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement would have prevented that deal from happening. Bookmark the term “second apron” because you’ll be […]

The Brooklyn Nets have a sizable coaching void after parting ways with three assistants earlier this week. They appear to already have their eyes on replacements with former Hornets head coach James Borrego being mentioned within league circles: “Borrego is drawing interest from several teams to return to the bench as a top assistant,” league […]

Ben Simmons‘ return to the court may come sooner than expected. The three-time All-Star last appeared in a game in February, with the Brooklyn Nets later shutting him down due to a nerve impingement in his back. However, Australian national team head coach Brian Goorjian said there’s a “strong chance” Simmons will play in the […]

The Brooklyn Nets kicked the tires on the 2023 offseason, parting ways with three members of their coaching staff. The move could be the first of many as the Nets enter the summer with a litany of question marks following the midseason trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With that, I took some questions […]

Nic Claxton didn’t mince words when looking back on his 2022-23 campaign: “This year I kinda kicked the door down,” Claxton said. “Just showed everybody that I’m here and put my name on the map.” The 23-year-old’s numbers back up that assessment. Claxton averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds 1.9 assists and 2.5 blocks, all career-highs. […]

The 2022-23 season thrust Mikal Bridges out of the background and into the spotlight. After joining the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, Bridges stepped into a lead-scoring role in Brooklyn. Anyone who criticized the Nets’ return for Durant was silenced soon after. In 30 games with the […]

The Brooklyn Nets are beginning an overhaul of their coaching staff following the midseason promotion of Jacque Vaughn. Brooklyn is parting ways with assistants Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe and Tiago Splitter, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Kokoskov led Brooklyn’s offense this season, his first year on the staff. The 51-year-old shares a close personal relationship […]

The Brooklyn Nets are turning the page following the close of the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era. As the two stars walked out the door so did Brooklyn’s hope of competing for a championship in 2022-23. The revamped squad headlined by Mikal Bridges posted a 12-15 record before being swept in the first round by the […]

After struggling to stay on the floor during his first three seasons, Nic Claxton’s breakout 2022-23 campaign offers the Brooklyn Nets a building block as they turn the page to a new era. Claxton was at the forefront of an improved Nets defense this season, tying Jaren Jackson Jr. for the league lead in stocks […]

The Nets announced Dorian Finney-Smith underwent successful surgery to correct a contracture on his right pinky finger and is expected to resume workouts in six weeks. A contracture is defined as a “tightening or the muscles, tendons, skin, and nearby tissues that cause joints to shorten and become very stiff.” Finney-Smith joined the Nets along […]

After the 76ers thoroughly dominated the Nets in the rebounding department during a first-round sweep, general manager Sean Marks didn’t mince words: Brooklyn needs to get bigger. And stronger. And grittier. “Without a doubt, we need to make some changes in terms of adding some size,” Marks said Sunday at HSS Training Center. “I think […]