Brooklyn Nets

Though being traded to the Brooklyn Nets from the Los Angeles Lakers means going from a potential contender to a rebuilding squad, D'Angelo Russell is reportedly excited about the deal.

Per The Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike, Russell is excited about a new opportunity in Brooklyn after his role decreased in Los Angeles. The point guard will hit free agency this offseason and a productive season could lead to a big payday over the summer.

Russell, who was in the third season of his second stint with the Lakers, started just 10 of 29 games with Los Angeles this year after starting 69 games a year ago. Russell also started all 17 games he played with the Lakers during the 2022-23 season.

Given his role coming off the bench, Russell was playing around 26 minutes per game compared to 32.7 minutes last year. The 10th-year player averaged 12.4 points, a career-low, and 4.7 assists per game with the Lakers.

This isn't Russell's first time being traded from Los Angeles to Brooklyn. In 2017 after his first two years with the Lakers, he was sent to the Nets in exchange for Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma.

The trade worked in Russell's favor as he had a breakout year during the 2018-19 season. That year, Russell put up 21.1 points and 5.2 assists per game, landing on his first and only All-Star team and leading Brooklyn to the playoffs as the team's No. 1 option.

The breakout year led to Russell signing a four-year, $117 million maximum contract with the Nets as part of a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors.

Only time will tell if Russell can have a resurgence ahead of free agency, but joining the Nets gives him a prime opportunity to do so. He'll be a veteran on a young roster and will likely be the team's No. 1 or No. 2 option, giving him the chance to remind the rest of the league what he can do when he's not stuck in a limited role.

The Brooklyn Nets traded veteran wing Dorian Finney-Smith for a familiar face on Sunday.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Nets dealt Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for point guard D'Angelo Russell, 22-year-old forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks.

As Brooklyn continues to build towards the future, ESPN's Bobby Marks noted that the team now owns 15 first-round picks and 16 second-round selections over the next seven years.

The net return on the Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith trade is 5 seconds.

Brooklyn now has 31 draft picks in the next 7 years

First: 15

Seconds: 16 https://t.co/W868aHysa7

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) December 29, 2024

After adding Russell's $18.7 million expiring contract and Lewis' $1.9 million salary for the 2024-25 season, the Nets are now $677,000 below the luxury tax and have $1.9 million in space to operate underneath the first apron (via Marks).

For Brooklyn

D'Angelo Russell is on an expiring $18.7M contract.

He has $700K in unlikely bonuses that count toward the apron.

Maxwell Lewis: $1.9M and $2.2M (NGTY)

Below the tax: $677K

Below the 1st apron: $1.9M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) December 29, 2024

Here's what Brooklyn's depth chart looks like following Sunday's move:

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Nets Depth Chart

PG: D'Angelo Russell, Ben Simmons, Reece Beekman

SG: Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams, Keon Johnson

SF: Cameron Johnson, Jalen Wilson, Maxwell Lewis

PF: Noah Clowney, Trendon Watford, Cameron Johnson

C: Nic Claxton, Day'Ron Sharpe, Noah Clowney

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Russell previously spent two years with the Nets, making the only All-Star appearance of his career in Brooklyn during the 2018-19 season.

In 29 appearances with the Lakers this year, he averaged 12.4 points and 4.7 assists per game on 41.5/33.3/84.9 shooting splits.

D'ANGELO RUSSELL.

CLUTCH. 🥶

Lakers up 4 with 50 seconds left.... #SoFiPlayIn on TNT. pic.twitter.com/BpR8mOYXSZ

— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2024

Russell will be 29 years old by the end of the regular season, meaning that he doesn't fit the timeline of a rebuilding Nets team and may depart in free agency. Charania noted on Sunday that Brooklyn will have over $60 million in cap space during the 2025 offseason and could target free-agents that fit around young players such as Cam Thomas and Noah Clowney.

Lewis was selected by the Lakers with a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft, playing sparingly throughout the first two seasons of his career. He's been on the court for just 29 total minutes across seven appearances during his 2024-25 campaign, scoring four points on 2-6 shooting.

Brooklyn has been focused on dealing veteran contributors for future draft capital amid a 12-19 start to the season.

The Nets traded point guard Dennis Schröder and a second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors in return for guard De'Anthony Melton and three second-round picks on Dec. 14.

Brooklyn may not be done making moves, as NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Wednesday that veteran sharpshooter Cam Johnson has drawn "considerable trade interest" from contending teams.

The Nets added to their draft capital while freeing up more future cap space on Sunday, and they could unload another veteran prior to the Feb. 6 deadline.

The Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies are in "active discussions" on a trade involving Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Brooklyn would send Finney-Smith and a second-round pick to Memphis in exchange for John Konchar and Luke Kennard in the discussed deal, per Stein. The Nets are also "known to be seeking" a first-round pick from the Grizzlies in any deal involving the veteran swingman.

Stein previously listed Brooklyn as one of the teams interested in Konchar on Thursday.

Memphis is in the midst of a bounce-back 2024-25 season, sitting at No. 2 in the Western Conference standings with a 22-10 record. It's easy to see why Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman is interested in adding an experienced veteran to the team's core of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane.

Finney-Smith has shown that he can be a reliable shooter on a contending team, as he has 35 playoff starts under his belt.

The 31-year-old has averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while hitting 45.9 of his field goals and 43.5 percent of his three-point attempts this season.

Dorian Finney-Smith was MONEY in the 2nd half.

🔥 17 PTS
🔥 6-6 FGM
🔥 5-5 3PM

The @BrooklynNets win a thriller! pic.twitter.com/mZC33jMnr8

— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2024

The Nets hold the No. 12 spot in the Eastern Conference standings and have made it clear that they're focused on building towards the future. Brooklyn traded 31-year-old point guard Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors for a package that included De'Anthony Melton and three second-round picks on Dec. 14.

Konchar has averaged 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game to open his 2024-25 campaign in Memphis. Meanwhile, Kennard is recording 7.5 points and 2.9 assists per game on 42.3/44.4/82.6 shooting splits.

Luke Kennard from deep 🎯

The Grizzlies cut it to single digits heading into the 4Q!

MEM-LAL | NBA League Pass
📲 https://t.co/Bw2WduLLHx pic.twitter.com/DCQP0apZHB

— NBA (@NBA) December 16, 2024

As the Grizzlies attempt to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason during an injury-plagued 2023-24 season, they're reportedly negotiating a deal to land a veteran shooter to their starting lineup.

The Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat are all "interested" in John Konchar, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein, with the Memphis Grizzlies' veteran shooting guard "emerging as a name that must be monitored as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches."

Per that report, "Konchar is in Year 1 of a three-year, $18.5 million contract with Memphis and is perceived as available. The Grizzlies, on top of the draft capital Brooklyn is known to be seeking for Dorian Finney-Smith, could get to his salary range by packaging Konchar with Luke Kennard's $9.25 million expiring salary."

Given that Kennard has Bird rights, however—based on signing three straight one-year contracts without switching teams in free agency—he cannot be traded without his consent. That could gum up the works in the trade possibility noted by Stein.

As for Konchar, the 28-year-old has appeared in just 15 games this season, averaging 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 39.1 percent from three in 12.1 minutes per game. He did miss four games in late October and early November with right leg contusion.

In general, however, players like Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Wells, Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard have seen the majority of the minutes on the wing.

The Grizzlies have been one of the better teams in the NBA this season, currently No. 3 in the Western Conference with a 20-10 record. Upgrading around the core of Ja Morant, Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. make sense.

The Nets, meanwhile, are 11-18 on the season, don't have any superstars on the roster and are facing a full rebuild. They are essentially a collection of role players and moveable contracts, which they would be best served to ship out for draft assets.

The Nets will have cap space in the summer, which could be used to lure a superstar to Brooklyn, but could also be used to take on bad contracts in exchange for draft capital in case the Nets decide to rebuild solely through the draft. Expect them to get started in that vein before February's trade deadline.

Following the trade of their slow-paced point guard Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors, the Brooklyn Nets are now relying on the fast-paced Ben Simmons to fill the position.

"Dennis was bottom ten slowest point guards in the NBA–pace doesn't mean you're better or worse–and Ben is 18th-fastest...We're going to try to play faster," Nets head coach Jodi Fernandez said, per New York Post's Brian Lewis. "The ball is going to fly. He's going to push. He's going to throw it ahead."

Fernandez will focus on increasing Simmons' minutes on the court as the new floor general, having previously not exceeding 27:20.

"I think my restriction right now is 27. I think it's around that. So hopefully that changes soon," Simmons said per Lewis.

Simmons has been averaging 5.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists while shooting 59.7 percent from the field, the highest of his career.

Ahead of his trade, 31-year-old Schröder has been having a standout year, averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists per game while leading the Nets to a surprising 10-15 start.

This won't be the first time Simmons has led a team, as he served as the point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers during his first four years in the league.

He and the highly touted 2020-2021 76ers, under Doc Rivers, finished with a 49-23 record but suffered an Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Atlanta Hawks behind Simmons and former teammate Joel Embiid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVULZCNiDqk

Before the Schröder trade, Fernandez told reporters that he wanted Simmons to take more shots, as he is currently averaging the fewest points per game of his career at just 5.1.

"I want him to shoot more," Fernández told reporters on Sunday. "My goal for him is 10 [shots per game]. He's got to find a way to get there. He hasn't gotten there yet, but I know he can."

This sentiment remains crucial, as most top point guards today need to be a shooting threat to draw defenders and speed up the floor.

"I don't care about makes, misses," Fernandez added. "I just want to see that shots are going up. He's more than capable."

The Brooklyn Nets are likely to consider trading Dennis Schröder only if they are offered at least a first-round pick in return, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

"They're not giving anyone away," a source said, according to Lewis.

Schröder is off to one of the strongest season starts of his career as he averages 18.6 points, 6.5 assists and 1.1 steals through 22 starts for the Nets.

The 31-year-old is playing on an expiring contract worth just over $13 million, per Spotrac.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the Nets "have received trade interest and opened exploratory conversations" surrounding Schröder as well as Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith.

The Golden State Warriors are "among the teams that have expressed interest" in the Nets stars, according to Charania.

Per Charania, the Warriors would be willing to offer draft capital for a trade in the range of the expiring $12.8 million contract of De'Anthony Melton.

The Nets are off to a 10-14 start that has the team sitting in the No. 8 spot in the East. That's likely not where general manager Sean Marks expects the franchise to end up this season after seemingly signaling an upcoming rebuild by trading Mikal Bridges for a haul of first-round picks in July.

Brooklyn has stockpiled 15 first-round picks over the next seven years, including a dozen picks that can be traded, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

That collection includes four first-round picks in the 2025 draft. Three of those selections originally belonged to contenders in the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder and could therefore end up landing later in the first day.

That could provide the Nets with further incentive to get as much value out of their own first-round pick by continuing on their seller's trajectory and moving Schröder by the Feb. 6 deadline.

The question now will be whether Brooklyn can find a contender looking to add to their point guard depth who would be able to offer both the draft capital and salary necessary to facilitate a deal. New trade restrictions introduced alongside the second luxury tax apron could complicate the Nets' ability to find a partner able to match Schröder's outgoing salary.

For the first time since 2019, NBA preseason games will be played in China.

ESPN's Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst reported on Thursday that the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns will face off during two preseason contests in Macao. The games will take place in Oct. 2025.

The matchups are set to occur at the Venetian Arena, which is part of the Las Vegas Sands conglomerate controlled by the the majority ownership group of the Dallas Mavericks (via Charania and Windhorst).

An agreement is expected to be officially announced on Friday and two more contests are also planned for China in 2026, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

The last NBA preseason action in China also featured Brooklyn, as the team took on the Los Angeles Lakers in a pair of games.

The association consistently held preseason matchups in China prior to 2019. Since 2004, 17 NBA teams played a total of 28 preseason games in the country (h/t Charania and Windhorst). Preseason clashes have also taken place at the Venetian Arena, with the most recent battle featuring the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.

Despite the long stretch since an NBA game was played in China, there has been optimism surrounding a return. Nets owner Joe Tsai previously said that the league would "love" to resume playing games in the country, via Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has also expressed his belief that a return to China would be possible.

"I think we will bring games back to China at some point," Silver said on Oct. 10, per ESPN.

The Nets have opened the 2024-25 season at 10-13, a commendable start given their 32-50 record last year. Phoenix sits at 12-8 through 20 games and features a star trio that includes Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who have lost six of their last eight contests, appear in dire need of roster reinforcements.

This front office might be able to find what it needs from a sub-.500 team wedged in the middle of the NBA's Eastern Conference standings.

While it's generally tricky to find obvious sellers in this trade market, the Brooklyn Nets appear on the verge of a top-to-bottom liquidation. And, no, their friskier-than-expected play to this point—10-13 start, eighth in the East—hasn't changed that.

In fact, if their early season performance has altered their approach at all, it has likely increased the front office's urgency to make significant subtractions. When they turned Mikal Bridges into a bushel of draft picks this offseason, they made their rebuilding intentions transparent. When they subsequently regained control of their next two first-round picks, it was clear they intended to bottom out immediately.

Credit first-year coach Jordi Fernández for keeping everyone connected under these potentially chaotic conditions, but this is not how the organization intended this campaign to play out. Not when each victory potentially pulls the Nets farther away from the blue-chip prospects populating the top of the well-regarded 2025 draft class.

That's why Brooklyn has, as HoopsHype's Michael Scotto put it, "the most trade candidates of any team." Most present contributors to this club are only so valuable as the "future draft pick compensation" the Nets are hoping they'll fetch on the open market.

Their roster is competitive for a reason, though. They may not have a clear-cut centerpiece, but they have a bunch of average-and-above players capable of filling helpful, conducive-to-winning roles. The Lakers, meanwhile, just happen to need help with almost all of the same roles.

L.A. doesn't have nearly enough two-way players on the perimeter. Brooklyn has a pair of three-and-D wings who would be hand-in-glove fits alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis—and it doesn't sound like either one would require breaking open the piggy bank.

Cam Johnson, who's turning his age-28 season into a full-fledged breakout, "may be able to fetch a future first-round pick," executives told Scotto. Dorian Finney-Smith, who's shooting a career-high 42.2 percent from distance, has been valued by some win-now shoppers at "multiple second-round picks."

There's a universe in which the Lakers could afford both. Yes, that would deplete most of their asset collection, but it would also transform their wing rotation and make it much more ready for the playoffs. This would torpedo their chances of finding a third star, but they might get more mileage out of role players who could help prop up the stars they already have.

And those are far from the only two Brooklyn could provide.

The Lakers are clearly on the hunt for depth at center, and they're reportedly among the teams monitoring backup big man Day'Ron Sharpe, per Scotto. If L.A. wanted to drastically improve its defense at the 5 spot, it could even pursue a (probably costly) move for Nic Claxton.

If L.A. instead sought out scoring help, Brooklyn could scratch that itch any number of ways.

Former Laker Dennis Schröder is off to a brilliant start this season, showing everything from quick-strike scoring and sound decision-making to efficient shooting and invaluable leadership. It isn't hard to imagine him hitting the ground running back in Hollywood as a tertiary shot-creator.

If L.A. wanted even more buckets, it might not find a more fiery scorer on the market than Cam Thomas. It's tricky to tell how available he is—Scotto noted that Nets governor Joe Tsai "is a fan of Thomas"—but then again, none of the Nets really feel off limits. Before being sidelined by a hamstring strain, Thomas was averaging a career-high 24.7 points on 46.1/38.9/86.6 shooting.

The list of potential trade targets for the Lakers runs even longer—scoring swingman Bojan Bogdanović could be a name to watch once he gets healthy—and that's why Brooklyn should have L.A.'s full attention between now and the deadline. The quantity of what the Nets have to offer is unrivaled in this market, and the quality is good enough to potentially transform a Lakers team that appears in need of a transformation.

The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly open to trading "just about everyone," according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, and a few players could have significant trade value.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, veteran guard Dennis Schröder is "considered one of Brooklyn's top trade candidates by NBA executives" and has a current trade value of multiple second-round picks "as a potential rental."

Scotto also noted that Dorian Finney-Smith has been pegged to be worth multiple second-round picks and "several playoff-caliber teams have already expressed interest in him."

As for forward Cam Johnson, Scotto reported that he "may be able to fetch a future first-round pick in return if the Nets trade him before the deadline," though his preference would be to stay in Brooklyn.

Schröder, a 12th-year player who has been a journeyman in recent years, is having one of the best seasons of his career thus far. He's putting up 18.7 points—the most for him since 2019-20—along with 6.4 assists, which would be a career-high. He's also shooting 40.5 percent from deep on nearly seven attempts per game.

Schröder has been a part of a handful of championship-caliber teams and could be of great use to a squad looking to add experience to its backcourt.

Scotto noted that Finney-Smith has already drawn some interest from playoff teams, and one of those teams could be the Los Angeles Lakers. Clutch Point's Anthony F. Irwin reported in November that the Lakers "checked in on Dorian Finney-Smith" last year and have been in "constant contact" with Brooklyn about him this season.

The veteran has played well so far this year, averaging 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The Lakers need some depth in their front court and adding Finney-Smith could be the best way to do so.

The 28-year-old Johnson, who is in his sixth NBA season, is playing the best basketball of his career in his third year in Brooklyn. He's averaged 18.1, 4.2 rebounds and three assists through 21 games, serving as one of the Nets' main offensive options with leading-scorer Cam Thomas out.

He's taking—and making—more threes than ever and it's led to an offensive surge for him. His escalated role in Brooklyn could be why he prefers to stay with the Nets, but the team might not be able to grant his wish as they continue their rebuild.

Amid a stronger start than most people anticipated, the Brooklyn Nets are not looking to find ways to contend this season as they plan their strategy leading up to the trade deadline in February.

One source told ESPN's Brian Windhorst the Nets will have "just about everyone" on their roster available in a trade "as long as they don't take back any long-term money," but they won't be "giving anyone away" simply to make a move right now.

The Nets didn't hide their intention to start rebuilding over the summer. All of their moves were designed to increase their future draft capital. They acquired six first-round draft picks, including four unprotected picks and an unprotected pick swap, from the New York Knicks in the Mikal Bridges trade.

In a savvy bit of business, the Nets also reacquired their first-round picks in 2025 and 2026 from the Houston Rockets. They originally sent to those picks to Houston as part of the James Harden trade in January 2021.

These moves seemed designed to kickstart the long-term plans for Brooklyn, but the current team isn't cooperating in the way the front office might prefer. The Nets are one of three teams currently tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 9-11 record.

Cam Thomas, who is only 23 and could be a key part of their future plans, is having a breakout season. The LSU alum averaging 24.7 points on 38.9 percent three-point shooting, but he is going to miss at least three weeks due to a hamstring injury.

The Nets have a lot of expiring contracts that figure to be desirable in trades. Ben Simmons, Bojan Bogdanović and Dennis Schröder are all set to become free agents next summer.

Windhorst noted the Nets could have up to $70 million in cap space going into the offseason.

There is a risk that the Nets might win too many games too early in the season to finish among the group of teams with the highest odds in the draft lottery, but they have plenty of levers to pull that would allow them to go into the tank if that's the route they want to pursue.