Nets silent at trade deadline; Ben Simmons negotiating buyout

Thursday’s commercialized deadline came and went, and the Nets were silent. There were rumblings that veterans specified arsenic Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe could beryllium connected the move, but nary deals were made, and each 3 stay successful Brooklyn for now.

“Our radical has handled it great, due to the fact that our radical has been progressive successful [rumors] from the beginning,” caput manager Jordi Fernandez said up of Wednesday’s 119-102 loss to the Washington Wizards astatine Barclays Center. “That’s the crushed wherefore they conscionable kept moving and kept competing. These past fewer days are nary antithetic than weeks ago.”

Johnson, who returned from a six-game lack connected Wednesday, was the astir sought-after of the bunch. The Nets were seeking 2 first-round picks oregon equivalent for his services. Teams specified arsenic the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies and the Cleveland Cavaliers showed involvement successful the soon-to-be 29-year-old. None were consenting to conscionable that asking price.

Johnson has averaged 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists successful 36 games this play portion shooting 48.8% from the field, 90.2% from the escaped propulsion enactment and 41.7% from distance. He has 2 years near connected his existent woody worthy $21.5 cardinal annually and remains a invaluable plus adjacent if Brooklyn couldn’t find a suitable commercialized spouse this cycle.

“It’s ever large to person him,” Fernandez said of Johnson. “Leadership successful the close way. He creates attention. He makes everyone’s beingness easier; not conscionable his teammates but besides me. So, it’s large to person him, large connector, large leader.”

Earlier successful the season, the rebuilding Nets traded Dennis Schröder and a second-round prime to the Golden State Warriors for De’Anthony Melton, Reece Beekman, and 3 second-round picks. In a abstracted deal, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton were dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and 3 second-round picks.

Now that the commercialized deadline has passed, teams volition displacement their absorption to the buyout market, and Ben Simmons is reportedly successful the process of negotiating his ain buyout with the Nets. He is making $40.3 cardinal this play and is successful the last twelvemonth of a $177 cardinal deal. He’s averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists successful 33 games this play aft a pinched nervus successful his little backmost constricted him to conscionable 15 games past season.

If Simmons were to go a escaped agent, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers are viewed arsenic imaginable suitors. The 7 teams that aren’t allowed to motion a subordinate that is waived and had a pre-existing wage of astatine slightest $12.8 cardinal are the Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks and Suns.

Brooklyn commands 31 full draught picks implicit the adjacent 7 years — 15 first-round picks and 16 second-round picks. That includes 4 first-round picks and 1 2nd successful 2025. The 2025 Draft Lottery volition beryllium held successful Chicago connected May 12.

The Nets fell to 17-34 pursuing Wednesday’s nonaccomplishment to Washington. They presently clasp the sixth-best lottery likelihood entering Thursday’s games, 1 crippled retired of 5th spot and 4.5 games retired of third.