BROOKLYN NETS NEWS

Did James Harden Take Subtle Shot At Kyrie Irving In 76ers Presser? Philadelphia 76ers wing James Harden opened up about his trade from the Brooklyn Nets in his first media availability.

FEBRUARY 16, 2022 • NESN.COM

NBA Odds: 76ers' Title Prices Big Winner Of James Harden-Ben Simmons Trade One NBA trade deadline blockbuster saw Ben Simmons land with the Brooklyn Nets and James Harden arrive in Philadelphia to help the 76ers.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • NESN.COM

Ben Simmons believes in his fresh start in Brooklyn: 'Gonna be scary' NEW YORK — Cue the Scary Hours, Part 2.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

Ben Simmons Introduced by Brooklyn Nets at HSS Training Center ' Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets acquired three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons last week.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • NBA.COM

Simmons discusses ramp-up process in first Nets news conference Listen to what the newest Nets star had to say about his eventual debut.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • NEWSDAY.COM

New Nets guard Ben Simmons discusses his mental health issues It’s been eight months since Ben Simmons has spoken publicly. Eight months listening to others debate the legitimacy of his mental health co...

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • NEWSDAY.COM

Slowed by hamstring, Harden to make Sixers debut Feb 25

James Harden has an MVP and several scoring titles on his mantle – and now he’s ready to add a championship trophy

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Simmons: Struggles in Philadelphia began before last season

Ben Simmons says his mental health struggles began well before the 76ers’ season ended and he didn’t believe he’d be able to overcome them in Philadelphia

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nic Claxton - Can't crack rotation in return Claxton (hamstring) didn't see the court Monday in the Nets' 109-85 win over the Kings.

Impact Though Claxton was upgraded to available Monday following a five-game absence, head coach Steve Nash still elected to stay away from him in the blowout win. Claxton has occasionally posted impressive stat lines while starting in 15 of his last 19 appearances, but the trade-deadline addition of Andre Drummond plus LaMarcus Aldridge's return Monday from an ankle injury complicates Claxton's path to consistent minutes. The 22-year-old is still likely to factor into the rotation once the hamstring issue is further in the rear-view mirror, but the playing time of each of the Nets' top three centers could vary game by game based on matchup.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Blake Griffin - Gets only three minutes Griffin played three minutes off the bench in Monday's 109-85 win over the Kings, recording no statistics during his time on the court.

Impact With LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) returning from a seven-game absence and the newly acquired Andre Drummond making his Nets debut, Griffin was effectively cut out of the rotation. After checking in for Aldridge with just under a minute remaining in the first quarter, Griffin played the first two minutes of the second quarter before heading to the bench for the rest of the night. Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) could also be part of the mix at center whenever the Nets are fully comfortable with his health, so Griffin looks like he'll find himself as the fourth option on the depth chart moving forward.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ben Simmons - Reiterates no timeline for debut Simmons said Tuesday that he hasn't set a date for his Nets debut, as he's still in the process of ramping up his workouts, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.

Impact While addressing the media for the first time since being acquired by the Nets last Thursday, Simmons noted that he feels good physically and is still "getting there" mentally following the recent ending of his tumultuous tenure with the 76ers, according to Albanese. Regarding his potential Brooklyn debut, both Simmons himself and head coach Steve Nash aren't willing to pinpoint a date, but some point shortly after the All-Star break appears to be a logical target. Because Simmons hadn't been practicing for Philadelphia since the start of the regular season, he'll likely require some extra ramp-up time even if he's been able to keep his conditioning in order in the months that he was away from the 76ers. With Kyrie Irving ineligible to play in games Wednesday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and Thursday in Brooklyn versus the Wizards, expect Patty Mills, Seth Curry and Cam Thomas to absorb most of the minutes at either guard spot through the All-Star break.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Kevin Durant the one pulling the trigger on James Harden trade? By Thursday morning, Durant dialed Nets general manager Sean Marks, sources said. While Durant had initially resisted swapping Harden for Si...

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • HOOPSHYPE.COM

LaMarcus Aldridge - Excels in return to action Aldridge (ankle) produced 19 points (8-11 FG, 3-3 FT), eight rebounds and one block in 19 minutes during Monday's 109-85 win over Sacramento.

Impact In his return from a seven-game absence, Aldridge was part of a near-even timeshare at center with the newly acquired Andre Drummond, who started and played 24 minutes. Meanwhile, Blake Griffin (three minutes) and Day'Ron Sharpe (two minutes) picked up the scraps at the center and likely won't be part of the rotation on more competitive nights. However, Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) was also cleared to return from a multi-game absence Monday, and while he didn't play, it's possible he could be part of a three-man committee at center in the games to come. If that's the case, Aldridge would be tough to count on to contribute consistently, even though his performance Monday was undoubtedly impressive.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Andre Drummond - Nears double-double in team debut Drummond contributed 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-4 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block across 24 minutes during Monday's 109-85 victory over Sacramento.

Impact Making his Brooklyn debut, Drummond stepped into the starting five and delivered solid production while finishing as a plus-23 during his time on the court. Though he trailed only Seth Curry and Bruce Brown in scoring among the starting unit, Drummond still essentially split the minutes at center with LaMarcus Aldridge (19 minutes), who also produced well (19 points and eight rebounds) during his time on the court in his return from a seven-game absence due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is also expected to factor into the mix at center once the Nets are fully comfortable with his health, so while Drummond sits atop the depth chart for now, he can't necessarily be counted on as a nightly double-double threat. Drummond's playing time seems likely to be volatile based on matchups, particularly once Ben Simmons (conditioning) debuts and with the Nets expected to surround him with more shooters at that point.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Brooklyn plays New York on 8-game road slide

Brooklyn will try to break its eight-game road losing streak when the Nets visit New York

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seth Curry - Excels in Brooklyn debut Curry accumulated 23 points (10-18 FG, 3-8 3Pt), seven rebounds and five assists across 32 minutes during Monday's 109-85 win over Sacramento.

Impact In his Nets debut, Curry fueled the Brooklyn offense while helping his new team snap its 11-game losing streak. Curry didn't miss a beat in switching offenses and will likely serve an equally important role on his new team in the short term, as the Nets are expected to remain without all of Kyrie Irving (ineligible), Ben Simmons (conditioning) and Kevin Durant (knee) through the All-Star break. Once all three of those stars are available in at least a part-time capacity, however, Curry is likely to see a significant drop in usage and will presumably handle a role similar to the one Joe Harris held before undergoing ankle surgery in late November.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Bruce Brown - Feasts in win Brown racked up 19 points (8-12 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, six assists, five steals and three blocks across 38 minutes during Monday's 109-85 victory over the Kings.

Impact Brown turned in arguably his best game of the campaign Monday, notching season highs in assists and steals while matching his highest scoring output. The fourth-year wing drew a second straight start Monday and is likely to remain a member of the top unit with Ben Simmons (conditioning) and Kyrie Irving (ineligible) not expected to be available for the Nets' final two games before the All-Star break. However, Brown will be a candidate to move to the bench thereafter and will likely see a significant reduction in both his playing time and fantasy value.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Nets snap 11-game losing streak in win over Kings; Seth Curry and Andre Drummond thrive in debuts "Everything just shifted after the trade deadline. Everybody likes everybody," Bruce Brown said of the vibe in the Nets locker room.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Jokic nets 26, Denver's balanced scoring too much for Magic

Nikola Jokic scored 26 points to lead six Denver players in double figures, and the Nuggets beat the Orlando Magic 121-111

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seth Curry, Andre Drummond key Nets to blowout win, snapping 11-game losing streak All it took for the Nets to snap their embarrassing 11-game losing streak was a game against another team that barely knows each other.

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Curry leads new-look Nets in 109-85 rout of Kings

Seth Curry scored 23 points in his first game with the Nets to lead Brooklyn to a 109-85 win over the Sacramento Kings

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

When will Simmons take court for Nets? Nash says it will be a 'joint decision' Ben Simmons will get his second chance this time in Brooklyn. He’ll try to erase some of his bad memories with the 76ers by joining Kevin Du...

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 • NEWSDAY.COM