Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving made his first career game-winning buzzer-beater in Friday's thrilling 119-116 victory over the Toronto Raptors, but the original plan wasn't for him to take the shot.

Nets star forward Kevin Durant revealed to reporters after the game that head coach Jacque Vaughn had drawn up a play for him during the team's final timeout, but he suggested that the ball should go to Irving.

"He was already cooking, so I didn't want to get in his way," Durant said. "We kept finding him late in the game. He made some big shots, and I was just like, 'Jacque, I think Ky should take this one."

The suggestion from Durant paid off, as Irving drilled a step-back three-pointer over Raptors guard Fred VanVleet to propel Brooklyn to its fifth straight win and ninth in the last 10 games. Durant explained that he knew Irving would get a good look at the basket "especially" because he was being guarded by VanVleet.

"I'm not saying he's a bad defender, but they're the same size," he said of the 6'2" Irving and the 6'0" VanVleet. "He didn't have a 6'9" [Scottie] Barnes or a 6'5" guy on him that had size, so I felt he could get whatever he want there, and I also felt like they wasn't going to run and double him either at the top of the key because he obviously could just beat that. So they let him play one-on-one, and it was a special, special shot."

Irving finished with a team-high 32 points on 13-of-22 shooting, his third 30-point performance in his last four games. The 30-year-old is now averaging 25.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season.

"It just comes with the trust that we're building here," Irving said of his game-winner. "Jacque had a play call that we were about to go execute, and me and K had some dialogue and we decided to run the play for me. A good matchup versus Fred. We just got the better of him that one time."

After some early-season tumult—most notably during Irving's suspension for promoting an antisemitic film and initially refusing to apologize—the Nets appear to have found the form necessary to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn will go for its sixth straight win Sunday against the Detroit Pistons (8-23).

James Harden's time with the Brooklyn Nets didn't last long, and one issue was his friction with Kevin Durant during the 2021-22 campaign.

"Harden and Durant, according to multiple Nets sources, butted heads during the season," Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports reported. "Durant didn't think Harden was in peak physical shape, and told him as much."

Harden came to Brooklyn in January 2021, creating an exciting lineup of superstars alongside Durant and Kyrie Irving. In February 2022, Harden was shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought back Ben Simmons.

Despite high expectations for the trio in Brooklyn, the team failed to reach their potential, reaching just the second round of the playoffs in 2021. The Nets finished as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference last year after trading away Harden, eventually losing in the first round.

"The whole two years was a low point. I've never really had to deal with something like that," Harden said of his time in Brooklyn. "My body, mentally, physically … It was a lot going on. I mean, basketball is everything to me."

In addition to reported conflicts with Durant, Harden also had issues with the Nets training staff.

A hamstring injury kept the guard off the court during his final weeks with the team before being traded to Philadelphia.

Hamstring issues also cost Harden over a month in 2020-21 regular season. He later missed three playoff games as the Nets lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.

Despite his miserable time in Brooklyn, Harden remains close with Durant. The former teammates spent time together at Harden's 33rd birthday on a yacht.

"Me and him are cool," Harden said of Durant. "We went on a couple summer trips together."

The NBA announced Thursday that it fined the Brooklyn Nets $25,000 for resting eight players in a 136-133 win over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 10.

The league said the fine was for "for failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting."

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, Seth Curry, Royce O'Neale, Joe Harris and T.J. Warren were all held out of the lineup in what was the second game of a back-to-back.

Despite being without each of their top eight scorers in terms of points per game, the Nets beat the Pacers thanks to a 33-point performance by Cam Thomas off the bench, as well as 24 points for Patty Mills, 21 points for Edmond Sumner and 20 points for Day'Ron Sharpe.

Per ESPN's Nick Friedell, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to the Pacers game that there was a legitimate and legal reason for every absence:

"I think everything that's been reported today has been documented. And so we know that Seth [Curry] and Joe [Harris] had offseason ankle [surgeries], there's no argument to that. Nic [Claxton] didn't play last game because he had hamstring tightness, there's no argument to that. Kevin's leading the league in minutes, there's no argument to that. Royce [O'Neale] had a personal reason, he's missing the next game, there's no argument to that."

The NBA apparently wasn't satisfied.

The Nets are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference at 17-12 and have been on a roll lately, winning four games in a row and eight of their past nine.

The eight players who sat out against the Pacers have been the driving force behind that success, especially Durant and Irving.

Durant is in the NBA MVP conversation with averages of 30.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, while Irving is trending toward another All-Star selection with averages of 25.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest.

There was a great deal of uncertainty regarding the Nets during the offseason. Durant requested a trade, and Irving could have become a free agent had he opted out of his deal.

Both stars decided to stay for at least one more season, however, and so far it is paying dividends for them and the team.

The Nets have also showcased their impressive roster depth, no more so than in the win against Indiana.

Brooklyn figures to have a far more representative lineup for its next game on Friday night against the Toronto Raptors.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has high praise for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.

"He's a Hall of Fame, All-Star player. Take that away from your team, you're trying to figure out where that impact's gonna come from," Durant told reporters after Beal missed Monday's Nets-Wizards game with a hamstring injury.

Beal has been limited by injury to 18 games this season but is in his most efficient scoring campaign, shooting a career-high 52.2 percent. While his scoring is down to 22.9 points per game, his lowest since 2017-18, that's largely because a strong Wizards offense has allowed him to tone down his attacks to the rim.

As far as Beal's Hall of Fame credentials, that's probably a stretch. He's made just three All-Star teams and one All-NBA team, and the Wizards have not gotten past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure with the franchise.

Even though the Basketball Hall of Fame has a lower barrier of entry than its football and baseball counterparts, Beal would have to write a strong second half to his career to make it to Springfield, Massachusetts.

That said, Beal is the type of player who can function in any lineup in any situation. He's a perfect fit for the Hall of Very Very Good, just not quite on the HOF level.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and the Durant Family Foundation pledged $500,000 toward Bowie State athletics.

"We're grateful for the resources that Kevin Durant and his family foundation have generously donated to Bowie State University to advance student success in achieving their academic goals," said Bowie State president Aminta Breaux. "His contributions will go a long way towards updating our facilities and ensure a top-tier athletic experience for all of our students."

Part of the donation will go toward installing a new basketball court at A.C. Jordan Arena and expanding the venue's capacity. A portion of the money is also earmarked for "financial support for men's and women's basketball and university athletics programs."

The Bulldogs men's basketball team has gotten off to a 2-9 start in 2022-23, while the women's team improved to 4-4 with its most recent win over Wilmington University.

Bowie State is the oldest historically Black college or university in Maryland, and its campus in Prince George's County isn't far from Durant's hometown of Washington, D.C.

The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly uninterested in taking on Joe Harris' contract in John Collins trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Nets are among several teams that have reached out to Atlanta as the Collins market takes shape.

The Hawks have been actively shopping Collins, though they may have a tough time landing significant value in return since he still has three-plus years remaining on the five-year, $125 million deal that he signed in 2021.

Collins, who is currently out of the lineup with an ankle sprain, is averaging only 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting a career-low 48.4 percent from the field. His scoring average has now dipped in three consecutive seasons, and his 21.9 percent mark from three-point range ranks among the worst in the sport.

The Nets have righted the ship from their miserable start to the season, winning seven of their last eight games to move up to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Collins would help fill a need for talent at the big spots, though he still wouldn't provide true rim protection that Brooklyn desperately lacks.

Harris, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury, is in the worst shooting slump of his career. He's knocking down only 37.4 percent of his threes, his worst mark since he was a bit player shuffling back and forth between Cleveland and the G League early in his career.

Not known as a quality defender, Harris' positive impact essentially evaporates when he's not shooting the ball well. The Nets owe the 31-year-old $19.9 million in 2023-24, the final year of his four-year, $75 million contract. It's unsurprising that Atlanta would balk at taking on Harris, but the Nets could entice a third team willing to take him on.

The NBA trade market should begin to heat up Dec. 15, which is the date when most players who signed contracts during the offseason can be traded.

Nike officially dissolved its business relationship with Kyrie Irving earlier this week after he had amplified an antisemitic movie on his social media platforms back in October and initially didn't apologize for doing so.

On Wednesday night, Irving responded to that decision by covering up the Nike logo on his sneakers during a 122-116 win over the Charlotte Hornets:

Irving had shared a similar message in the direct aftermath of Nike's decision to cut ties with him:

It remains to be seen where the high-profile sneaker free agent will end up with his successful time with Nike—Irving's signature shoe was one of the apparel brand's most popular—now over.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons plans to return to the court when his team takes on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

Simmons has missed the past three games—and will also miss Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets—because of knee soreness and a calf strain.

"I'm excited where I'm at right now," Simmons said Tuesday, via ESPN's Nick Friedell. "So I'm looking for Friday to get back on the court."

The team said on Nov. 30 that the 26-year-old was diagnosed with a left lateral upper calf strain and would miss at least the next three games. At the time, he had already missed six contests because of knee soreness.

Simmons was forced to exit Brooklyn's win over the Orlando Magic on Nov. 28 with what was thought to be the same knee issue, but an MRI scan revealed it was his calf.

This most recent stint on the sidelines came at a time when Simmons seemed to be getting back into a groove after struggling to find his form at the start of the season. He had put together a run of six straight games in which he scored in double figures. Prior to that, he started the year with nine consecutive games with under 10 points.

Through his 17 appearances this season, he has averaged 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He's not yet back to the player he was before missing the entirety of 2021-22 because of a need to address his mental health and a back injury that required offseason surgery. But he appeared to be getting more comfortable the last time he was on the court.

When healthy, Simmons can be a key part of the Nets' quest for playoff contention thanks to his defense and playmaking skills.

The Brooklyn Nets' early-season struggles appear to be mostly behind them. They've won three straight games and six of their past eight, and they sit at 12-11 after their win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, marking the first time they've been above .500 this season.

With the amount of talent on the Nets' roster, this is the type of success that is expected. And the team could be getting even better soon.

According to SNY's Ian Begley, Brooklyn has "touched base" with the Atlanta Hawks regarding John Collins, who has been featured in trade rumors throughout the 2022-23 season.

"I think the Nets are in search of some help along the front line. Collins can certainly help them," Begley told The Putback podcast. "I'm not sure how far along those talks went. But they've certainly engaged recently, so something to keep an eye on there."

Collins has been a solid player throughout his six-year NBA career, all of which has been spent in Atlanta. This season, the power forward is averaging 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 22 games.

Although the 25-year-old's shooting percentages are down (48.4 percent from the field and 21.9 percent from 3-point range), there's plenty of time for those to get back closer to his career averages. And with his track record, it seems likely he'll heat up later in the season.

The Hawks may be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference, but they've been open to dealing Collins. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last month that the team had "opened up preliminary trade discussions."

The Nets would be wise to capitalize, as the 6'9" Collins would give them a much-needed boost in the post. Brooklyn hasn't been able to rely consistently on Ben Simmons, who is often injured and is now dealing with a calf strain that has sidelined him.

When the Nets fired head coach Steve Nash and replaced him on an interim basis with Jacque Vaughn, it didn't seem like they'd be a playoff contender this season. But they've been performing better, and they're now in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

By adding a player like the Wake Forest product to its core, Brooklyn will be in an even better position to compete and capitalize on the prime years of stars such as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Plus, Collins is under contract through the end of the 2024-25 season (with a player option for the 2025-26 campaign), so it's a solid long-term investment for the Nets.

Will it be a move that pushes Brooklyn into championship contention? Maybe, but the Nets' title hopes are likely to rely more on Durant, Irving and possibly the health of Simmons.

Still, Collins is a strong interior player who fills a primary need for Brooklyn. And as long as the cost isn't too high, the Nets should swing a deal to acquire him from the Hawks.