Saturday marked the first day the Brooklyn Nets could apply for a hardship extension. This became an option for the team when David Nwaba ruptured his Achilles against the San Antonio Spurs back on December 19 and subsequently received season-ending surgery.
With Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement), Caris LeVert (right thumb surgery), Nic Claxton (left hamstring soreness) and, of course, Kevin Durant (right Achilles surgery) all sidelined, along with the Nwaba, the Nets are short-handed — more so than most teams. This meant Brooklyn could apply for a hardship exception, which would allow the Nets to add a 16th player to their roster again — but it would be on a temporary basis, like when the Nets added Iman Shumpert while Wilson Chandler was suspended.
But there was already reason to think the Nets were going a different route, with the team receiving a disabled player exception before Christmas.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post further confirm Brooklyn isn’t looking for a hardship exception with his report on Saturday:
The #Nets have not applied for a Hardship Exception, according to an #NBA source.
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) December 29, 2019