Tag: Dorian Finney-Smith

Nets’ Ben Simmons ruled out for Monday’s game against Warriors

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Sunday that Ben Simmons is out for Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors due to injury maintenance.

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to build on an impressive road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers as they try to climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff race. As Brooklyn attempts to extend their winning streak in their matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Monday, they will be doing so while shorthanded again.

The Nets announced on Sunday that Ben Simmons would miss Monday’s contest against the Warriors due to injury maintenance on his lower left back. While this cautious approach with Simmons makes sense given that he missed 38 straight games from Nov. 8 to Jan. 27 with the nerve impingement in his back, it still leaves some doubt as to whether Simmons is fully healthy at this point.

Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Saturday’s 136-121 win at the 76ers that Simmons has fully recovered from the nerve impingement in his lower left back that caused him to miss so much time, but that he would also be available for games moving forward.

It seems that regardless of that statement, the Nets appear to still be cautious with Simmons and that makes sense because of how important he is to the team, even in limited minutes. In some good news for Brooklyn, guard Dennis Smith Jr. is probable for Monday after missing Saturday’s win due to right foot soreness.

In addition to Simmons, forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) and center Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension) are out for Monday’s contest. Finney-Smith started running on his ankle at Friday’s practice so he could be returning soon while Sharpe is still slowly working his way back to doing workouts around other people.

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Nets’ Jacque Vaughn says Ben Simmons is available moving forward

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Saturday’s game at the Philadelphia 76ers that Ben Simmons is available moving forward.

PHILADELPHIA — The Brooklyn Nets have been arguably one of the most talked about teams in the NBA with the trade deadline on Feb. 8. Brooklyn is trying to hang on to their hopes of being in the Eastern Conference playoff picture come April and they should have one of the best players on the court moving forward.

“Yeah, he would have played the other day (Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns) except for the acute injury that happened in the game (Monday against the Utah Jazz),” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Ben Simmons prior to Saturday’s road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons was listed as probable prior to Saturday when he was upgraded to available.

“So, he (Simmons) was fully back from the time away (with the nerve impingement in his lower left back) so all inclination going forward as he’s available for games,” Vaughn said. That has to be good news for everyone in the Nets organization and fanbase given how much time Simmons has missed over his past few seasons with the team due to a variety of injuries.

Addressing the rest of Brooklyn’s injuries, Vaughn said that center Day’Ron Sharpe, out due to a left knee hyperextension, has been doing more court work and has progressed to contact with coaches. Vaughn said that Dorian Finney-Smith, out with a left ankle sprain, is still “day-to-day” and that the team will see if he can go next week.

Dennis Smith Jr., questionable for Saturday due to right foot soreness, will go through his pregame routine to see if he can play. The 76ers will be missing three rotation players, including superstar center Joel Embiid, and could be missing two more rotation pieces with Tobias Harris and Nic Batum listed as questionable.

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Nets’ Ben Simmons (left knee contusion) probable Saturday at 76ers

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Friday that Ben Simmons is probable for Saturday’s game at the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to turn their season around as soon as possible so that they still have a chance of getting back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. As they try to start a new winning streak on Saturday at the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets are likely to be doing so with their best table-setter for their offense.

The Nets released their initial injury report on Friday and on it, Ben Simmons is listed as probable due to a left knee contusion. This is notable because Simmons missed Wednesday’s 136-120 loss to the Phoenix Suns due to swelling in his knee, per head coach Jacque Vaughn.

When Vaughn addressed the media prior to Wednesday’s loss, he said that Simmons had no structural damage in his knee and seemed confident that he wouldn’t miss much time. A new addition to the report is guard Dennis Smith Jr. who is listed as questionable due to right foot soreness.

Smith has played in 32 of 47 games this season due to a variety of injuries, but he has generally been available for the team this season. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) and center Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension) are ruled out.

Finney-Smith has missed the last two games with his ankle issue, but he started running at practice on Friday so he could be close to returning. Sharpe has missed the past 10 games with his knee ailment and so far, he has only been able to do individual work.

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Nets’ Ben Simmons probable Monday vs. Jazz; Cam Johnson available

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Sunday that Ben Simmons is probable for Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz. Cam Johnson is available.

The Brooklyn Nets are fresh off a narrow win against the Houston Rockets as they look to continue their winning ways on Monday against the Utah Jazz. As Brooklyn is trying to turn its season around in the hopes of getting back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, they will be welcoming one of the most important players on their team.

On Sunday, the Nets announced that Ben Simmons, who has been out of the lineup since the beginning of November due to a nerve impingement in his lower left back, is probable for Monday’s matchup against the Jazz. Simmons has played just six games this season as he has dealt with a variety of injuries, including the nerve impingement.

Also, after missing Saturday’s 106-104 win over the Houston Rockets due to personal reasons, Brooklyn forward Cam Johnson is available Monday against Utah. However, the Nets will be less than whole as forward Dorian Finney-Smith is listed as out for Monday due to a left ankle sprain.

Finney-Smith blocked Rockets forward Cam Whitmore’s shot with 3:45 left in the third quarter, but came down awkwardly after the play. Finney-Smith came out of the game at the 3:02 mark of the period and did not return because of the ankle sprain.

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Trade rumor rankings: Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown and more

HoopsHype ranks the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week.

This week saw another huge name come off the board on the NBA trade market as the Toronto Raptors dealt Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bruce Brown, three-first round picks and more. That means the player who ranked No. 1 in our trade rumor rankings article last week is now off the board.

Don’t worry, though, as we still have plenty of interesting names to talk about on the NBA trade market.

Below, check out the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week, based on the number of appearances on our Trade Rumors page.

Lakers have six new trade targets, including Bruce Brown

The rumor mill is heating up when it comes to the Lakers and what they may look to do on the trade market.

With less than three weeks to go before the NBA’s trade deadline, the rumor mill is starting to heat up, especially for the Los Angeles Lakers.

There has been plenty of talk that they have been looking to acquire Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. Reportedly, the two teams have talked about a potential deal, but the sticking point has been Atlanta’s desire to acquire Austin Reaves and the Lakers’ reluctance to give him up.

Los Angeles has also been rumored to have some interest in Tyus Jones and Collin Sexton, and indeed, it does want a speedy ball-handling guard who can score. But now, according to Jovan Buha, it has six additional targets (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Athletic:

“If the Toronto Raptors decide to move on from Bruce Brown Jr., the Lakers will have interest in acquiring him, according to team sources,” Jovan Buha wrote. “The Lakers coveted Brown last summer and believed they were the favorites to sign him using the team’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception before Indiana swooped in with a cap-space offer. (Los Angeles eventually signed (Gabe) Vincent with that exception.) Much like he was last summer, Brown will become one of the most coveted players on the trade market if he’s available. Of note: Because Brown was already traded from Indiana to Toronto in the (Pascal) Siakam deal, he cannot be combined with another player in a potential trade.

“Other names that have come up in talks with team and league personnel over the past two weeks include Portland’s Jerami Grant, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier, Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. and Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. Each player fills at least one of the Lakers’ three needs.”

While a speedy ball-handling guard appears to be the Lakers’ biggest priority on the trade market, a 3-and-D wing is another. Although Brown isn’t a great 3-point shooter, his defense and ability to score make him an attractive trade piece.

Grant would be an interesting get for the Lakers. He’s averaging 21.4 points a game and shooting 41.2% from 3-point range this season, but he isn’t a particularly good rebounder, and he does have a somewhat large contract that runs for at least three more seasons.

Report: Nets want equivalent of two first-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith

With the Brooklyn Nets looking like sellers, reports suggest that Brooklyn wants the value of two first-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith.

The Brooklyn Nets are at a point of their season where they may become sellers given how much losing they have done lately. While it’s unknown at the moment which way Brooklyn will lean prior to the NBA trade deadline, there is reporting that lets everyone know what the value of one of their wings would be if traded.

In a recent episode of the HoopsHype podcast, NBA insider Michael Scotto said that from what he’s told, the Nets want the equivalent of two first-round picks in exchange for trading forward Dorian Finney-Smith. Before giving this information, Scotto does note that Brooklyn is “open for business” and are “certainly taking calls” as the deadline approaches.

Coming into this season, the Nets were expected to be one of the teams that would be competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, after winning just four of their last 16 games, Brooklyn is beginning to look like a team that should be making some trades with the goal of shaking things up one way or another.

While Finney-Smith is a player who is valuable on every team in the league, he most likely is more valuable to the Nets as a trade piece that can help bring in draft picks and/or young players that helps Brooklyn progress through its rebuild. Without much that is definite on which direction the Nets are heading in, time will tell if Finney-Smith will be on the roster after the deadline.

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How could the Brooklyn Nets trade Dorian Finney-Smith to the OKC Thunder?

With the help of Clemente Almanza of OKC ThunderWire, here’s what a mock trade of Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets may look like.

The Brooklyn Nets (15-18) are currently in a position where they are not contending for a championship, but are also not good enough to net any high-value draft picks. At some point, the Nets will have to decide what they are going to do with the veterans currently on the team as this season goes on.

One of the veterans who could be on the trading block between now and the trading deadline is forward Dorian Finney-Smith. While Finney-Smith is one of the better players on Brooklyn’s roster, he is one of the players that will be coveted by other teams because of his value to contending teams.

Finney-Smith’s calling cards at this point in his career is his three-point shooting (36.3% for his career) and his defensive ability and versatility to guard multiple positions. While Finney-Smith is valuable to the Nets, it’s more likely that he’s more valuable to teams in a better position to contend for a title.

One of the teams that could be interested in Finney-Smith’s services is the Oklahoma City Thunder. What follows is an example of a mock trade between the Nets and the Thunder involving Finney-Smith and Clemente Almanza of OKC ThunderWire discussed with me about what it could look like:

NBA Mock Trade: What would it take for the OKC Thunder to land Dorian Finney-Smith?

NBA Mock Trade: What would it take for the OKC Thunder to land Dorian Finney-Smith?

Entering 2024, the Oklahoma City Thunder (22-9) possess one of the best records in the league and are second in the Western Conference standings.

Barring a seismic collapse, the Thunder will enter the Feb. 8 trade deadline as buyers for the first time in years. Considering how filthy rich OKC is with draft capital and roster a bench full of young prospects, the Thunder have enough resources to strengthen their weaknesses with outside additions.

Considering the Thunder’s history, any big-time moves likely will not happen within the season. Instead, look for OKC to improve on the margins. This could mean adding a bench piece that could provide valuable rotation minutes in the playoffs.

A potential target is Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith. The 30-year-old was part of the Kyrie Irving trade that landed the All-Star guard with the Dallas Mavericks last February.

As the Nets continue to slide — they’re 15-18 and have lost eight of their last 10 games — perhaps they can be seen as a seller for this season’s trade deadline.

In his eighth season, Finney-Smith has developed into a solid wing defender who can stretch the floor. Those prototypes are extremely valuable for contenders as they look to make deep playoff runs.

In 30 games, Finney-Smith is averaging 10.2 points on 45% shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He’s shooting an impressive 43% from 3 on 5.5 attempts.

Finney-Smith’s salary this season is at $13.9 million. Next season, it’ll be $14.9 million, and he has a player option for the 2025-26 season of $15.4 million.

Those are extremely reasonable numbers for the type of production Finney-Smith brings. If the Thunder acquire him, they’ll get a guaranteed 1.5 seasons of solid play.

Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza worked with Nets Wire’s Sharif Phillips-Keaton to create a deal to see what a possible trade could look like.

Buha: Lakers may have interest in trading for Nets duo

According to one insider, the Lakers may have other trade targets besides Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray.

There have been trade rumors concerning the Los Angeles Lakers in recent weeks. Mainly, people have been speculating the team will look to trade for a star guard such as the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine or Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks.

But sometimes rumors are nothing more than a smokescreen for a team’s real intentions on the open market. The trade deadline is Feb. 8, 2024, and much can change before then. Certainly, new rumors will arise over the next several weeks.

One new rumor involves the Lakers going after Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets.

Via Heavy Sports:

“Maybe you … go for Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith,” The Athletic’s Jovan Buha said on the “Hoops Tonight” podcast on Dec. 26. “Those are two guys the Lakers have had interest in dating back to last offseason and even last trade deadline. So I know that those are two guys that they would have interest in bringing in.”

O’Neale is a very solid 3-and-D wing who stands 6 feet, 6 inches and weighs 226 pounds. He is shooting 39.2% from 3-point range and averaging 0.7 steals and 0.8 blocks in 26.2 minutes a game this season.

Finney-Smith, meanwhile, is hitting 44.8% of his 3-point attempts, and at 6 feet, 7 inches and 220 pounds, he can play both the 3 and 4 spots.