#brooklyn-nets

#brooklyn-nets

"The Nets have $15 million in cap space and can create more, which has led to increased trade talks about using their room to absorb salary while receiving assets, sources said. The Nets, Pistons ($14.1 million trade exception) and Utah Jazz ($18.4 million trade exception) are the only teams with significant room that can take in larger deals and not be impacted by the apron," Charania wrote.

Rookies Drake Powell and Ben Saraf were nowhere to be found at Tuesday's Nets practice. Instead, they were a few miles East at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, getting G League minutes in Long Island's 112-107 loss to the College Park Skyhawks. For Powell, now a regular in the Nets' rotation, it marked his first G League appearance. Saraf, meanwhile, returned to a setting he knows well, heading back to Long Island for the first time since mid-November to get needed reps during Brooklyn's extended layoff before Friday's matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.

It was announced today that Jakob Poeltl will miss tomorrow night's action against the Brooklyn Nets for lower back injury management, an injury that has plagued the 30-year old center all season. Resting him on the first night of a back-to-back against the Brooklyn Nets will allow him to be ready for a Monday matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who sit just behind Toronto in the standings.

Rebuilding Brooklyn is just 1-11, entering the weekend tied with the Wizards and Pacers for the worst record in the NBA, and the best odds in the lottery. That makes Sunday's tilt huge for the tank. A victory would be Pyrrhic. Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) goes to the basket against Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the first quarter at Kia Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At 1-10 after losing to the Toronto Raptors, with the 30th ranked defence in the league, one might think that's bad enough. But 30th doesn't cover the true pestilential stink of the Brooklyn defence. Coming into the contest against the Toronto Raptors, the Nets were allowing 129.8 points per 100 possessions. The worst defence last season allowed 120.2. That's an inconceivable gap between the Nets and a normal worst-in-the-league defence, the same as the gap between last season's 30th-ranked team and a top-10 defence.

I'm just appreciative of wherever I came from. [Brooklyn was] just one stepping stone where I was at before I was here. So just appreciative,

Cunningham was 13 for 18 from the field and made all six of his free throws to help lead Detroit to its fifth straight victory and a 7-2 record. The All-Star point guard has averaged 29.8 points and 11.2 assists while shooting 54% from the field during the streak. Ausar Thompson had 14 points, and Caris Levert added 10 for the Pistons. They have won their last four meetings against Brooklyn.

All the coaches are coaches for the same club. We've had great communication; we have a system in place... It's more important for the players to see what their path is to get better. Obviously, the work that you put in day to day is important, but there's no more important thing than playing real minutes. And real minutes are in the NBA, real minutes are in Long Island.