In Monday's 113-99 loss to Indiana, the battered Nets were without eight players, including a backcourt without point guards D'Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons.
Simmons was listed with left calf soreness and a lower back injury, but Nets coach Jordi Fernandez suggested it was more to do with his calf than his back.
“For D'Angelo, [right] I will be absent for a while due to a bruise on my shin. [a game]So we'll see how he feels,” Fernandes said. “And with Ben, it's just managing his calf. It's the same kind of thing, but we want him to feel better and we'll see how many days it takes.
“But again, we're not going to rush him if they're not playing 100 percent and it could get worse. Certainly, I The most important thing for us is their health, their bodies. And we have 10 other bodies to go out there and fight.”
There are reports that the injured Cam Johnson is involved in trade talks with both the Pacers and Warriors, which could result in a three-way deal. But sources told the Post that reports of anything happening are “all noise.”
The NBA's guaranteed salary date is January 10th. To avoid paying players on non-guaranteed contracts their full salaries, teams have until Tuesday to waive their salaries. There are 23 players on that boat, including Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson. However, that won't happen as both players are in the starting lineup.
Johnson started his 14th consecutive game.
“The great effort obviously started with our defense with ball pressure,” Fernandez said. “He's done a great job. That's one of his superpowers. But on the other hand, he's got an interest in catch-and-shoot, the ability to make good shots and play second-side pick-and-rolls. He's also a guy who has. I mentioned it before. Even though it seems like he's been in the NBA for a long time, don't forget he's only 22 years old.
“But his development is important to us. Player development is something we look at seriously every week, every day. And he's a guy who had a great summer all summer long. He was here all summer, working, playing in summer league. And now we can see his progress. So we're happy to see that. , I would like to see more.”
Johnson was averaging 15.3 points in his past seven games entering Monday.
He and Wilson are likely safe, but players the Nets might be interested in could be released.
Bojan Bogdanovic (recovering from left leg injury), Johnson (right ankle sprain), Maxwell Lewis (left tibia fracture), De'Anthony Melton (left anterior cruciate ligament tear), Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain) , Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain) was all out. Darik Whitehead was called up from the G League.
