08/08/2022, 6:52 PM
Provides ultimatum
Durant formally requested a trade at the end of June, and the Nets appeared willing to comply but were unable to find a partner due to their lofty return demands. Per Charania, the Celtics, Raptors and Heat remain the primary candidates to acquire Durant, but their offers remain negligible compared to Brooklyn's initial demands. Kyrie Irving opted into his $36.5 million player option for next season after appearing in just 29 contests last year due to his vaccination status, and the Nets further improved their roster by trading for Royce O'Neale, signing T.J. Warren and re-signing Patty Mills and Nicolas Claxton. However, with Ben Simmons (back) and Joe Harris' (ankle) futures uncertain, Durant has expressed that he doesn't have faith in the team's direction, though his ultimatum suggests that could be rectified quickly. Charania also relays that a training-camp holdout could be in place if Durant doesn't get his way.
07/13/2022, 1:13 AM
Still hot in Summer League
Despite going cold from three, Thomas still managed 29 points on just 19 shots due to his ability to get to the charity stripe. With the Nets' future in limbo, Thomas could see an increased role next season. As a rookie, he saw 17.6 minutes per game and averaged 8.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
07/11/2022, 12:14 AM
Scoring well in Vegas
After dropping 31 points in the Nets' Summer League opener Friday against Milwaukee, Thomas had another big stat line despite having an off night from an efficiency standpoint. The second-year guard out of LSU is as shoot-first as they come, and as the focal point of Brooklyn's summer roster he should continue to function as the No. 1 option. Of course, the Nets' actual roster remains very much in flux at this point, but based on how the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving sweepstakes shake out, Thomas could find himself in a much larger role next season. As a rookie, Thomas saw action in 67 games, posting 8.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.7 threes in 17.6 minutes per game.
