Having a Big Three is great. That is, if those players want it to be great. And that’s the challenge in Brooklyn now, after agreeing to the trade that landed three-time reigning scoring champion James Harden from Houston: Getting Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, all individually great, to want to be great together. A lot of futures and a lot of legacies depend on what happens. Durant found a way to make it happen in Golden State when he played alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the way to a pair of NBA titles. It worked there because Curry and Thompson, more than happily, checked their egos at the door and made it seem like a seamless incorporation. Harden never made the NBA Finals in Houston with big-time backcourt partners like Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, plus didn’t even give it a chance this season alongside John Wall. He wanted a trade, stars who want trades almost always get their way, and after what amounted to a resignation speech on Tuesday night after a loss... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio featuring some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets acquired the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets in a deal that became official on Thursday, a move Harden has sought for weeks. Harden is the centerpiece of a deal that also involved Cleveland and grew to a fourth team when Indiana, made a separate deal with Houston. The Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. “It’s an amazing move for Brooklyn. Obviously, they got better — way better," said two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee. But they paid a massive price to do it. The Nets sent Caris LeVert and Rodions Kurucs to Houston, along with 2022, 2024 and 2026 first-round picks and the right to swap first-round picks in 2021, 2023, 202 and 2027. The Nets also sent... [More]

Having a Big Three is great. That is, if those players want it to be great. And that’s the challenge in Brooklyn now, after agreeing to the trade that landed three-time reigning scoring champion James Harden from Houston: Getting Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, all individually great, to want to be great together. A lot of futures and a lot of legacies depend on what happens. Durant found a way to make it happen in Golden State when he played alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the way to a pair of NBA titles. It worked there because Curry and Thompson, more than happily, checked their egos at the door and made it seem like a seamless incorporation. Harden never made the NBA Finals in Houston with big-time backcourt partners like Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, plus didn’t even give it a chance this season alongside John Wall. He wanted a trade, stars who want trades almost always get their way, and after what amounted to a resignation speech on Tuesday night after a loss... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio featuring some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets agreed to acquire the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a move Harden has sought for weeks, a person with knowledge of the situation said. Harden is the centerpiece of a four-team deal that also involves Indiana and Cleveland, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade call with the NBA — which signs off on all deals — had not been completed. Once it is, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. “It’s an amazing move for Brooklyn. Obviously, they got better — way better," said two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee. The Nets are loading up for a title run with three of the highest-paid... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio of the some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets agreed to acquire the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a move he has sought for weeks, said a person with knowledge of the situation. Harden is the centerpiece of a four-team deal that also involves Indiana and Cleveland, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade call with the NBA — which signs off on all deals — has not been completed. Once it is, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. They are loading up for a title run with three of the highest-paid players in the league. All are under contract through 2022-23, with Harden and Durant both set to earn more than $40 million in each of the... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio of the some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets agreed to acquire the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a move he has sought for weeks, said a person with knowledge of the situation. Harden is the centerpiece of a four-team deal that also involves Indiana and Cleveland, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade call with the NBA — which signs off on all deals — has not been completed. Once the deal is completed, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. It provides a needed boost amid a period of drama for both franchises, struck less than 24 hours after Harden seemed to deliver a farewell address of sorts following the Rockets’ loss to the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets are resting Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving against Memphis on the second night of their first back-to-back of the season. The Nets announced that Durant would be out early Monday. Irving wasn't added to the injury report until a few hours later. Both players are coming off lengthy injury absences. Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season while rehabbing from right Achilles tendon surgery, while Irving was limited to 20 games because of a right shoulder injury. Coach Steve Nash said the decision to rest Durant was made Sunday night after the Nets lost in Charlotte, their first defeat after two victories to open the season. He played a season-high 36 minutes. Their absence leaves the Nets without three starters after guard Spencer Dinwiddie partially tore the ACL in his right knee in the third quarter of the game in Charlotte. The Nets planned to start Caris LeVert, Taurean Prince and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot along with remaining starters Joe Harris and DeAndre Jordan. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Steve Nash was one of the NBA's most entertaining point guards, the engineer of a high-scoring team that helped usher in a new era of basketball. Now the Brooklyn Nets want to see what he can do as a coach.The Nets hired Nash on Thursday, putting the Hall of Famer in charge of the team that hopes to have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together next season.“Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn,” Nash said in a statement.Nash, two-time MVP as the playmaker of the Phoenix Suns teams under Mike D'Antoni that piled up points and 3-pointers long before they became the norm in the NBA, had been a player development consultant with Golden State, where he worked with Durant.D'Antoni, now coaching Houston, said he texted Nash when he heard the news.“Jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” D'Antoni said. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was the general manager... [More]

Steve Nash was one of the NBA's most entertaining point guards, the engineer of a high-scoring team that helped usher in a new era of basketball. Now the Brooklyn Nets want to see what he can do as a coach.The Nets hired Nash on Thursday, putting the Hall of Famer in charge of the team that hopes to have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together next season.“Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn,” Nash said in a statement.Nash, two-time MVP as the playmaker of the Phoenix Suns teams under Mike D'Antoni that piled up points and 3-pointers long before they became the norm in the NBA, had been a player development consultant with Golden State, where he worked with Durant.D'Antoni, now coaching Houston, said he texted Nash when he heard the news.“Jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” D'Antoni said. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was the general manager... [More]

Steve Nash was one of the NBA's most entertaining point guards, the engineer of a high-scoring team that helped usher in a new era of basketball. Now the Brooklyn Nets want to see what he can do as a coach.The Nets hired Nash on Thursday, putting the Hall of Famer in charge of the team that hopes to have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together next season.“Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn,” Nash said in a statement.Nash, two-time MVP as the playmaker of the Phoenix Suns teams under Mike D'Antoni that piled up points and 3-pointers long before they became the norm in the NBA, had been a player development consultant with Golden State, where he worked with Durant.Warriors coach Steve Kerr was the general manager in Phoenix for part of Nash's time and took elements of the Suns' system in winning three NBA titles. He thanked and congratulated Nash... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets went down meekly in the playoffs, their decimated roster no competition for the reigning NBA champions.The Nets won't be overmatched by anyone next season, assuming Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are healthy.The question going into the offseason is who will lead them.Jacque Vaughn finished out the season as coach and did as well as anyone could have expected, leading the Nets to a 5-3 record in the NBA’s restart in Florida before they were swept by the Toronto Raptors. He started 2-0 after replacing Kenny Atkinson in March, including a victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles, and picked up victories over the powerful Bucks and Clippers at Walt Disney World.“I think if you ask anybody who was a part of JV’s two games before the cutoff and the whole experience here, I think they’ll tell you that he’s very deserving of the job,” guard Caris LeVert said. “He’s done a great job down here winning with less and I think everybody saw that.”With Durant... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks will work around the clock on Luka Doncic, hoping he can be healthy enough to play Sunday.The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets can tell them all about how hard the playoffs are without star guards.Doncic hopes to make a quick recovery, and the 76ers and Nets look to avoid quick exits heading into Game 4 of their series.Doncic sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of Dallas' 130-122 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. He came back in the fourth but wasn't moving well and eventually left for good.The Mavericks were hoping to get him an MRI exam Saturday and planning to keep him off the court all day. Coach Rick Carlisle said Doncic would likely be a game-time decision.“Obviously, we know the nature of the game. Sometimes injuries happen,” Dallas guard Trey Burke said. “If he can’t go, guys have got to be ready to play, step up and we’ve got to have the same mentality going out there and that’s to win.”The Mavs beat... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — All the Brooklyn Nets were missing Tuesday were their leaders in salary, points, points per game, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and 3-pointers. If that wasn’t enough, the feel-good story of Jamal Crawford’s return to the NBA lasted for about six minutes.And they won.The severely undermanned Nets beat Milwaukee 119-116 on Tuesday, temporarily delaying what will be the Bucks’ clinching of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Bucks didn’t use Brook Lopez or Wesley Matthews at all, plus didn’t play All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo or Khris Middleton after halftime, though it should be noted that the Nets were winning at intermission anyway.Who the Bucks played or didn’t play wasn’t all that relevant to the Nets. The walls of the temporary locker rooms at the Visa Athletic Center are paper thin and don’t hold sound, but the Nets probably didn’t mind the fact that anyone within 100 feet could have heard their raucous postgame celebration.“Very... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kenny Atkinson won't have the chance to coach Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together in Brooklyn.The Nets and their coach decided his influence with the team ran out before that pair could get started.The Nets surprisingly split with their coach Saturday, even as they remain on track for a second consecutive playoff berth.The announcement came less than 12 hours after Atkinson guided the Nets to a 139-120 rout of San Antonio. General manager Sean Marks said he and Atkinson had been talking long before that about what was best for the Nets, and they finally concluded it wasn't their fourth-year coach.“He has taken us to where we stand today and I think the discussions that he and I had were what’s best for the Nets for a variety of different reasons, which I don’t think either one of us will get into,” Marks said. “But it’s time for another voice in the locker room and it’s time that we both part ways.”Marks offered no specifics but said the decision had nothing to do with... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA fined Boston guard Marcus Smart $35,000 on Thursday for his treatment of referees — a punishment the league said reflected his history of misconduct on the court.The league cited Smart for confronting and verbally abusing the game officials at the end of the Celtics' 129-120 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.Smart was called for a foul with 0.2 seconds left in regulation and the Celtics leading by three. Caris LeVert made all three free throws and Smart fouled out of the game on an offensive foul early in overtime.The league said the amount of the fine “reflects his multiple prior violations of acceptable on-court decorum.”Smart had been fined $15,000 for criticizing officials earlier this season and was penalized three times in 2018-19 for his actions, including a couple of altercations.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — John Collins had 33 points and 13 rebounds, rookie Cam Reddish scored 17 of his career-high 26 points in the third quarter, and the Atlanta Hawks handed the Brooklyn Nets their third straight loss with a 141-118 victory Friday night.Trae Young, ranking second in the NBA in scoring and assists, finished with 22 points and assisted on 14 baskets to help Atlanta, the league's second-worst team, snap a two-game skid. The Hawks hit 19 3-pointers and finished 48.7% on treys despite beginning the game as the league's worst team beyond the arc.The Nets gave up a season high in points. They pulled within six on Caris LeVert's layup early in the fourth, but got no closer the rest of the way after Jeff Teague and Kevin Huerter answered with baskets that pushed the lead back to double digits. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points to lead Brooklyn, which began the game seventh in the Eastern Conference before dropping six games under .500. It had won eight straight over the Hawks and five... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyrie Irving tried to keep playing through pain, a cortisone shot no longer providing enough relief.Eventually, he and the Brooklyn Nets decided it's best to get his right shoulder taken care of now and get healthy for next season — when Irving and Kevin Durant can finally play together. Irving will have arthroscopic surgery and miss the rest of the season, Nets general manager Sean Marks said Thursday.“Kyrie mentioned he was playing through pain and you have to give him a lot of credit for that. He wants to be out there and playing with his guys,” Marks said. “But there comes a point where you say enough is enough and again, it goes to long-term health. And the best thing that (we) could do is to shut it down and get this taken care of once and for all.”Coach Kenny Atkinson said the point guard was still having trouble with the shoulder that began troubling him in October and sidelined him for 26 games earlier this season.“Some days it was OK and other days it bothered... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and miss the rest of the season.The Nets made the announcement Thursday before playing the Philadelphia 76ers in their first game after the All-Star break.Coach Kenny Atkinson said the point guard was still having trouble with the shoulder that sidelined him for 26 games earlier this season.“Some days it was OK and other days it bothered him,” Atkinson said. “Obviously, it is difficult to perform under those circumstances.” Irving said pain in the shoulder initially worsened after a game on Nov. 4. The Nets then went on a five-game road trip, where Irving continued to play until the pain got so bad he was having trouble lifting his shoulder.He got a cortisone shot on Dec. 24 and was able to return on Jan. 12, but he acknowledged that surgery might still be necessary. By deciding to have surgery now, Irving's first season in Brooklyn ends after just 20 games.Irving averaged 27.4 points,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have waived swingman David Nwaba, who was lost for the season recently because of a ruptured right Achilles tendon.The move Friday frees up a roster spot for a Nets team that has lost a season-high four straight games while playing without injured starters Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert.The Nets are listing LeVert as probable to play Saturday against Toronto following right thumb surgery. He has missed the last 24 games.Nwaba was injured Dec. 19 in a loss at San Antonio and underwent surgery the next day in New York.He averaged 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 20 games after signing with the Nets in July. The Nets also waived forward Henry Ellenson, who was on a two-way contract and had spent more time with their G League affiliate.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have waived swingman David Nwaba, who was lost for the season recently because of a ruptured right Achilles tendon.The move Friday frees up a roster spot for a Nets team that has lost a season-high four straight games while playing without injured starters Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert.Nwaba was injured Dec. 19 in a loss at San Antonio and underwent surgery the next day in New York.He averaged 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 20 games after signing with the Nets in July.