Brooklyn Nets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell (thumb) was limited to 16 minutes in Monday's 117-114 loss to Detroit. He exited the game two minutes into the fourth quarter, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick mentioning postgame that Russell was checked for a potential thumb injury. Russell finished the night with five points and five assists on 1-for-5 shooting. He's played a big role off the bench for the Lakers, meaning the team would be without a significant piece for its Christmas Day clash against Golden State if Russell can't play. The rest of the bench, featuring Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht, and Gabe Vincent, would then need to step up. However, they do not offer consistent fantasy production.

According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, the Nuggets and Nets held "exploratory talks" surrounding forward Cameron Johnson. The former Sun has been rumored to be on the move for a while. But with teams having more flexibility to make trades, things are starting to pick up steam. Johnson had a rocky 2023-24 campaign. However, he's having the best year of his career, averaging 18.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 43.3% shooting from behind the arc. A trade with the Nuggets would likely involve Michael Porter Jr. Either way, it's unknown how much progress was made between both sides. With that in mind, Johnson would surely see a dip in production in Denver, considering he'd be sharing the floor with multi-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Brooklyn Nets forward/center Trendon Watford (hamstring) could not complete Monday's contest against Cleveland. He was ruled out for the rest of the game early in the third quarter because of left hamstring soreness. Watford posted eight points in 10 minutes before his premature exit. The 24-year-old missed the start of the season with a left hamstring strain, so this isn't a new issue for him. Watford has contributed 8.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.1 minutes off the bench. Noah Clowney and Day'Ron Sharpe should get additional action on the Nets frontcourt if Watford has to sit on the sidelines for a bit.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Nets have acquired guard De'Anthony Melton (knee) from the Warriors in exchange for guard Dennis Schroder. Brooklyn will also receive three second-round draft picks. Melton signed with Golden State during the offseason. He played well, averaging 10.3 points and 1.2 steals. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old sustained a torn ACL and underwent season-ending surgery. Melton will be a free agent in the 2025 offseason, so it's unknown if he'll ever suit up for the Nets. But until he stays healthy, his fantasy outlook isn't promising, no matter where he ends up next season.

Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (ankle) is available for Wednesday's meeting with the Indiana Pacers. The former Phoenix Sun has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. However, his absence in Monday's loss to Chicago was only his first of the 2024-25 campaign. Johnson has also averaged a career-high 18.1 points while shooting 42.2% from deep. With Cam Thomas (hamstring) sidelined, Johnson should continue to get more scoring opportunities than usual against an Indiana team that has allowed 119.1 points per game this season, the third-worst mark in the National Basketball Association.