Brooklyn Nets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell (thumb) has been ruled out for Wednesday's Christmas matchup against Golden State. A left thumb injury gave Russell a questionable tag entering Wednesday, and the team has now officially ruled him out for the contest. Russell has hurt his shooting hand, so it's possible he might have to skip multiple games. His first chance to return comes on Saturday versus Sacramento. Gabe Vincent should take over most of Russell's playmaking duties off the bench, with Dalton Knecht and Max Christie also in line to benefit from his absence.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell (thumb) has been listed as questionable for Wednesday's Christmas battle against Golden State. He hurt his left thumb on Monday versus Detroit, logging only 16 minutes of action. Gabe Vincent will be in line for more minutes off the bench if Russell has to sit out Wednesday's action, with Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish also in a position to play larger roles. Max Christie might receive extra action among the Lakers starters.

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.