Brooklyn Nets: Catching up with former Nets around pro basketball

Andrew Nicholson, Fujian Sturgeons

Departed Brooklyn: Traded to Portland Trail Blazers, July 25, 2017

The Brooklyn Nets offloaded the contract of Andrew Nicholson on July 25, 2017, when he was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Allen Crabbe.

Portland then waived Nicholson in August 2017 and he signed to play in China on Sept. 5, 2017.

Nicholson, 29,  played last season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers and moved this season to the Fujian Sturgeons, signing with them on Aug. 12.

Per RealGM, Nicholson is averaging 27.9 points and 9.3 rebounds in 36.9 minutes per game for the Sturgeons, starting 37 of the 38 games he’s appeared in. He’s shooting 55.7 percent overall and 44.5 percent on 6.3 attempts per game from 3-point range.

Nicholson was acquired by the Nets in a Feb. 22, 2017, deadline-day deal along with Marcus Thornton and a lottery-protected 2017 first-round pick from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic and Chris McCullough.

Nicholson made just 10 appearances for Brooklyn, averaging 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game while shooting 38.2 percent overall and going 2-for-11 from deep.

Justin Hamilton, Beijing Ducks

Departed Brooklyn: Traded to Toronto Raptors, July 13, 2017

The Brooklyn Nets moved Justin Hamilton while taking on a salary dump from the Toronto Raptors on July 13, 2017, acquiring DeMarre Carroll, a 2018 first-round pick and the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2018 second-round selection in exchange for Hamilton.

He was waived by the Raptors the following day and has been with the Beijing Ducks in China since signing with them on July 22, 2017.

Per RealGM, the 28-year-old Hamilton has started all 40 games he’s played for Beijing this season, averaging 23.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.6 steals in 37.4 minutes per game. He’s shooting 57.8 percent overall and 38.2 percent on 2.6 attempts per game from 3.

Hamilton signed with the Nets as a unrestricted free agent on July 11, 2016, after playing the previous season with Valencia Basket in Spain.

In his lone season in Brooklyn, Hamilton averaged 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game, appearing in 64 games and starting seven. He shot 45.9 percent overall and 30.6 percent on 2.8 attempts a game from deep.

He had previously been with the Minnesota Timberwolves before his contract expired in 2015.

K.J. McDaniels, Oklahoma City Blue

Departed Brooklyn: Unrestricted free agent, July 1, 2017

The Brooklyn Nets let K.J. McDaniels walk after the 2016-17 season and he’s missed out on training camp opportunities the last two seasons, last year with the Toronto Raptors and this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He returned to the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League after being waived by the parent Thunder on Oct. 10.

The 26-year-old, who played last season with the Grand Rapids Drive, has played in 32 games for the Blue this season, starting 17, and is averaging 13.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steals in 26.5 minutes per game, shooting 47.1 percent overall and 36.3 percent in 3.2 attempts a game from 3-point range.

The Nets acquired McDaniels at the trade deadline on Feb. 23, 2017, from the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations.

He played in 20 games with Brooklyn, averaging 6.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes a game and shooting 45.5 percent overall and 28.2 percent on 2.0 deep attempts per game.

Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks

Departed Brooklyn: Traded to Los Angeles Lakers, June 22, 2017

The leading scorer in franchise history, Brook Lopez was traded by the Brooklyn Nets along with the rights to 29th overall pick Kyle Kuzma to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov on draft night in June 2017.

Lopez played a single season with the Lakers before signing a one-year, $3.4 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks as an unrestricted free agent on July 17.

Lopez, who will be 31 on April 1, has started all 57 games in which he’s played for the Bucks this season, averaging 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 27.9 minutes per game, shooting 45.4 percent overall and 37.2 percent on 6.5 attempts a game from 3-point range.

The Nets, while still in New Jersey, selected Lopez with the 10th overall pick from Stanford University in the 2008 NBA Draft and he played his first nine seasons with the club, earning an All-Star nod in 2013.

Over that time, he played in 562 games — starting 527 — and averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game, shooting 50.6 percent overall and 32.8 percent on 0.7 3-point attempts per game, never attempting more than 14 in a season until launching 387 in his final year in Brooklyn in 2016-17.

Luis Scola, Shanghai Sharks

Departed Brooklyn: Waived, Feb. 27, 2017

Luis Scola hasn’t played in the NBA since being waived by the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 27, 2017, but he’s still in the game.

He signed with the Shanxi Brave Dragons in China in July 2017 before moving to the Shanghai Sharks on Sept. 20.

Per RealGM, the 38-year-old Argentine is averaging 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 30.2 minutes per game, coming off the bench in 32 of his 40 appearances. He’s shooting 51.1 percent overall and 29.8 percent on 2.4 attempts per game from 3-point range.

Scola had signed with Brooklyn as an unrestricted free agent on July 13, 2016, signing a one-year, $5 million deal after a single season with the Toronto Raptors.

In 36 games, including one start, Scola averaged 5.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game, shooting 47.0 percent overall and 34.0 percent on 1.4 deep attempts per game.