Brooklyn Nets: Catching up with former Nets around pro basketball
By Phil Watson
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Bojan Bogdanovic, Indiana Pacers
Departed Brooklyn: Traded to Washington Wizards, Feb. 22, 2017
The Brooklyn Nets traded Bojan Bogdanovic as part of a deadline deal with the Washington Wizards on Feb. 22, 2017, packaging him with Chris McCullough in exchange for Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton and a lottery-protected 2017 first-round pick.
Bogdanovic played out his contract and signed a two-year, $21 million deal with the Indiana Pacers on July 10, 2017.
The 29-year-old Bogdanovic has started all 58 games he’s played for the Pacers this season and is having a career year with averages of 16.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game, shooting 49.4 percent overall and 42.6 percent on 4.7 3-point attempts per game.
The Nets acquired the rights to Bogdanovic, the 31st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft from Croatia, on draft night in 2011, sending a 2013 second-round pick and cash to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He signed with Brooklyn on July 22, 2014, and in parts of three seasons with the Nets averaged 11.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 25.7 minutes a game, shooting 44.1 percent overall and 36.6 percent on 4.1 deep balls per game.
Chris McCullough, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Departed Brooklyn: Traded to Washington Wizards, Feb. 22, 2017
Chris McCullough was sent to the Washington Wizards in the same deal with Bojan Bogdanovic in February 2017, with the Brooklyn Nets acquiring a lottery-protected 2017 first-round pick along with Andrew Nicholson and Marcus Thornton.
McCullough spent the 2017-18 season shuttling back and forth between Washington and the NBA G League before signing a camp contract on Sept. 24 with the Detroit Pistons.
He was waived by the Pistons on Oct. 7 and played briefly with the Shanxi Brave Dragons in China. He returned to the U.S. when the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the G League claimed his rights on Jan. 28.
In seven games, two of them starts, the 24-year-old is averaging 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game, shooting 49.1 percent overall and hitting 2-of-10 from 3-point range,
McCullough was taken by Brooklyn with the 29th overall pick from Syracuse University in the 2015 NBA Draft, but never gained regular playing time. He had torn an ACL as a freshman as Syracuse and was unable to make his NBA debut until February 2016.
In parts of two seasons with the Nets, he averaged 3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game, shooting 42.9 percent overall and 35.0 percent on 1.1 long-range tries a game. McCullough appeared in 38 games, starting four.
Anthony Bennett, Agua Caliente Clippers
Departed Brooklyn: Waived, Jan. 7, 2017
To date, the Brooklyn Nets are the last NBA team for which former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett appeared and he’s been out of the NBA since being waived on Jan. 7, 2017.
Bennett did sign with the Phoenix Suns in September 2017, but was waived before the regular season began and was allocated to the NBA G League’s Northern Arizona Suns. Traded to the Maine Red Claws in December 2017, Bennett was later dealt to the Agua Caliente Clippers on Oct. 22.
The 25-year-old Canadian native has appeared in 25 games and started seven this season, averaging 12.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game while shooting 54.8 percent overall and 45.3 percent on 4.7 3-point attempts a game.
The top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Bennett signed with the Nets on July 14, 2016, after being waived by the Toronto Raptors in March of that year.
He made 23 appearances and one start for Brooklyn, averaging 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes a game, shooting 41.3 percent overall and hitting 27.1 percent on 2.1 deep attempts per game.
Yogi Ferrell, Sacramento Kings
Departed Brooklyn: Waived, Dec. 8, 2016
Yogi Ferrell got a brief look from the Brooklyn Nets before he was waived on Dec. 8, 2016.
Ferrell spent some time with the Nets’ new NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, before signing a 10-day contract, and eventually a full deal with the Dallas Mavericks, in January 2017.
After his qualifying offer was withdraw by the Mavericks, Ferrell signed as a unrestricted free agent with the Sacramento Kings on July 23, getting a partially guaranteed two-year, $6.2 million deal.
Ferrell, 25, has played in 47 games and started three for the surprising Kings this season, averaging 6.0 points and 2.0 assists in 15.1 minutes per game while shooting 44.9 percent overall and 37.8 percent on 2.1 3-point attempts per game.
Ferrell re-signed with the Nets as a free agent on Nov. 9, 2016, after being released in training camp by Brooklyn. He stayed about a month with the club and averaged 5.4 points in 15.1 minutes per game over 10 games, shooting 36.7 percent overall and 29.6 percent on 2.7 long range tries a game.
Thaddeus Young, Indiana Pacers
Departed Brooklyn: Traded to Indiana, July 7, 2016
The Brooklyn Nets were looking to infuse their early rebuilding efforts with some youth and started the process by trading Thaddeus Young to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the rights to 20th overall pick Caris LeVert and a protected 2017 second-round pick.
The pick, protected 45-60, has yet to convey and remains so protected through 2022.
Young, 30, remains with Indiana and in 58 starts this season is averaging 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.2 minutes per game. He’s shooting 53.2 percent overall and 35.6 percent on 1.5 3-point attempts a game.
The Nets got Young in a Feb. 19, 2015, trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Garnett and then re-signed Young to a four-year, $50 million deal in July of that year.
In one full season and part of a second with Brooklyn, he averaged 14.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 32.0 minutes per game, appearing in 101 games and starting 93 of them. He shot 50.9 percent, including 32.5 percent on 0.8 attempt per game.