Brooklyn Nets’ All-Star Acquisition Ruled Out vs Detroit Pistons

The Brooklyn Nets will be down a one-time All-Star against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

Justin Grasso | 14 Hours Ago

Jan 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) reacts after being called for a foul against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

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The Brooklyn Nets have been making some notable roster moves as of late. While they have clearly taken on the role of becoming sellers ahead of next month’s trade deadline, one of their recent moves included acquiring a one-time NBA All-Star in D’Angelo Russell.

Just as Russell’s second stint with the Nets started up, he ended up dealing with an injury setback, which sidelined him during the first half of the Nets’ January 4 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Russell checked out after 14 minutes of action. He had made just one of his four shots from the field to score five points. He racked up four assists before his night concluded. Once suffered a shin-related setback, the Nets called it a night for Russell.

When the Detroit Pistons pay the Nets a visit on Wednesday, Russell won’t be available for the action.

D'Angelo Russell (shin) ruled out for Wednesday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 7, 2025

Wednesday’s game against Detroit marks the second matchup in a row the Nets will not have Russell on the floor since they acquired him from the LA Lakers before the new year.

In the three games Russell played with Brooklyn, he averaged 13 points, two rebounds, and eight assists while knocking down 46 percent of his shots from the field. The Nets went 1-1 in the stretch when Russell played over 25 minutes.

Dec 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) moves the ball against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

This year, Russell wrapped up his second stint with the Lakers. He was dealt to LA during the 2022-2023 season and averaged 17 points and six rebounds in 17 games.

Last season, Russell played the whole year in LA. He appeared in 76 games, averaging 18 points and six assists while knocking down 42 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Prior to getting moved back to Brooklyn for a second stint, Russell played in 29 games for the Lakers this year. He spent nearly half of those matchups coming off the bench. Seeing the court for an average of 26 minutes per game, Russell was producing 12 points and five assists on a nightly basis.

Cam Johnson and Cam Thomas facing the Piston

Dec 23, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) and forward Cameron Johnson (2) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Down Two Cams

The Brooklyn Nets have quite the crowded injury report on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. Beyond the new acquisition, D’Angelo Russell, the Nets anticipate missing two starters in the duo of Cams.

As expected, Cam Johnson will not get the nod to play on Wednesday. He has been ruled out with a right ankle sprain. Late last week, Johnson popped up on the Nets’ injury report and it was suggested he would miss a handful of games moving forward.

Johnson’s recent string of absences started against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 4. When the Nets took on the Indiana Pacers two nights later, Johnson missed his second outing in a row. Wednesday’s game against Detroit will make it three-straight.

This season, Johnson has appeared in 32 games. He is posting averages of 20 points, four rebounds, and three assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc.

While Johnson is currently out of the mix, his name has been steadily brought up in the NBA’s trade rumor mill. Being that the Nets are viewed as sellers, the 28-year-old sharpshooter is a solid candidate for any contending teams in search of a valuable veteran shooter.

As for the veteran guard Cam Thomas, he’s been dealing with hamstring concerns as of late. Since November, Thomas has missed plenty of action, starting on November 27 against the Phoenix Suns.

Thomas was out for a 13-game stretch, missing most of December. The veteran guard returned to action on December 29 to take on the Orlando Magic. He checked in for 24 minutes and produced 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a one-point loss.

Since his return Thomas has just one game under his belt. He’s been out for all but two of the Nets’ previous five games. Wednesday night will mark Thomas’ third-straight absence.

The Nets and the Pistons will tip at 7:30 PM ET.