With Wednesday’s deadline for guaranteeing player contracts lurking, the Nets renounced guards Andre Roberson and Iman Shumpert, as well as center Noah Vonleh, and agreed to call up Tyler Cook to 6’9 ”G League power forward, for a 10-day deal, according to several reports.
Shams Charania reports that two of the three rejected, Roberson and Shumpert, will sign 10-day deals if they release waivers, giving Steve Nash a chance to further evaluate them. Vonleh appears to be gone.
No surprise either: Tuesday night’s reports suggest Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will be guaranteed for the remainder of the season, giving Brooklyn its bird rights in August.
Adrian Wojanarowski and Charania tweeted the news shortly after the Nets defeated the kings …
Security guard Iman Shumpert and attacker Andre Roberson plan to sign 10-day contracts with the Nets when they release waivers on Friday, sources say @BuienRadarNL @StadiumNets retain flexibility for this week’s warranty deadline.
– Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 24, 2021
Brooklyn plans to have Tyler Cook sign a 10-day contract, the source tells ESPN.
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 24, 2021
By signing Roberson and Shumpert for 10 days, two defensive guards who can play multiple positions, the Nets will give Steve Nash more time to evaluate the two veterans. Team can extend players to a second 10 days before deciding whether to keep them. Roberson had been signed a week ago and Shumpert in late January, but he was sidelined with a hamstring load until Tuesday night. The moves will also save the Nets some luxury taxes, but the main reason seems to be Sean Mark’s roster flexibility.
Nash talked about Roberson’s potential post-game and compared the 6’7 ”29-year-old to Tuesday night’s hero, Bruce Brown.
Bruce makes it look easy. It’s not easy being a 6’3 ”guard and picking, rolling, catching the ball, finishing. Andre is also a very intelligent player, but I don’t want to do that to him. He can certainly pick and roll some, and he can certainly guard some of the bigger players, ”said Nash, making the comparison.
Cook, 23, went out of Iowa in the 2018 NBA Draft and has been bouncing in the G League and NBA edges ever since. Last season, Cook played in 13 NBA games, two with Denver and 11 with Cleveland, averaging 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in a combined 4.2 minutes.
This season, he signed with the Iowa Wolves, the affiliate of the G League in Minnesota, averaging 20.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in one game. Not a 3-point shooter, it has defensive potential thanks to its 7’1 ”wingspan.
His best game was the Wolves opener against the Long Island Nets, scoring 31 points on 14-of-20 shots, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks. He’s not a three-point shooter … or at least hasn’t been.
Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside, our G League sister site on SB Nation, had this to say earlier Tuesday.
Unsurprisingly, as Cook was absolutely amazing in the G League bubble. The 6’8 attacker has been a force with the ball in his hands, fighting on the attack glass and as a facilitator in moving the ball to other players. https://t.co/KaG9sbTkNX
– Ridiculous Upside (@RidicUpside) February 24, 2021
Cook played high school ball with the Celtics Jayson Tatum in their native St. Louis.