HoopsHype.com Rumors

The Nets announced at this morning that Brook Lopez, who has missed seven straight games with a mild sprain of the right foot, has been upgraded to "probable" for tonight's game against the Pistons (Buy Tickets). "(Brook) had a pretty good session yesterday," said coach Avery Johnson. "He played a lot of 3-on-3, did a lot of running and he seemed to recover okay. So he's just 'probable.' He got through shoot around. We're going to go in and treat him, get him home, get him some rest and then tonight we'll all sit down and make a decision." NBA.com

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Howard Beck: Brook Lopez is probable for tonight's game vs. Detroit, Nets announce. Twitter @HowardBeckNYT

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

David Aldridge: Nets expect to have Brook Lopez (foot sprain) back either Friday against Detroit or Saturday in Chicago. Has practiced without pain. Twitter

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Josh Newman: The #Nets just announced that Brook Lopez is a game time decision for tomorrow's home game against the #Knicks Twitter @Joshua_Newman

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Stefan Bondy: Based on what Avery Johnson said, it's not so much that Lopez is healing slowly. It's that he has no confidence in cutting on his foot Twitter @NYDNInterNets

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Lopez isn’t likely to be ready for the Knicks, either, rendering Brooklyn a sitting duck for Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony. The last time these two teams played, the Nets were healthy and rolling. Now, they’re standing around on the court, waiting for Lopez, looking as if they don’t know how to win without him. “I don’t want to think like that,” Deron Williams said. “We definitely want him back but I don’t want to think we don’t have a chance to win without him.” New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Deron Williams, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Brook Lopez is making progress. According to the Nets, Lopez "did more agility and shooting with the team today and was pain free." But the center will still be held out of Sunday's game against Milwaukee and is listed as "day-to-day." The Nets are 1-3 without Lopez, who is averaging 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Brook Lopez will miss his fourth straight game tonight against the Warriors, but the Nets are getting closer to seeing their starting center return to the floor. Lopez, who suffered a mild sprain in his right foot in the third quarter of the Nets’ 95-83 win over the Celtics in Boston on Nov. 28, went through a light workout yesterday, and coach Avery Johnson is closer to returning him to the starting lineup. “Brook is feeling better,” Johnson said on a conference call. “He’s doing better, but he’s got to be able to get through a full contact practice before he’ll be released to play, and we’re not sure when that’s going to happen. New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Stefan Bondy: As far as Brook going thru a full contact practice: "We're not sure when that's going to happen," Avery says. Twitter @NYDNInterNets

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez did not practice Monday, a good indication he will not play Tuesday when the Nets host the Thunder at the Barclays Center. Instead, Lopez had an MRI on his right foot. He suffered a mid-ligament sprain in that foot in the Nets' win over the Celtics on Nov. 26. Nets coach Avery Johnson is a stickler for players practicing before returning from injury. New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Brian Windhorst: Nets announce Brook Lopez has a mid-foot sprain, injury not to same area of foot he broke last year. Will be re-evaluated next week. Twitter @WindhorstESPN

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Rod Boone: Brook said he's not sure how long he'll be out, but said he already feels better today than he did yesterday. #Nets Twitter @rodboone

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

But unlike last year, when King was told that Lopez had suffered a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, the news yesterday was relatively good. The X-rays on Lopez’s foot were negative and he was diagnosed with a mild sprain of his right foot, an injury that will keep him out for at least tonight’s game against the Magic and tomorrow’s game in Miami against the Heat. The injury occurred with just under seven minutes left in the third quarter, when Lopez landed awkwardly after completing a drive to the hoop. But after limping on it while moving up the floor, Lopez stayed in the game until the next stoppage in play, when he told the training staff it was just a sprained ankle. Walsh consulted with the Nets’ orthopedist, Dr. Riley Williams III. New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

“When the location of the pain, on top of the foot, was different than where he had it before, [Dr. Williams] suggested we wait, ice, get in here and get X-rayed in Orlando,” King said. “At noon he went with Timmy to see the Orlando doctor, and had an X-ray and the X-ray looks identical to the one before the season started. “It’s not related to the previous injury and he’ll be out these two games and after that he’ll be day-to-day.” New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Brook Lopez will miss the next 2 games with a mild sprain of the right foot. X-rays were negative. Twitter

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Everybody knew about Anthony, and later, Dwight Howard. But King said one of the first calls he made when he got the Nets job was to New Orleans about another superstar point guard -- a point guard named Chris Paul. "I got the job and I knew there was probably going to be a chance," King said. "I knew there was the potential for three guys to be available. I made a run at Chris, they said no right away, and then I made the run at Carmelo. I figured if I got him then I could go after Deron as a free agent. Really, I was getting Carmelo to get Deron. "For us, if I had gotten Carmelo, I already had Brook Lopez," King said. "So I still would've needed a point guard. If I was getting Deron and I had Brook, then I could build around them. Once I had Deron and I had Brook -- even though I went after Dwight -- I knew that if you had a point guard and a big man, you could build around that easy." CBSSports.com

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Billy King, Brook Lopez 

Net Daily: When told Howard plans to knock him in his chest, Brook Lopez smiled and said, "At least he said what he's going to do." #nottakingthebait Twitter @NetsDaily

Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez 

Brooklyn Nets coach Avery Johnson was talking about practice. And he was talking about Nets center Brook Lopez. "He's had to raise the level of his practice habits because of the competition," Johnson said, referring to 2012-13 Nets additions Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche. It was a polite, non-inflammatory way of saying Lopez's practice habits in previous seasons were not what the Nets sought. "We want him to be a presence inside," Johnson said. USA Today

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Andray Blatche, Reggie Evans, Brook Lopez 

The Nets anchored Lopez in the frontcourt and put All-Star guards Deron Williams and Joe Johnson on the perimeter – a nucleus the Nets believe can lead the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07. "Obviously, I'm very happy with the situation," said Lopez, who no longer has to wonder if this is the day he is traded. "This is where I wanted to be. For me, it worked out the best way possible." USA Today

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

Brook Lopez said he didn’t let talk about possibly going to Orlando for Dwight Howard bother him. “It is what it is,’’ said Lopez, the Nets center who faces the Magic on Friday. “I don’t pay attention to sports media every day and watch TV and go on ESPN.com or anything like that. If my name was out there, I didn’t really know it too much. I obviously knew of the situation. I didn’t let it bother me that much.’’ Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez