The Nets lost to the Kings 110-96 despite a game that was still relatively close over the course of the first three quarters before Brooklyn let go of the rope in the fourth quart

Part of the reason that Brooklyn found it tough to hang in there is due to their defense struggling to contain Tyler Herro, who piled up 25 points and eight assists in the contest. With that being said, here are the Nets player grades following Saturday's loss to the Heat:

After the Los Angeles Lakers traded Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Nets last month in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, he dropped 22 points off the bench in his season debut with Brooklyn in a 130-113 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 1.

On Vince Carter's jersey retirement night, Brooklyn couldn't overcome the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat, falling 106-97. D'Angelo Russell led the Nets with 22 points and six assists, but a joint 42-point effort by Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith all but neutralized his output.

As the calendar turned toward 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers made a bold roster move, trading D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for versatile forward Dorian Finney-Smith and sharpshooter Gabe Vincent.

Ahead of his first game against his former team since getting traded last month, Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell commented Friday on how his second