A nightmare injury situation has gone from bad to worse for the Brooklyn Nets after D’Angelo Russell exited a blowout 123-94 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Russell, who only re-joined the Nets last week after being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers, did not return for the second half after suffering a right shin contusion. Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said after the game that Russell got hit in the shin and was experiencing discomfort but provided no further update.

The Lakers sent Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton on Sunday. Both players that the Nets received from the Lakers have already suffered injuries in a disastrous year for the organization.

Injuries have been the tale of Brooklyn’s season, with Cam Thomas (left hamstring) and Cam Johnson (right ankle) both out for the foreseeable future. Fernandez has barely coached a healthy roster, let alone stick with a consistent starting line-up.

The Nets received second-round picks in 2027, 2030, and 2031 from the Lakers, providing a major boost for the future. But the present looks bleak as they’re now down two players and running out of options on the bench.

On Wednesday, Lewis had to be carried off the court just one minute into his Nets debut after colliding with Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl during a 3-point attempt. Poeltl appeared to step on Lewis’ foot, which caused him to slip and hurt his left knee, and it’s now been revealed that he’s suffered a left tibia fracture.

Maxwell Lewis suffered a tibia fracture on his Nets debut.

Maxwell Lewis suffered a tibia fracture on his Nets debut. ( 

Image:

X: @LucasKaplan_)

The severity of Russell’s injury is unknown, but the veteran was hopeful of enjoying a second stint with the Nets after previously playing for the organization between 2017-19. It was in Brooklyn where Russell earned his only NBA All-Star selection.

Before tip-off on Saturday, Fernandez said that the injuries were a “good challenge” for the Nets, although that test continues to get harder. “There’s gonna be a lot of minutes to be played and a lot of shots to be taken and it’s not just one person,” Fernandez said.

“And I think the guys have a great mindset and a togetherness and I think we’re ready to fill right there what we need to fill. So, excited to see some of these others guys do things that they’re not used to doing or maybe as much. So, a good challenge for all of us.

“We’ll have right around 10-11 healthy bodies and rotations can go 9-10, so it’s gonna be everybody. Sometimes even if I say I want this guy to take more shots, you never know because all of those guys have done a good job being open and shooting it. I’m happy with all of them as long as they take good shots and high-volume shots. That’s how we’re gonna go about it.”