NBA news: Corey Brewer wants back in, these two teams could use him

Corey Brewer has been out of the NBA for a while, but he wants back in. If he has the chance to pick a contender, these two teams could fit.

A legend wants back into the NBA: That’s right, Corey Brewer is coming back.

OK, that’s a bit of a hyperbolic statement, but Corey Brewer, a lengthy small forward who most recently played in the 2018-19 season with 12 years of NBA experience does want to get back in the NBA and could be an interesting X-Factor if any team picks him up for the remainder of the season.

Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Brewer said:

"“Yeah, we had some talks with a few teams, but nothing really happened. My agent is still working on it, so we’ll see. I feel like I can still help a team and I feel like I have a few good years left. But you never know, man. It’s a lot of young guys now. But we’ll see what happens,” Brewer said."

Brewer told Kennedy the main thing he thinks he can bring to the table is attention to detail, and he hopes he can impart that knowledge with the youth he would play with.

It doesn’t seem as if Brewer has a ton of immediate interest from any teams. Much of that is likely in part due to the ongoing pandemic and the question marks surrounding the return to play for each and every team. Those things should all be resolved soon enough, and all reports indicate that the NBA is likely to roll out a 20 or 22-team remainder to the season in Orlando at Walt Disney World in a campus (“bubble”) environment.

It remains to be seen how the NBA will treat new free agents.

Can teams sign new players and bring them with them to the bubble, even though they’ve been unable to get with the team? Do they need to do anything above and beyond in terms of health, given that they haven’t been under the team’s guidance over the last several months?

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For some teams, it may be unreasonable to expect a new player to join them in such a shaky period of time and expect them to play well and integrate into a new system just as the season is heating up.

On the contrary, in a campus environment, perhaps coaches and players will have more time than ever to get on the same wavelength, allowing for mid-season additions to quickly get settled into new scenery.

Brewer, too, is no stranger to the journeyman role where you plug in wherever and do whatever is needed. His final season was defined by 10-day contracts, so he might be the type to excel in a mid-season pickup, even in a year defined by a hiatus.

Brewer won’t be the hottest of commodities if and when the season returns, but he’s an option. And with little else to look at in terms of present-day transactions while the season ramps up for a resume, why not look at some fits for him?

Utah Jazz might be thinning at SF, Corey Brewer the answer?

The Utah Jazz are going to be a team to watch entering the postseason with plenty to sort out beyond what goes down on the basketball court.

Utah was undesirably at the center of the action the night the NBA’s season was suspended due to star rim protector Rudy Gobert being the first player to test positive for novel coronavirus. That spurred the league to suspend its season, and all other pro sports in American soon followed suit.

Gobert, who had reportedly been jokingly touching his teammates’ belongings in the days leading up to his positive test, fractured his relationship with Donovan Mitchell due to his irresponsible handling of personal space amidst the pandemic.

After that, family man Joe Ingles — who plays small forward for the team — expressed that he was willing to leave basketball behind if it meant protecting his family from the virus.

"“Obviously I would love to go back and play,” Ingles said. “On the flip side, I don’t know if I’m ready to risk catching it and giving it to my family, especially with Milla and Jacob. So all of the scenarios that have been thrown out, we’d have to debate it at the time.”"

While it doesn’t seem as if playing with Ingles is an imminent concern for Utah, they’re still relatively thin at the three and Corey Brewer could help add some depth to the spot.

Behind Ingles, undrafted rookie Jarrell Brantley is all Utah has at the three and though Brewer hasn’t played all season, he has more of a padded NBA resume than Brantley. In a level playing field situation, his experience, NBA know-how, and defensive fortitude could play a big role for the Jazz.

Houston Rockets could be a good system fit for Corey Brewer

Corey Brewer has a history with the Houston Rockets both as an adversary and a team member.

Most recently, in his 2019 run with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brewer was infamous for his unconventional defense against James Harden in which he covered him intensely, even when he was on the ground, keeping precious shot clock time out of Harden’s hands.

Before that, though, Brewer was a Rocket. Brewer played 196 games in Houston over the course of three seasons, averaging 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

Houston has gone all-in with their small-ball experiment and a 6-9, lanky Brewer would fit right in with that system. Houston sits at exactly 15th in defensive rating this season, and Brewer might be able to boost them up to a more workable level for the playoffs on that end of the floor.

Brewer’s best fit might be Houston, where they already have a number of offensive options and a system that centers on James Harden. For other teams, Brewer’s presence might be a sore on offense, but for the Rockets, they need players who can play off-ball and function in a supplementary role.

Unfortunately, Houston relies a lot on the outside shot, and Brewer’s 28.4 percent career accuracy from beyond the arc doesn’t inspire much confidence.

For Houston, Brewer could provide a defensive jolt and could be a system fit on the offensive end. He won’t move the needle very much, but a few minutes per night might help.