Sergey Karasev wants to be traded, father says

In an interview with SovSport, the big Russian sports publication, Sergey Karasev's father, a coach himself, says the Nets guard wants to be traded and criticizes Lionel Hollins and the organization, saying the team is in "total disarray."

"It's totally confusing," said Vasily Karasev, once one of Russia's best players and now coach of Zenit in the Russian basketball league. "Sergey is totally healthy. But the coach seems to be thinking something different: he said that he does not see Sergey as part of the team. Based on what I've seen personally - the team is in total disarray. If I went there myself - even that would be better. The team has no game."

The senior Karasev said as a result, his son is talking about trades.

"Sergey is starting to discuss trade scenarios. He's a young guy (22), he has to play. He feels that he's fully rehabbed, that his health is good. So to sit on the bench for a whole year is just not acceptable," said Vasily Karasev, according to a translation.

A league source confirmed that Karasev would like to be traded.  Karasev, a 6'7" swingman, taken with the 19th pick in the 2013 Draft, was traded to the Nets a year ago with Jarrett Jack. He started 16 games before going down last March, dislocating his knee cap and tearing his meniscus.  It was his first injury and he told reporters at Media Day that they would see "a new Sergey."

Vasily Karasev also said it's possible that his son would follow the example of Alexey Shved, the Knick point guard, who returned to Russia this summer and became Europe's highest paid player.

Sergey Karasev tweeted out his love of Nets fans Thursday morning.

Love kids and Nets fans.. pic.twitter.com/H58dpqawOZ

— Sergey Karasev (@SKgetbuckets) November 19, 2015

The senior Karasev added that he suspects there may be "political reasons" behind his son's demotion.

"I do not understand how a player who last year went out and started 16 games and helped his team win, can be permanently benched and not play just based on the coach's whim. I do not know, maybe there are some political reasons."

Karasev has played four minutes in two games this season. At the end of October, the Nets decided against exercising their fourth year option on Karasev, which would have paid him $2.46 million and permitted the Nets to keep him another year.  The Nets have had two Russian players since Mikhail Prokhorov bought the team in 2010. Last season, after Hollins told Andrei Kirilenko he wasn't part of the Nets plan, the Russian forward was traded to Philadelphia and retired. He is now the head of the Russian basketball federation.