Josh Minott didn’t need long to make the Brooklyn Nets pay attention.
After joining Brooklyn last season, the 23-year-old wing carved out a real role in just 16 games, and he did it while working through a nagging ankle injury that had also slowed him during his time with the Boston Celtics. Now, after earning a new deal, he’s being cast as one of the Nets’ most intriguing young bets heading into 2026-27.
Bleacher Report put it plainly when it labeled Minott the team’s hidden gem: “A 6'8" wing who's only 23 and recently became a 40 percent three-point shooter? What's not to like about Josh Minott?”
That kind of profile makes sense for a Brooklyn roster looking for useful, low-maintenance contributors. Minott averaged 10.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 19.3 minutes per game with the Nets, while hitting 39.5 percent of his threes. He didn’t need the ball to find a way to matter, and that mattered for a team searching for versatile role players.
His calling card has long been defense. At 6-foot-8 with a wingspan that nearly reaches seven feet, Minott has the length and mobility to cover multiple spots, jump passing lanes and turn defense into easy offense.
That was on display in Brooklyn’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, when he put up a career-high 24 points to go with three steals and three blocks. He also flashed the quick trigger and confidence that made him dangerous as a catch-and-shoot option from deep.
Brooklyn backed up its belief in him this offseason by re-signing him to a two-year, $9 million contract. The Nets also declined to keep Ziaire Williams, who had occupied a similar young-wing role, choosing to lean into Minott’s upside rather than chase a pricier veteran answer.
General manager Sean Marks made clear the injury context around Minott’s season when he spoke at his end-of-season press conference.
“He was playing on one leg with us for most of the time here,” Marks said during his end-of-season press conference. “So it's nice to get that ankle taken care of, and then again, have another big summer for a young man like that.”
Brooklyn added veterans Julius Randle, Keon Ellis and Moritz Wagner this summer, but the Nets’ longer-term outlook will still hinge in part on young players like Minott earning their place in the rotation. If he can stay healthy and carry that 16-game burst into a full season, Brooklyn may have found a seriously underrated wing on a team-friendly deal.
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