Brooklyn’s most intriguing training camp fight is set to come at forward, where the Nets have a crowded mix of young players trying to carve out minutes behind Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr.
Those two spots are spoken for, but the backup battle is wide open. Brian Lewis of the New York Post points to Josh Minott, Danny Wolf, Noah Clowney and Joshua Jefferson as the names to watch once camp opens.
Jefferson enters with the loosest grip on a role. As a rookie, he’s expected to spend much of his first season with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate.
Minott already showed he can help. After arriving midseason, he dealt with an ankle injury that slowed his start in Brooklyn, then finished strong with two 20-plus-point games and 10.8 points per contest over 16 appearances.
That stretch earned him praise from general manager Sean Marks in his exit interview, and the Nets rewarded him with a two-year, $9 million deal. His 39.5% shooting from three and 1.3 steals per game give Brooklyn a cost-controlled wing who can impact both ends.
Wolf is heading into his second year as part of the Flatbush Five, with Egor Dëmin standing out as the best of that group and taking a step forward as a downhill scorer. That leaves pressure on the others to prove they can matter on a roster that’s young and packed.
For Wolf, the next step is clear: he has to get better as an interior scorer, much like Dëmin. He took more rim attempts than 66% of the league, but shot better than just 17% of players.
At 6-foot-11, his shot profile looks more like a center’s, and the Nets will want more efficiency around the basket.
Clowney may be the most interesting name in the mix. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and eligible for an extension, which makes this season especially important.
The 22-year-old started a career-high 60 games last season, but Randle’s arrival pushes him back to the bench. Now he has to show he can still be effective in a smaller role, stretching the floor and drawing fouls.
That part of his game already stands out. Clowney posted a foul-drawing frequency of 18.5%, higher than Karl-Anthony Towns at 16.4%, Anthony Edwards at 15.2% and Paolo Banchero at 13.8%.
For now, Clowney looks like the most established option to open the year as Randle’s backup at power forward. Jefferson is still a rookie, and Wolf still has room to grow in his second season. Jordi Fernández has real decisions ahead of him, and the forwards he picks will say plenty about how Brooklyn wants to play.
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Nets Camp Puts Big Pressure On Two First Round Rookies
Training camp is bringing immediate attention to Brooklyns two first-round additions, with Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson arriving as the newest pieces in a roster that is still taking shape under Jordi Fernandez. Brown, taken by the Nets in the 2026 NBA Draft, comes in as a raw guard with clear scoring upside, while Jefferson profiles as a developmental frontcourt option whose path may depend on how quickly he settles into the NBA game.
For Brooklyn, the appeal is obvious, but so is the pressure. Brown could find himself in the mix for the starting point guard job, while Jefferson is looking at a potential role as a backup big man, and neither player is being handed anything as camp opens. With minutes up for grabs and competition already in place, the Nets will learn early how ready their two first-rounders are to turn promise into something more immediate. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Are Betting On One Risk Before Their Next Big Move
Sean Marks continues to frame the Nets' direction around patience, flexibility and internal growth, with the front office keeping its options open as the roster takes shape. The general manager pointed to the development of young players such as Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr., while also stressing the value of cost-effective contracts as Brooklyn tries to keep its books clean for whatever comes next.
The appeal of that approach is obvious for a team still trying to build toward its next major move, but it also asks the Nets to trust the process in the present. For now, there are no confirmed trades or signings attached to Marks' comments, only a clear picture of an organization betting that young talent and financial flexibility can set up the real opportunity when it arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Media Day Will Frame The Next Stage Of This Rebuild
Mondays Media Day will give the Nets their first real public checkpoint of the season, with YES Network carrying the event live starting at 11 a.m. ET. Its the kind of day that matters most for a team still trying to define what this rebuild looks like in real time, and Brooklyn has plenty to discuss after spending the past year laying the groundwork for what comes next.
Jordi Fernandez and Sean Marks are set to front the conversation, alongside new faces like Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, Keon Ellis and Mo Wagner. The bigger backdrop is the second year of a rebuild built around the five first-round picks known as the Flatbush Five, which makes this less about introducing a roster and more about seeing how far the organization thinks it has come, and how much further it still has to go. [Read more 🡒]