The Nets are walking into 2026-27 with a roster that looks nothing like the one they were piecing together a year ago, and that alone tells you how much the ground has shifted in Brooklyn.
Last season’s group has scattered in every direction. Tyrese Martin is in Spain, Tyson Etienne is in France, EJ Liddell is in Greece, and Tre Scott is in Germany.
Malachi Smith and Jalen Wilson are on two-way contracts. Ochai Agbaji is on an Exhibit 10 deal.
Cam Thomas and Dariq Whitehead are still unsigned. The only player from that batch on a standard NBA contract is Ziaire Williams, who signed a veteran minimum deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
That’s not just roster churn. It’s a snapshot of how Brooklyn was operating.
For stretches over the past two seasons, the Nets were digging through the bottom of the league’s player pool, trying to patch together minutes after injuries, trades, and shutdowns stripped the roster down. Martin had been on a standard deal before Brooklyn waived him in February, then he ended up with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way contract before heading overseas.
Etienne spent the previous two seasons with the Nets on two-way deals and is now in France. Liddell was with Brooklyn last season on a two-way contract and is now in Greece.
Scott’s path was even more winding: a 10-day with Brooklyn, time with the Long Island Nets, and now a shot in Germany.
Even Wilson, who spent years on a standard NBA contract with Brooklyn and showed flashes along the way, is now on a two-way with the Atlanta Hawks.
None of that means those players couldn’t belong in the NBA. But it does show the kind of burden Brooklyn was asking them to carry while they were still trying to establish themselves.
At one point last season, the Nets were basically rolling out a G League roster. Scott Lewis pointed out on social media that Brooklyn played practically a complete G League lineup for stretches of the second half of the year. By season’s end, the Nets were leaning on Etienne, Liddell, Smith, Wilson, and Agbaji while key pieces were either unavailable or already gone.
Demin was shut down on March 9, Michael Porter Jr. was shut down on April 3, and both missed 30 games during the season. Cam Thomas and Martin were waived on February 5.
That part of the story can disappear when people look only at the final record. It shouldn’t.
Brooklyn is in a different place now. The team added Julius Randle, a three-time All-Star who put up 21 points, seven rebounds, and five assists last season. It also brought in Mikel Brown Jr., another high lottery pick, and added a wave of young players who should have bigger roles in the organization.
The bigger shift is this: the Nets are no longer just hunting for bodies who can survive at the NBA level.
They currently have nine players in either their first or second NBA season: Brown, Joshua Jefferson, Tyler Bilodeau, Dëmin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Nolan Traore, Danny Wolf, and Chaney Johnson.
That doesn’t guarantee anything. Some of them could wind up overseas.
Some could end up in the G League. Some may never carve out steady roles in Brooklyn.
That’s rebuilding. There are no promises attached.
But this is still a much better place to be than the one Brooklyn occupied not long ago, when merely hanging around on an NBA roster felt like the achievement.
The Nets are trying to build something that lasts. Last season, they were often just trying to make it through the night.
Those are not the same thing.
In Other News...
Egor Demin Is Giving The Nets A Reason To Watch Closely
Egor Demin has already given the Nets a little something to monitor as the season takes shape, and it starts with the way he talks about his role. The young guard-forward has made clear he wants to help in whatever way the team needs, whether that means handling the ball or working alongside another creator, and he has framed his approach around winning rather than chasing numbers. For a Brooklyn group still sorting through its long-term pieces, that kind of flexibility is exactly the sort of trait that can make a prospect stand out.
Coach Jordi Fernndez has noticed the progress, too, pointing to how much Demin has improved since last year and how his voice is starting to carry more weight. That matters for a Nets team looking for players who can grow into bigger responsibilities without needing everything scripted for them. Demin is not the only young player around the league drawing attention for versatility, but in Brooklyn, his development has started to feel like one of the more relevant storylines to keep an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Are Still Waiting For The First Real Mikel Brown Jr. Look
Mikel Brown Jr. arrived in Brooklyn with the kind of profile that usually gets a fan base dreaming quickly. The No. 6 pick has already drawn praise inside the organization for his leadership and the way he plays, and the Nets see him as a point guard who can help organize the offense with both scoring and passing. He has also been grinding through a demanding daily routine as he works to add the strength needed for NBA contact, a reminder that even top picks often need time before the league fully reveals them.
For now, though, Nets fans are still waiting for their first real look at him in game action. Brown Jr. has been recovering from a rolled ankle, and his participation in the upcoming preseason game is uncertain, which leaves his debut on hold a little longer than anyone around the team probably hoped. The anticipation is part of the process with a young guard like this, but Brooklyn would like to start seeing the shape of what it drafted, especially with preseason opportunities beginning to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Egor Demin Is Forcing A Real Nets Rotation Conversation
Egor Demin has spent Nets training camp and the early preseason making himself part of the conversation, and that alone is a meaningful step after an uneven rookie season. The young guard has shown more comfort, more versatility and a better feel for how Brooklyn wants to play, enough for the coaching staff to note real progress as he works to carve out a larger role.
For a team still sorting out its rotation, Demins growth adds another layer to the decisions ahead. Brooklyn is experimenting with different lineup combinations in the preseason as it looks for ways to maximize spacing and flexibility, and that kind of tinkering can open doors for players who keep stacking good days. The question now is whether Demins momentum holds once the games start to count and the Nets have to settle on who fits where. [Read more 🡒]