The Brooklyn Nets’ 2026 draft day brought a little celebration, a little basketball theater and one notable health update from Sean Marks.
At the team’s press conference Monday at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, the Nets introduced their three draft picks to the community, with new guard Mikel Brown Jr. front and center after Brooklyn made him the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. But the bigger immediate news came when Marks addressed the status of second-year guard Nolan Traore.
"We've got a couple of guys who are a little banged up. Nolan just had a scope on his right knee so he will not be in summer league," Marks said during his media session on Monday.
Traore, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, had been one of the players the Nets were eager to evaluate this summer. That wait will stretch a bit longer now, though Marks said the expectation is for Traore to be back in time for camp.
"But, he's expected to make a full return for training camp in early September so he won't miss much time," Marks continued in his explanation on Traore before detailing what led to the scope in the first place. "He had a little bit [of an injury] from back in the season so I think now he's just decided the best thing was to get this scoped and get it taken care of."
The 20-year-old Traore just finished a 2025-26 season that saw him average 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 38.0% from the field and 31.8% from three. He didn’t open the year as the starting point guard, but after a few G League stints with Long Island, he earned his first start on Jan. 29 and held onto the role from there.
With Brown now in the mix and Egor Demin moving into more of an off-ball role, the point guard picture in Brooklyn is suddenly a real competition. Traore was expected to be part of that battle this summer, but for now his focus shifts to recovery, with Marks indicating the knee procedure should not keep him out long.
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Nets Summer Roster Is Here But Two Key Names Are Missing
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One notable name is missing from the list. Joshua Jefferson is not cleared to take part yet because his arrival to Brooklyn is still tied to an unfinished transaction, and Nolan Traore will sit out the summer run after a recent knee procedure. For a team using these exhibitions to sort out its next crop of talent, the absences matter almost as much as the names on the court. [Read more 🡒]