Former Gonzaga standout Drew Timme shines in NBA Summer League debut with Brooklyn Nets

Timme leads all players in scoring in his Summer League debut with the Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Nets forward Drew Timme scored 22 points in his first 2025 NBA Summer League game. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Drew Timme's decision to play in the NBA Summer League for a third year in a row made it clear the former Gonzaga star wasn't content with just getting his foot in the door of the most exclusive basketball league in the world.

With a few more standout performances like the one he had Thursday in Brooklyn's first Summer League game, Timme shouldn't have to worry about his place in the NBA for much longer.

The three-time All-America forward looked like the best player in an exhibition game that featured five first-round picks on the floor, including four on his own team, as Timme finished with a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds in Brooklyn's 90-81 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Timme looked comfortable from the opening tip, scoring five points in the first quarter and banking in a 3-pointer that elicited quite the smile from the 6-foot-10 Texan as he jogged back up the floor.

Timme's relaxed demeanor made for a humorous sideline interview with ESPN's Dave McMenamin, in which Timme laughed off a miscue between him and rookie teammate Danny Wolf.

Drew Timme is hilarious pic.twitter.com/oTD1oPk7Dq

— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) July 10, 2025

On the floor, Timme was all business. The Nets ran a majority of their offense in the second half through the 24-year-old, and he delivered time and time again in the low post. Timme shot an efficient 10-of-13 from the field and didn't commit a single turnover in 30 minutes of playing time.

Brooklyn saw enough of Timme during the 2024-25 regular season to exercise his $1.9 million team option at the end of June. Though if there's anyone who knows how quickly an opportunity in the NBA can fade away as quickly as it came, it's Timme; a former undrafted free agent who had his first year in the G League cut short just when it seemed like a call-up to the big leagues was on its way.

With another string of highly productive Summer League games, Timme's case to be on a main roster holds even more validity.

Timme is back in action Monday when the Nets take on the Washington Wizards (ESPN2, 5 p.m. PST).