Brooklyn Rookies Perform Well in Narrow Loss Against Cavaliers

As the NBA regular season draws closer to an end, a number of first-year players will see their debut seasons come to an end.

Most teams who are heading into the postseason don’t have many rookies in the regular rotation. Teams like Charlotte, Philadelphia, Toronto and even San Antonio lean heavily on first-year players, but many prominent members of the 2025 NBA Draft class are putting the final touches on their rookie years over the next 20 games.

In Brooklyn, all five of the Nets’ first-round picks are wrapping up their first professional seasons as the team hopes for lottery luck in the 2026 class. A few of those players shined on Sunday as Brooklyn took on Cleveland in a hard-fought Eastern Conference matchup that saw the Cavaliers earn a 106-102 win.

First-round pick Nolan Traore started for Brooklyn, tallying 17 points, 2 assists, a rebound and a steal while shooting 7-of-15 from the field, 1-of-6 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. After being selected No. 19 overall in 2025, Traore is averaging 8.2 points, 3.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game while shooting 39.5% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range.

Still 19-years-old, Traore has shown flashes at times during his rookie season and will be an intriguing piece of Brooklyn’s rebuild moving forward.

Off the bench, rookie big man Danny Wolf had a strong showing, finishing with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and a turnover while shooting 7-of-13 from the field, 3-of-8 from 3-point range and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Wolf, who was selected No. 27 overall, has showcased a unique skill set during his first year in the NBA.

With good passing acumen at 6-foot-11, Wolf could be a solid rotation player on offense for the Nets. As a rookie, the 21-year-old is averaging 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 40.8% from the field and 32.4% from 3-point range.

After recently signing a 10-day contract with the Nets, undrafted big man Grant Nelson chipped in 11 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, 3 blocks and a steal while shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line against Cleveland.

Nelson, who previously played for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, became the first player in Brooklyn Nets’ history to surpass 10 points, 5 assists and 5 blocks in his first two games with the team.

Grant Nelson in his second-career NBA game:

• 11 PTS
• 4 REB
• 3 BLK

The first player in franchise history with 10+ PTS, 5+ AST and 5+ BLK across their first two career games. pic.twitter.com/LR3sbGVK7w
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 1, 2026

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