Tyrese Martin's Value Among the Youthful Ranks of the Brooklyn Nets

Martin defied the odds by making the Nets' roster, and now it's being questioned whether that was the right decision.

Nov 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Tyrese Martin (13) attempts a lay up against the Washington Wizards during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets, despite being projected as one of the worst teams in the NBA heading into the season, still faced dilemmas with roster cuts during the preseason. Names like Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme, Keon Johnson, Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin were all on the bubble.

The ladder two of the five made the Nets' final roster, while the other three had to find new homes. Wilson wasn't as much of a shock making the roster as Martin was.

At 26 years old, Martin was older than Whitehead, Timme and Johnson by a good margin. Brooklyn's front office didn't want to go with any of its younger options because they saw what Martin could provide beyond just box score numbers.

“Consistent not just on his work, but also his personality and how he behaves,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “Even keeled. Never too high, never too low. Always a good example for the rest (of the team). Doesn’t say much, but when he does say something it’s meaningful."

The silent leadership stands out at the top of the list as something that makes him valuable. On a team that has an average age of 23.3 years old, the organization saw that Martin exemplifies what it means to lead by example.

Even through inconsistent shooting this season, he has been a good player to learn from for the young guards and wings on the team.

Circling back to his actual impact on the court, it's clear that when Martin plays well, the team feeds off of him. In the Nets' two wins this season, he is averaging 18 points, 3.5 rebounds, three assists and two stocks per game.

Just because Martin can contribute to wins doesn't mean he should be playing over players like Egor Demin or Ben Saraf, however. The goals of this season should be to develop current youth, earn a high draft pick in 2026 and gather more draft capital in general.

The likely reason for Martin playing a big role off the bench and making a couple of starts this season relates to increasing trade value. While it may not seem like someone averaging just 7.4 points per game on 37.9% shooting from the field has much trade value, some teams playing against injuries or the salary cap could find Martin a steal at his current contract.

Whether Brooklyn decides to move on from Martin or not, it shouldn't be a foregone conclusion that he is hurting the team more than helping. The few veterans with the Nets are important for developing the youth, both on and off the court.