Which Nets Players Will Be Fighting for a Spot on The Team?

With their current roster sitting just one spot below the offseason limit of 21 players, and the possibility of either re-signing Cam Thomas or acquiring a player in a salary dump still looming, the Brooklyn Nets' roster will have to undergo some trimming ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Although the team’s five first-round picks and recent trade acquisitions (Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann) should be safe, there are some players on the bubble who could be cut altogether or sent to the G League before the season starts.

Grant Nelson

On June 27, the Nets extended a training camp invite to Nelson while signing him to a two-way deal ahead of the Las Vegas Summer League. Through five Summer League games, Nelson averaged six points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 57.9% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc.

While speaking to ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater at Summer League, Nelson explained that the Nets showed enough belief in his development for him to feel comfortable landing in Brooklyn.

"From the beginning, they had interest... I just saw that this would be the best opportunity," Nelson said. "They believed in me and my development, so I felt like it was a good step for me to come here and learn a lot. It's been going pretty good."

During his final season at Alabama, the 6-foot-11 power forward averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while helping lead the Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight. If he does end up getting released from Brooklyn's active roster, he showcased enough potential in college and during the Summer League to earn a G League spot with the Long Island Jets.

Fanbo Zeng

As one of Brooklyn’s most intriguing acquisitions of the offseason, Zeng’s fate with the team depends entirely on how much development and progress he has made since returning to China to play professionally.

After originally being a top high school prospect who committed to Gonzaga, Zeng ultimately chose to play for the G League Ignite, where he had a short and rough stint that led him to go overseas. However, he filled out his frame and showcased improvements while averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Once viewed as China’s top basketball prospect by NBA insider Shams Charania, Zeng clearly has the size and athletic skill set to find a home in the NBA. It’s just a matter of putting it all together before it’s too late.

Drew Timme

It almost feels disrespectful to include Timme on this list fresh off an incredibly impressive NBA Summer League performance, but the uncertainty surrounding Brooklyn’s roster makes the possibility of him getting cut very real.

Through five Summer League games, he was the league’s second-leading scorer, averaging 25.3 points to go along with eight rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Although he appeared in just nine NBA games with Brooklyn last year, Timme still managed to make an impact late in the season by averaging 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.

Unlike Nelson, if Timme were to get released, it might be in his best interest to test the market and seek a contract from another NBA team that could use him, instead of spending more time in the G League.