Who Will Be the Brooklyn Nets' Primary Distributor Next Year?

The team still does not have an established ball-handler that they can rely on next season.

Apr 10, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Tyson Etienne (10) brings the ball up court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets have addressed needs and concerns at a variety of positions, but the team still doesn't have an established ball-handler that they can rely on next season.

Although he appeared in only 33 games for Brooklyn last season before being waived in February, former Net Ben Simmons still managed to lead the team in total assists (229). Besides Simmons, Cameron Johnson and D'Angelo Russell, two of the team’s top four distributors, are also no longer on the roster.

Which Rookie Will Step Up?

The Nets emphasized backcourt play during the 2025 NBA Draft, with four of their NBA-record five first-round selections being guards. However, the one big man they drafted might have the best shot at becoming one of the team’s top playmakers.

Mar 28, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) drives against Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson (31) in the second half of a South Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In an episode of the Nets' SCOUT YouTube series, a member of Brooklyn's scouting department pointed out that Danny Wolf has unprecedented ball-handling skills for a player of his size.

“I’ve never seen seven feet and 250 move like that,” the scout said. “He is a primary ball-handler. It's not about what he can do as an individual player, but more what he can do for the group.”

Last season, Wolf was Michigan's second-leading passer while also leading the team and entire Big Ten conference in assists per game. Whether it’s using his impressive instincts to fire an outlet pass down the court after grabbing a defensive rebound, or making the right read and kicking out to a teammate after snagging an offensive board, Wolf has the potential to follow in the footsteps of versatile bigs like Alperen Şengün and Domantas Sabonis

Jed Katz

Besides Wolf, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and Egor Demin have also shown impressive playmaking abilities while playing at the college and overseas level. Each player led their respective team in assists last year, while Saraf led the group in assists once they all began playing together in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Traore and Demin thrive as downhill playmakers, while Saraf is a bit more methodical and patient with his distribution. Last season, Saraf led Ratiopharm Uln with 4.6 assists per game while helping them reach the Basketball Bundesliga Finals. While he may be talented enough to be a productive point guard, he will need to improve his decision-making, as he led both Ratiopharm Uln and the Nets Summer League team in turnovers per game during the most recent season.