Three Nets Under the Most Pressure in the Summer League

For the first time in three months, the Brooklyn Nets return to the court on Saturday for their Summer League opener.

The Nets will be taking on the Kings in Sacramento to kick off a very important stretch of games. The Summer League is where young players can showcase what they can do to the front office. Brooklyn has plenty of young talent that will be on display over the next few weeks.

Summer League is also a time when players can prove what they aren't. Struggles in Summer League could leave a player's future with the team at risk, especially if they've already had a chance to prove themselves at the NBA level. That's certainly the case for a few Nets on the roster. Here's a look at the three Nets players facing the most pressure to perform in the Summer League.

1. Ben Saraf

Saraf was one of Brooklyn's five first-round picks in the 2025 draft. He showed off some good things in limited minutes as a rookie. His passing ability was a bright spot, and he wasn't a total liability defensively. However, his scoring efficiency wasn't great, as he shot just 21.1% from three-point range. The holes in his game are very noticeable.

With the Nets drafting Mikel Brown Jr. at sixth overall a few weeks ago, guard minutes are going to be hard to come by. Brown and Egor Demin should see the starting minutes in the backcourt. Saraf is struggling just to be a rotation player. If he showcases the same warts in his game at the Summer League, he could find himself in the G-League next season.

2. Drake Powell

Just like Saraf, Powell was one of the five first-rounders taken by the Nets last year. And he finds himself in a very similar situation. Powell showed flashes of good stuff as a rookie, slashing to the rim and finishing. However, he was also done in by a poor jump shot, knocking down just 28% of his threes.

Powell has to show improvement in that aspect of his game in the Summer League. As mentioned earlier, Brown and Demin should see heavy minutes at the guard position. With Nolan Traore and the newly-signed Keon Ellis also in the mix, there's not enough playing time to go around for everyone. Powell needs to show some things in Summer League, or he'll only see minutes in garbage time.

3. Chaney Johnson

Johnson only appeared in 17 games with the Nets late last season, but played relatively well in his minutes. He averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 54.3% from the field. The 6-foot-8 forward did his best to impress the coaching staff and front office and was rewarded with a new two-way contract this offseason.

While the late-season performance was nice, Johnson will need to show up in Summer League if he wants any NBA minutes early on. The Nets frontcourt has some decent depth, with Noah Clowney, Moritz Wagner, Danny Wolf, and Joshua Jefferson all eyeing playing time. Johnson will have to beat them all out if he wants real minutes. That process starts with a strong Summer League performance.

Add us as a preferred source on Google