News Nets Team Notes

Speedy Nolan Traore likely to see early action at point guard

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With Egor Demin’s timeline for a return from a flantar fascia tear still uncertain and preseason only a week away, it looks like two rookies, Nolan Traore, the 6’4” Frenchman and pure PG, and Ben Saraf, 6’7” but more of a combo guard out of Israel, will get early minutes. The two are among the youngest players in the league, with Traore fourth youngest. You might also see Kobe Bufkin, acquired from Atlanta 10 days ago, get minutes too but overall the Nets see him as more of an undersized 2 rather than a 1.

So far, we’ve heard a lot out of training camp about Saraf, who won praise from Nic Claxton, Michael Porter Jr. and Sean Marks, most of it volunteered, at Media Day, plus some gaudy mentions from Jordi Fernandez since. Saraf’s maturity, poise and playmaking have won him fans. Said one person familiar with his play in summer at HSS Training Center, “guys like playing with him.”

Traore has had a good camp as well, we and others have been told. He was known as the quickest guard in the draft and has surprised even since, being described as having “elite” speed at the NBA level. Traore takes pride in his speed, he told Brian Lewis Friday.

“(It) just means you got to be the fastest guy on the court. That’s every game, and it’s 82 games,” Traore told Brian Lewis. “It’s a lot, and you just have to keep your body and take care of your body. That’s what that is.”

Fernandez has noted it as well, but warns that Traore (as well as his other rookies) will have to sustain it over the course of an 82 game season and that physical adjustment will be challenging.

“Yeah, it’s just sustaining it, right?” Jordi Fernández said of Traore. “You know coming into the NBA he’s fast, and he’s fast in the NBA, but there’s going to be guys in front of him that are going to be physical and fast. So how can he sustain that? How he can gain (and sustain) physicality?

“Because his paint touches are not just good for him to score, collapse the defense and find the 3-point line or find that second side. So, that is very good (that he’s fast), but now it is how long can you sustain it in the NBA? And that’s something that we’re going to be able to see soon enough in real games.”

Traore played a half-NBA season last year for Saint Quentin in the French league (41 games.) He started slowly which caused his preseason mock draft stock to fall. He had been expected to do better, particularly with his shooting, after many draftniks had ranked him top-five before he moved from one level of French ball to another. He improved as the season wore on, but his stock never rose much and he went at No. 19 to Brooklyn, slightly higher than projected. (ESPN had him going to the Nets at No. 22.)

Saraf has a lot more experience despite the fact that only six weeks separate the two in age. Saraf played 66 games last season starting with the FIBA U18 championships last summer, winning MVP with a 28.1 points a game, then helping lead his team to German League finals. Saraf has also played in domestic leagues in Europe, Israel and Germany, as well as in the EuroCup, giving him an advantage.

Traore likes the challenge and has a chip on his shoulder. He has crossed one hurdle already. He likes his new home.

“It’s a really good city, and I just enjoy it. I didn’t visit everything yet, but I will. I like it,”


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-anal...ore-likely-to-see-early-action-at-point-guard
 
Long Island Nets roster taking shape with latest trade for David Muoka

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On Monday, the Long Island Nets finalized a trade with the Windy City Bulls to acquire David Muoka for a first and a second-round pick in the G League draft. With the rumored move now official, the 6’10” 24-year-old Hong Kongese big man is part of Long Island’s roster.

Indeed, with a little over a month to go before opening night at the Nassau Coliseum — against the Capital City Go-Go — the Nets G League roster is starting to take shape.

Muoka is the team’s latest acquisition in a busy summer. Each is a G League vet:

  • Yuri Collins, a 6’0” point guard who led the G League in assists with the Santa Cruz Warriors;
  • Malachi Smith, a 6’4” shooting guard formerly with the Memphis Hustle;
  • Max Fielder, a 6’11” center who spent last season with the Texas Legends;
  • Kyle Rose, a 6’4” shooting guard who starred at Fordham and played for the Mexico City Capitanes;
  • Tre Scott, a 6’8” power forward who last played for the Osceola Magic, and
  • E.J. Liddell, a 6’6” wing who Brooklyn signed to a two-way. He last played for the Bulls affiliate.

Other than Liddell, Long Island acquired each player in a trade, mostly using G League draft assets. Long Island is also expected to sign Dre Davis, a 6’6” 3-and-D wing who like Muoka and Collins was signed to a standard deal — with an $85,000 guarantee — then waived by Brooklyn earlier this month.

“The guys that we acquired for this year are more veteran guys,” said Long Island Nets head coach Mfon Udofia last week, adding, “Those guys add to the mix, who will be down on Long Island, and get them (the rookies) up to speed as much as possible.”

And not just the draft picks.

“Fanbo, first of all, is a really good human being,” Udofia told ND. “High character individual. Then, from the basketball side, he has a really good skill set, can shoot the ball, and his athleticism is good. I’m excited to coach him, excited to have him, and I think he’ll play very well for both teams.”

In addition, Long Island is bringing back two veteran guards who played at the Coliseum last season: Tyson Etienne, the 6’2” shooting guard who the Nets signed to a tw0-year two-way deal last season, and Terry Roberts, the 6’4” point guard who also played with Brooklyn’s Summer League entry.

The rookies Udofia mentioned are, of course, the five first rounders, aka the Flatbush 5: Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf as well as Fanbo Zheng, who Brooklyn signed last week to an Exhibit 10. Most if not all of them are likely to spend some time in the G League.

Among the new Long Islanders, the Net who’s likely to play the biggest role in mentoring the rooks is Collins, the G League’s top playmaker. He appeared in 49 games last season between the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament and the regular season. He averaged 13.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 32.2 minutes per game. His 10.8 assists per game in the regular season led the league.

In addition all of this, Long Island is hoping to find its diamond in the rough from their annual local player tryouts . Close to 150 prospects, split between two sessions, hoped to find their spot on the roster. This is something that has spelled success for Long Island in the past.

The most likely to get a G League deal was Romani Hansen. Hansen is a former captain of the U.S. Virgin Islands Men’s National Team who grew up in the Bronx.. He stands at 6’9” and has a pretty lengthy resume. He played college ball at Pensacola State, Independence CC, Savannah State, and Albany from 2016 through 2020, before going overseas to play some more in Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg, Lebanon and most recently, Venezuela.

Long Island training camp opens at the end of October with the season opener on November 7 at Nassau Coliseum vs. the Capital City Go-Go.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/longislan...aking-shape-with-latest-trade-for-david-muoka
 
The Brooklyn Nets rookies are inching along. It’s their only option.

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Evan Bernstein/Getty Images

The Brooklyn Nets are a lock to miss the NBA Playoffs in 2025-26, as they were last season. Thankfully, there are five first-round draft picks on the roster this time around, five young players actually worth investing your time and energy into. Not to mention third-year players Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead, each just 21 years old, looking to have their first fully healthy and productive years in the NBA.

But it’s really about the rookies, all of whom except for Danny Wolf were just 19 years of ago on Draft Night. You know the Brooklyn Nets will not be a good NBA team this season, and that’s okay, but every time the rookies step onto the court, you might be catching glimpses of the promised future of this franchise. When 25-year-old Nolan Traoré is wiping off the champagne-soaked rims of his goggles after the 2031 NBA Finals, you will think back to his first 25-point game in the NBA, a 10:00 p.m. ET tip-off on the West Coast during a 25-win season. It’ll all be worth it. The journey is just as much yours as it is his.

By and large, this is the hope the Brooklyn Nets are supplying their fans this season. It won’t be smooth sailing.

Egor Dëmin is already dealing with a plantar fascia injury, and has not participated in any contact drills throughout training camp. He seems iffy at best to play in any preseason game. Drake Powell, the #22 overall pick, is dealing with left knee tendinopathy, but he started the week by participating in his first full-contact practice.

“It’s been great,” said Powell of his limited experience. “You know, just being able to be a student of the game, still trying to learn different concepts to this new system that I’m in. But, like you said, now being in it, I think that’s helped me 100%. It’s not saying that I learned everything — there’s still some things to learn — as it’s different being on the sidelines and now being on the court, but yeah, just still taking it day by day.”

Head Coach Jordi Fernández shares that positivity: “He’s been doing a great job. His body looks good. Getting ready to better ramp up and just being cautious. He’s done a really good job. He’s an elite athlete — we believe the best athlete in the draft — so it’s exciting to watch him take those steps and he is putting the work in, for sure.”

Indeed, it is ramping up season, the season of being cautious (and repeating the “best athlete in the draft” line, which is not the easiest sell). But for Powell and his fellow draft-classmates, and Nets fans, this approach will extend beyond injury management. Just take a look at the roster; guys like Haywood Highsmith, Terance Mann, Ziaire Williams, Clowney, Jalen Wilson if he survives training camp cuts…they all expect to play early and often, for good reason. Say what you will about Kobe Bufkin and the rookie guards, but is there any doubt that Bufkin is presently the best player of the crop?

After Tuesday’s practice, Jordi Fernández was asked how he views #27 overall pick Danny Wolf. Is he more of a stretch forward or a ‘backup’ center? “You mean the backup center being the one coming out the bench, so he takes Day’Ron’s spot?”

Point taken, though Fernández did clarify his position in a follow-up: “I see him as a basketball player. He’s a player that can play-make, a big, capable shooter, obviously trying to learn the NBA, whether he’s on offense and defense and establishing himself. So once again, giving him the proper steps, giving him the chance to go beat — if he’s better than Nic, he’ll play over Nic. If he’s better than Day’Ron, he’ll play over Day’Ron. If he’s better than Noah, he’ll play over Noah and so on.”

Those, at least for the moment, are some pretty big ifs. Nets fans eager for the rookie revolution will have to tune into Long Island Nets games throughout the season, though that’s not such a terrible thing. Just ask Noah Clowney, who parlayed a strong rookie season in the G League into a fantastic spring in the NBA…

With Long Island about to tip-off their 2nd game of the season, I wanted to highlight what I noticed from the Nets' rookies in their G-League debuts, starting with Noah Clowney's rim protection ability. It was just outstanding: pic.twitter.com/32BFgaRtFw

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) November 12, 2023

Said Clowney: “The G League is probably the most similar to NBA speed you’re going to get … I think it’s good for anybody that goes there. If you go there with a positive mindset, it’ll be all right.”

As with every NBA team, one of the main principles Jordi Fernández and the Nets instill into their young players is shot quality. But isn’t that getting easier these days? Drake Powell, just turned 20 years old, has been hearing “threes and layups” for about half his life.

Indeed, Powell feels like he has a “pretty good understanding” of how Brooklyn wants to play: “Just, given my time that I spent in North Carolina, you know, mid-range shots, they were, like, limited. He still wants us to take them, but you know, obviously not at a high clip, still want to get layups and threes, as many as you can. But yeah as I get into the flow and start to understand the offensive system, I’ll start to have a better gauge about that.”

With a player as raw as Powell, these are the signs we’ll have to look for. Even if he doesn’t have a 20-point game all season, something as simple as attacking a closeout, jump-stopping in the paint, and hitting a kick-out pass is cause for excitement. And Powell knows it: “Punching gaps whenever I see them, especially in transition. Just attack, get two feet in the paint, find corners however you can.”

This is exactly what Jordi Fernández wants to hear: “Those are the little things that we are going through in training camp. Defining a lot of things, not just on offense: good shots, bad shots, but also defensively in our priorities. It’s a process. We cannot throw it all at once, otherwise it would be overwhelming. So far, these guys are doing a great job.”

As you probably know, the Brooklyn Nets did not draft Cooper Flagg this past June. Of their five first-rounders, three are 19-year-old ball-handlers, one is a 20-year-old wing who must figure out his offensive game beyond jumping high, and one is a 21-year-old, um, “basketball player,” in the words of his head coach.

For the 2025-26 Brooklyn Nets, progress will be measured in inches, not miles. But isn’t it always?


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...hing-along-drake-powell-egor-demin-danny-wolf
 
‘New’ Cam? Cam Thomas, Jordi Fernandez talk about leaner camp version

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There’s this picture of Cam Thomas the Nets released after the Practice-in-the-Park …. where received the biggest reception of the 21 players on hand. He’s sitting on the stoop of a Brooklyn brownstone… resolute, determined and yes, alone.

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“Ain’t shit funny” might be an appropriate caption.

It is Cam Thomas, September 2025. In charge of his own fate by his own choice. He knows he has to change the league’s perception of him and he has a finite amount of time — 82 games — to do it. And despite how he and they got to this point, Cam Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets are both approaching the season in the belief that they can help each other. On Tuesday, the Nets official site on x.com tweeted out video of him at practice…

Cam Thomas hoops pic.twitter.com/JYqW07yWpn

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 30, 2025

In talking to reporters on Monday, Thomas talked first about his new look: a lesser Cam, more svelte, perhaps better conditioned. No, he says, the change in his body was not a reaction to him having missed 73 games over the last two seasons, mostly to hamstring issues. Indeed, last year, he suffered three hamstring injuries that finally ended his season in March.

“No, it’s just something I want to do. Just me being me,” Thomas said. “Not really related to the hammies. … If I have the weight on or not, I’ll still be doing the same thing. It doesn’t really change how you play, really. At the end of the day, it’s how you look and how you feel. I feel good. Feel good, look good and you play good. The weight, it doesn’t really matter. It’s just what you go out there and do.”

He won’t say how much less he weighs than he did last season when in 25 games he averaged 24.0 points a game.

“Less now,” Thomas said with a smile.

He admits that last two years he bulked up so he could battle some of the league’s top defenders. Brian Lewis writes that the move concerned some on the Nets staff. Was he “a bit too bulky,” as Lewis put it?

“My last two years, I wanted to put on a little more weight, try the strong, bulky route,” said Thomas. “I mean, it was cool. I never liked how I looked, honestly, but the results were still good. At the end of the day, it’s about how you look and how you feel. So I feel like I look better and I feel better. We’ll see how it goes this year.”

There’s also been a change in attitude, says Day’Ron Sharpe, who was drafted along with him in 2023 but unlike him signed a two-year $12.5 million deal, the second year non-guaranteed.

“I’ll say that his mindset coming in [is different]. He’s being more of a pro now,” said Sharpe also a bit leaner in this year’s camp. “I feel like he’s got his body better coming into this season. But, you know, CT is always going to be that elite scorer that he is, so I just hope he continues to show everybody what he can do and put the league on notice.

“I think it will help a lot,” said Sharpe, who also trimmed his physique this summer. “You know, everything starts with the body. If we don’t take care of our body, we can’t play a full season. So, just for the fact that he bought into that, I feel like that means he’s showing everybody that he’s got a chip on his shoulder.”

His head coach has noticed as well and Jordi Fernandez who once said scoring was CamT’s “super power,” likes what he sees.

“I’m not a doctor. We, right now, know that CT is full go. He’s done a great job,” Fernandez said. “So nothing that he had last year is going to jeopardize this season. I want him to have the best season of his career, and that comes with being in great shape. And right now, he is in really good shape.

“We believe that he can sustain numbers if he’s in elite shape. The other thing is he tried so hard in these different areas, and his body couldn’t sustain it. Now, we believe he’ll be able to give the same effort, and his body will be able to sustain it. Twenty-five games is not enough. Hopefully he’ll get into the 70s or 80s.”

That would indeed help his bargaining position next summer. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent and unlike this summer when only Brooklyn had significant cap space, somewhere between 10 and 14 teams will be able to make bids on free agents.

As for how he can improve his game, Fernandez gave beat writers some headlines … and complimented the 23-year-old for improvements in a key area.

“The thing with CT is that teams can decide to try to get the ball out of his hands early or late. That’s where he has to trust the spacing and his teammates,” said Fernandez. “I think his game can evolve in that way. Defensively, I want his effort to be more consistent and more physical. He’s been great this training camp… His body looks great, and he’s done a really great job this summer. So I’m expecting to see a new CT and a way better CT.”

In other camp news, Fernandez said Drake Powell who missed Summer League with left knee tendinopathy, has finally started participating in contact drills but wouldn’t commit to whether he’ll play Saturday at Barclays Center vs. Hapoel Jerusalem. No word on Egor Demin’ status. He suffered a plantar faschia tear in Summer League.

“We have a plan for them, and they’ve been progressing as we’ve wanted,” Fernandez said.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...ordi-fernandez-talk-about-leaner-camp-version
 
As Macao approaches, Brooklyn Nets promote Fanbo Zeng in China

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The Brooklyn Nets are expected to leave this weekend for Macao and the NBA China Games where they’ll face off against the Phoenix Suns on October 10 and 12. It will be the first time NBA teams have played in China since Brooklyn’s ill-fated 2019 trip was cut short by then Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s tweet supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrators. The NBA was taken off the air not returning for three years.

It’s a big deal for the league whose China-based revenues rivaled those in North America before that controversy. Now with a new TV deal in place, games easily accessible … and following a steady stream of visiting NBA stars from LeBron James to Steph Curry to Nikola Jokic … this summer, the games should re-establish the relationship.

It’s also a big deal for the Nets and their ownership. It’ll be the third time the Nets have traveled to China, the first NBA team to reach that milestone as well as a personal triumph for Joe Tsai who played a leading if mostly undisclosed role in getting things back on track.

The games are also likely to be a showcase for the Nets’ Fanbo Zeng, who is one of two Chinese-born players in the NBA. Hansen Yang, the 7-foot 20-year-old surprisingly taken at No. 16 in the NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers, is the other. Indeed, in the last couple of weeks, the Nets social media team has started to push Zeng-related content across Chinese media as the games — and other promotions — begin to roll out. He may only be an training camp invite and a candidate for that open two-way spot, but he is obviously more than that in China.

The Nets are featuring the 6’11” 22-year-old in their offerings on Weibo, the big Chinese social media site. Brooklyn is the NBA’s third most popular team in China behind only the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors and the number of followers on Weibo reflect that: the Nets have more followers on Weibo then on x.com, formerly Twitter, and Instagram … combined. Having a Chinese player and one of the most popular in the country is an easy sell.

The attention began on September 22 when the Nets officially announced his signing on Weibo …rather than Twitter.

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Since then, there’s been other content focused on Zeng, starting with his interview a day later at Media Day. “As a Chinese player here, I must keep working hard to break stereotypes for all Asians,” he said, echoing a theme his both has also spoken about. (He didn’t talk about his relationship with Tsai.)

There’s also been images of him in scrimmages

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On Saturday, Nets internal TV production team followed Zeng around the Potomac Playground at the Practice in the Park, showing him meeting with Chinese fans and connecting with young Brooklynites.

Of course, the Nets Weibo site features a lot of media on the team and other players, but there’s no guarantee Zeng even make the team. He’s most likely to spend most of this season on Long Island in the G League. Disproportionate? Sure, but surprising? No way. It’s called marketing.

Zeng may not be as popular as Yang, but he won the Most Improved Player award in the Chinese Basketball Association and was named first team All-CBA. He’s also a member of the Chinese national team. He also played a season with G League Ignite. In other words, he has the requisite talent, particularly as a big 3-and-D prospect. He was among the CBA leaders in both 3-point shooting (40.5%) and blocks (1.5 per game.)

Beyond the Nets online promotions, Zeng is going to be involved with league and corporate promotions in Macao as well. He is after all, the hometown favorite, the only Chinese player on either the Nets or Suns. In fact, he’ll be one of a number of current and past NBA stars available for selfies and autographs in a Fanatics promotion (for a price of course.)

Fanbo Zeng will be among current and past NBA players who’ll sit for Fanatics autograph sessions at “NBA House” in Macao starting next week. Report out of China says price tag is US$210. pic.twitter.com/9Nm2kSiT2z

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) October 1, 2025

How much will he play when the ball goes up a week from Friday at the sold-out Venetian resort in the Chinese version of Las Vegas? TBD, but it’s a good bet. You don’t promote him to the hundreds of millions of NBA fans in China then have him sit on the bench!

As Jordi Fernandez said this week in talking about the Nets international preseason — the China games plus Saturday’s opener vs. Israel’s Hapoel Jerusalem plus a quick trip to Toronto to play the Raptors.

“It’s really great to have this opportunity, not only to play overseas like we’re going to China, but also to play against a foreign team here at home; this time, our opponent is a team from Jerusalem. So you see, it really shows how global the NBA is, how well the league promotes itself, and the support we have from all over the world.”

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-feat...hes-brooklyn-nets-promote-fanbo-zeng-in-china
 
Michael Porter Jr., Dariq Whitehead at opposite ends of injury spectrum

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Dustin Satloff/Getty

At the beginning of training camp, hope springs eternal. So does hype.

Michael Porter Jr. — who, if nothing else, is a reporter’s dream (and a public relations concern) given his willingness to meet every question with a long, sincere answer — spoke after Wednesday’s practice. He shouted out Brooklyn’s stable of young point guards, but then unprompted, said: “Top to bottom, I’ve been really impressed with a lot of players. Noah’s taken a leap to me, from what I saw in games from last year to now. He’s taken a leap. Tyrese [Martin] has really been probably the most impressive player that I’ve seen on the team so far, because I didn’t know a lot about him. But he’s been consistently killing through scrimmages, through open runs. He’s a player that can slide in that point guard place but can also play the two. He can pass the ball. He’s been really impressive.”

Almost every Net on the roster has received compliments, on or off the record, through the first week of training camp. But there’s plenty of buzz around Tyrese Martin, who last season signed a training camp deal, then a two-way deal, then a standard contract. With only 16 NBA games under his belt before 2024-25, he made 60 appearances for the Nets, averaging 9/4/2 on 53.3 TS%.

Martin didn’t exactly light the world on fire, but he went from NBA afterthought to potential rotation piece. It’s a great sign that the 26-year-old is a training camp standout, competing against many players much younger than he is. Does it mean a ton for his NBA future? Not exactly, but it’s better than nothing.

For example, the Nets and their fans probably wish Dariq Whitehead was receiving such buzz. We haven’t heard much of anything about the third-year guard, still just 21 years old but with only 22 NBA appearances under his belt. Whitehead hasn’t even been productive in the G League over two seasons, sporting just a 51 TS% down there. Perhaps the parade of lower-leg injuries since graduating high school is just too much to overcome.

But at least Whitehead had a healthy summer in 2025, something he pointed out at Media Day: “Not being able to do what I had needed to do the past three summers, being able to work out, work on my body. Just the difference I felt from the last game of last season to now and just being able to trust my body, how comfortable I am with just handling things that I’d done before, is just night and day.”

Head Coach Jordi Fernández says he has seen that work pay off: “I can tell you he’s gotten better. You look at his body from the summer, how hard he’s worked, he’s already gotten better and keeps taking advantage of his opportunities. I think that’s a big part of it. This training camp and preseason games are going to be important and we want all of our players, not just Dariq, to try to take advantage of that.”

These are the morsels of hope Whitehead believers must cling onto; there hasn’t been much else. No off-the-cuff compliments from teammates. No social media posts from the Brooklyn Nets highlighting Whitehead, not even clips of him buried in their practice posts…

one day closer to gameday 🏀 pic.twitter.com/Ct2OHjeivi

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 2, 2025

At practice Wednesday, Fernández was asked about what a roster full of off-ball wings means for Whitehead. Forget Michael Porter Jr., Ziaire Williams, and Terance Mann, is he really going to play over Tyrese Martin? The head coach side-stepped the question.

“I’m excited to watch all of these different guys compete … For the most part, then players will play in the rotation. So, I want that responsibility. And guess what? Maybe I make a mistake, but I hope they stay with it and they keep showing what they’re able to do. At the end of the day, even if I make a mistake, my assistants will tell me and if he has an opportunity he’ll take advantage. Everything will work out for everybody.”

The Nets have until October 31 to pick up Whitehead’s 2026-27 option, which would be the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. One year ago, I wrote that Whitehead’s upcoming sophomore season was something of a make-or-break year. He had to show something. Many read that as a statement of hyperbole, but less than one month away from his extension date, it’s time to ask if Whitehead has shown enough, or if injuries will be the story of his NBA career.

Porter Jr. was once in that position. Like Whitehead, MPJ was one of the tip-top college basketball recruits in the nation. An NBA star in waiting. But back injury after back injury limited his explosiveness; Porter Jr. missed his whole rookie season after to falling to the end of the draft lottery, and his 2021-22 season was cut short by another herniated disk, leading to his third back surgery.

Since then, Porter Jr. has appeared in 220 out of 246 possible regular-season games. He won a championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, indispensable as an off-ball scorer but wholly reliable as a big body who could rebound and rotate around the rim. Porter Jr. never became the Kevin Durant-like monster he was projected as in high school, but he carved out a wildly successful NBA career.

“A lot of it is a lot of hard work on my body,” he said. “The other part is a lot of hard work when it comes to my mind and my emotional state, my mental state, my spiritual state. I feel like all that combines together. Nicole Sachs is the name of a woman who helped me a lot, overcome some of the back problems, and I didn’t realize how much of that actually stemmed from the mental side of things and the stress and all that. So once I kind of put all those pieces together, and I didn’t just pay attention to the physical side of things, I was able to have a very well-rounded approach to my rehab. And since then, I’ve been…I haven’t had any problems with my back since. It’s been about three, two-and-a-half, three years since I kind of figured that out.”


Porter Jr. continued to explain his belief in the mind-body connection, and how a strong mental state can contribute to physical healing: “I know what helped me heal, and I feel like helping bring that onto the scene would be a cool thing for me. And for players that are dealing with chronic things — or after surgery — they’re tentative to move a certain way. I feel like I can be a big part of bringing that onto the scene.”

Roll your eyes if you wish. But of all the things Porter Jr. has said in front of a camera since last season ended, this is the most inspiring. Brooklyn’s new veteran leader has transformed his NBA career in the face of herniated disks, three back surgeries, damage to his sciatic nerve, and other gruesome troubles.

“I needed to try something new after the third surgery,” he explained.

On Wednesday, MPJ also clarified an earlier comment that sounded like he was on the brink of retirement: “Basketball is my passion. I want to play as long I can. I think that it’s just easier in my head to be like, ‘man, give it my all, everything I have this year, and then when the year is over, see where I’m at mentally and reevaluate.’ But in the back of my mind, obviously I wanna play as long my body allows me to.”

“People underestimate how tough mentally Mike and players that went through serious injuries are,” said Fernández, who was an assistant coach in Denver during the thick of MPJ’s health issues. “What he’s accomplished with everything he had to go through is very impressive. I give him a lot of credit.”

Michael Porter Jr. is a healthy 6’10”, still only 27 years old and an incredible shooter. Through all the injuries, his size and bread-and-butter skill never left him. Even still, he overcame a brutal injury history, won a championship ring, and signed a contract so lucrative it led him to the Brooklyn Nets, where he is now the most recognizable player, for better or worse, on a rebuilding team. As he excitedly admitted on Wednesday, he now has a chance to expand his game.

As a 6’4” guard, Dariq Whitehead doesn’t have that same cushion; the explosion has to be there. But just maybe, he too can find a path to NBA relevancy, putting his injury history in the past. He has established himself as a 3-point shooter, hitting 40% last season both in the G League and NBA. The sadder, more likely outcome, is that Whitehead will see his career in Brooklyn come to an end sooner rather than later. Nobody is doubting that Whitehead has pushed himself to the limit, working as hard as he can in overcoming his injury troubles.

Sometimes, you’re just dealt a really crappy hand. Hopefully he can flip it on its head.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...dariq-whitehead-injury-spectrum-brooklyn-nets
 
For Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, Saturday’s game vs. Hapoel Jerusalem will be big

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Back in June when the Brooklyn Nets took Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf back to back in the NBA Draft, it got noticed. Having two players who carry Israeli passports — a first — on an NBA roster made Brooklyn hugely popular in Israel. Searches for the Brooklyn Nets jumped, the Nets site as well as blogs and podcasts got a lot more traffic from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. On the other hand, some of those outraged by what Israel has done in Gaza were angered, seeing political meaning.

Since the Draft, Israeli media have started following the two in Brooklyn. Sport5, the big Israeli sports site, was at the Practice in the Park last weekend, for example…


A month after the Draft, when the Nets announced that they would open the 2025 preseason vs. Hapoel Jerusalem in Brooklyn, the interest just intensified. For Saraf and Wolf, it will be an even bigger deal. Not only will it be their first games as Brooklyn Nets but it will be a game vs. players they know, in Saraf’s case players he grew up with.

“Of course,” Saraf said. “I know the guys, I know the coach, I got some friends over there playing on the team, so it’s going to be great. It’s going to be a great experience for all of us.”

Saraf was born in South Africa but raised in Israel starting at age 3. Wolf was born in Illinois but obtained an Israeli passport while at Yale. Both have played for Israeli national team entries in FIBA youth tournaments, Saraf winning MVP of the FIBA Europe U18 tournament last year. Wolf played for Israel’s U20 team a year earlier winning a silver medal and making the all-tournament first team.

“It’s going to be really special for me,” Saraf said after Tuesday’s practice. Based on his play this summer and in camp, it looks like Saraf is going to get a lot of time on the court. The team’s veterans have raved about the 26th pick. “Guys want to play with him,” one league source told NetsDaily. Jordi Fernandez noted that it would have to be special, considering the circumstances. He also noted the Nets overall international appeal.

“I would assume so,” Fernández said, suggesting he hasn’t spoken directly yet with the players. “If we would play a Spanish team, it would mean something to me. That’s what I guess.

“But it’s pretty cool that we get to play not just outside the country — like when we’re going to China — but also against a foreign team here; in this case, a team from Jerusalem. So, you know, that tells you how global the NBA is, and how great of a job that the league does, but also the support that we receive from all over the world.”

For the record, the Nets currently have five players with international passports, including Saraf and Wolf. The others are Egor Demin, Russia; Fanbo Zeng, China; and Nolan Traore, France. Fernandez of course holds a Spanish passport (and Cam Thomas was born in a U.S. military hospital in Japan.)

Saraf and the Nets have shied away from politics in talking about Saturday, but it’s likely there will be some level of protest at the arena. As Israel drives deeper in Gaza and with Hamas refusing to release Israeli hostages, tensions are high in New York and the presence of an Israeli team in the city may marshal demonstrations. Two weeks ago, the UN Human Rights Commission declared what Israel has done as genocide and international sporting bodies are considering banning Isreali teams. On Friday morning, President Trump set a deadline of Sunday for Hamas to accept his peace plan or face “all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.” Hamas later agreed to some parts of the plan, wants negotiation on others. Uncertain if that satisfied Trump.

The 21-year-old Wolf, who holds both U.S. and Israeli passports, essentially said the situation is above his pay grade and that he’s going to be focused on basketball, protests or not.

“Its keeping the main thing, the main thing. I only can control what I can control and I don’t have any say or thought as to whats going to happen outside of the game. I’ll leave that to be and focus on the game as best I can.” he said after Friday’s practice per Brian Lewis.

Neither player has served in the Israeli military. Saraf’s sister does serve, Brian Lewis reported Tuesday.

Whatever goes on outside the arena, political protests are banned inside. No doubt there will be a strong showing from the Israeli community in the city with the Nets 26th and 27th picks in the 2025 Draft taking the court for the first time.

In other news out of Friday’s practice, Fernandez said that discretion always being the better part of valor in the Nets performance circle, Drake Powell will not play vs. Hapoel Jerusalem and make his long-awaited debut next weekend at the NBA China Games in Macao. Powell has been affected by left knee tendinopathy. It kept him out of the Summer League and out of contact practices until this week. Egor Demin’s timeline remains uncertain but he has yet to participate in contact drills. He is recovering from a tear in his plantar fascia which he has described as “not a big deal.” He suffered the injury in Summer League.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-game...aturdays-game-vs-hapoel-jerusalem-will-be-big
 
Fanbo Zeng wants open two-way spot, looking forward to Macao

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Just as Saturday night’s game vs. Hapoel Jerusalem will be a big deal for Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, next week’s two games in Macao will be a big deal for Fanbo Zeng, bigger in fact. While Saraf and Wolf may be playing against friends and colleagues from Israel, Zeng (his family name) will be going home … or close enough.

Zeng is from Harbin, an industrial city near the Russian border in the country’s far northeast. Macao, the Las Vegas of the people’s republic, is across the bay from Hong Kong, 1,800 miles to the south. That said, the 6’11” 22-year-old is well-known throughout the country, a member of the Chinese national team who was both Most Improved Player and first team All-CBA, a rising star.

In an interview with Brian Lewis Friday, Zeng said he plans to give 100% whenever he gets on the court whether it’s Saturday at Barclays Center against Hapoel Jerusalem or next week in Macao vs. Phoenix Suns. All three games will be broadcast live in China as well as in the U.S.

“It will be so big for me, especially to play as part of this [Nets] family,” Zeng told the Post. “And playing in part of China is huge for me. No matter what I’ve got, I’ll go 100 percent every single second.

“And especially [since] we’ve got 21 on the roster right now, that’s a big fight for me, especially [after] in the summer I had a [back] injury. I’m enjoying the whole process. So no matter if it’s in Macau or whatever, since I got a chance to play, I’ll go 100 percent, go hard.”

Zeng is currently on an Exhibit 10 deal, a camp invite without a contract, but is seen as a strong candidate for the vacant third two-way. The Nets currently have Tyson Etienne and E.J. Liddell on two-ways.

“We’ve got a lot of good players and we’re all fighting for something: Some of whom are fighting for a starting spot, some for the rotation. Like me, I’m fighting for a two-way or getting on the roster,” Zeng explained to Lewis. “I’ve been going through the summer, all I did was try to prove myself and just get the chance.”

Zeng noted that this is his second chance at the NBA. In October 2021, Zeng reneged on a commitment to Gonzaga and instead signed with the G League Ignite of the NBA G League. He went undrafted in 2022 and two days after the draft, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Indiana Pacers.

“I had a chance before , and I missed it. The second chance, it was huge for me trying to even get it. Just got to keep fighting, keep working hard… I just keep doing my thing. I’ve got a long career, looking to get another shot. But this time I’m going for it.”

Indeed after he didn’t make the Pacers, he headed back to China where he played for the Beijing Ducks for three years before joining Brooklyn the day before Media Day.

While some fans might see Zeng’s time in Brooklyn as part of the team’s international marketing effort, particularly with Joe Tsai as principal owner and just before the trip to China, Zeng has said repeatedly that he sees this as an opportunity to play in the NBA. It’s a dream he’s harbored at least since he came to the U.S. to play high school ball, making first team All-Star in Florida as a sophomore.

He’s developed a lot since he averaged 3.8 points and 1.8 boards in 13.6 minutes for G League Ignite in 2021-22. As Lewis points out, Zeng now weighs 228 pounds, up from less than 200 back then.

Zeng told Lewis he hasn’t had a chance to meet Tsai yet but is aware of the franchise’s unique connection to China where they are generally seen as the third most popular NBA team. This will be the fourth time — eight games — the Nets have played in China over the last 15 years. No other team has visited three times. And of the nine Chinese players who’ve made it to the NBA, three played for the Nets: Yi Jianlian, Jacky Cui and now Zeng.

What if he doesn’t make it, Lewis asked Zeng. He said he’d return to China confident he did all he could, adding that he’s fighting to help break down stereotypes to help the next crop of young Asian players coming up behind him.

In the meantime, the Nets and NBA are going to promote him on their page on Weibo, the big Chinese social media site, posting stills and even a video of his time at this weekend’s Practice in the Park. Chinese fans will get their first look at Zeng in a Nets uniform Saturday. Chinese TV is carrying the Nets game vs. Hapoel Jerusalem live – 8:00 a.m. Beijing time Sunday.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news/99576/fanbo-zeng-competing-for-open-two-way-deal
 
NBA Live Discussion: Hapoel ‘Bank Yahav’ Jerusalem at Brooklyn Nets, 8:00 PM ET

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Let the games begin.

This is the first and only home preseason game for the Nets in Brooklyn. After this, they head to China for a two-game mini series against the Phoenix Suns in China. Then they travel to Toronto for the preseason finale against the Toronto Raptors before Opening Night October 22 on the road in Charlotte against the Hornets.

WHO: Hapoel at Nets

WHEN: 8:00 P.M. ET

WATCH: YES Network

Please be respectful with your comments. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-disc...nk-yahav-jerusalem-at-brooklyn-nets-800-pm-et
 
Brooklyn Nets win preseason opener against Haopel Jerusalem, 123-88

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There are usually two goals in preseason. The first and most important one is getting through it healthy. If you lose key players, it makes your life a lot harder and puts extra pressure on everyone else to make up for an absence. The second is to start establishing your style of play before the season starts. Preseason is all about establishing good habits and building the foundation that will carry you through the 82 game season. For the Brooklyn Nets, tonight was the first chance to start putting their lessons from training camp into use.

The team hosted Haopel Jerusalem out of Israel, and it was a festive atmosphere inside of Barclays Center. Fans at the arena gave the road team plenty of cheers and after the game ended, players from Haopel took pictures with fans and took time to shake hands and make them feel welcome and appreciated. All in all, everybody who attended the game in person got what they paid for: some highlight plays from the visitors and a W for the home team.

Final score: Brooklyn Nets 123, Haopel Jerusalem 88

We didn’t get to see the entire Flatbush 5 as Egor Demin and Drake Powell are out with injuries, but one player really put on a show for the home crowd. Nolan Traore was the first substitute in the game due to Ben Sarag’s early foul trouble, and the French teenager made the absolute most of it.

Nolan Traore gets downhill and scores on his first touch. pic.twitter.com/MDmcoc0hdo

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 5, 2025

Throughout his 18 minutes, we saw Traore consistently make the right decision, find the driving angles to get to the rim, and keep the offense humming. It’s all about finding that comfort and if he continues to put good days together, he’ll find a steady role on this team.

“His speed is his superpower,” Jordi Fernandez said in postgame. “How fast he is and [how] he can touch the paint. He’s gotta keep shooting the ball and shooting with confidence. And then defensively, do what we’re about: pick up 94 feet and be aggressive. We need a lot of ball pressure. Hes done a great job, so I’m happy with his growth so far [and] his work ethic. And now, we’re gonna wanna see him get stronger and sustain his speed for longer periods of time. So, very happy with him.”

the other Nets rookie had a good debut outing as well. Don’t let the foul totals discourage you too much, Ben Saraf put forth a quality game. Saraf had nine points and six assists on the night, but his consistent drives to the rim were the most impressive aspect of his game tonight.

“I’m always trying to be aggressive going to the rim,” Saraf said in postgame. “It also opens up the lanes for me and if its not for me, to my teammates and others. It’s always goof as a team to be aggressive going to the rim.

For the Nets, consistently getting two feet in the paint is essential to what they want to accomplish on offense. It also helps when one of their franchise pillars looks like the best version of himself.

Clax finds the rhythm​

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At Media Day, Nic Claxton made it a point to mention that he’s back at full strength and feeling like his old self. Like a lot of Nets, Claxton had a rough 2024-2025 as injuries and frustrations compounded to make it a disappointing season. When he’s at his best, he allows the Nets to fly all over the court and throw wrenches into the opponent’s offensive sets. If tonight was an indication, we might be in line for a terrific Claxton season.

In 15 first half minutes, the big guy had 11 points and eight rebounds. Beyond the impressive numbers, seeing Claxton fly out on screens, bring the ball up the court, and knock down an above the break three pointer should have Nets fans feeling excited. His chemistry as a pick and roll partner with Cam Thomas is also worth a shout

Clax at the break:

11 PTS | 8 REB | 5-7 FG | 1-1 3PT pic.twitter.com/WyrV2BZzvu

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 5, 2025

His play impressed his teammates, and has them excited for what’s to come in 2025-2026.

“When he plays like that,” Terrance Mann said, ”it brings a ton of energy and takes us to a new level. We expect that out of him and we’re gonna demand that out of him. He has a great attitude about it and you saw that tonight.“

The Nets did a lot of things well on the night, but can still clean some things up. As Fernandez noted, the team turned it over nine times in the fourth quarter. The lead was never in doubt of course, but you always want to put a full 48 minutes together no matter the situation. I was in the house for this game and did a little postgame breakdown on the court!

Traded in my ny Liberty seafoam 🗽 for the night, but barclays center still saw the home team come away with a win as the Brooklyn Nets got off to a good start in the nba preseason. Broke down some things that impressed me as draw closer to opening day @NetsDaily @netsr pic.twitter.com/mFDEz7hLzp

— busy 💛 ☝️ (@busyxb) October 5, 2025

The team walks away from this night feeling good about their performance and excited for what’s up next. They’ll be off for a few days and will return to the court in a brand new environment.

Next up​

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Everybody grab your passports! The Nets will be traveling to China to play two against the new look Phoenix Suns. Make sure you have a nice breakfast handy as tip off will be at 8:00 a.m. ET on Friday, October 10.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...axton-ben-saraf-terrance-mann-jordi-fernandez
 
Ian Eagle ‘scales back’ YES duties in light of national role with Amazon

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After 30 years behind the mic at Nets games from East Rutherford to Newark to Brooklyn, Ian Eagle is scaling back his role with the YES Network as he transitions into his new job as the lead voice of Amazon Prime’s NBA coverage. Ryan Ruocco will now play a larger role in Nets coverage.

Eagle revealed the news in a podcast with Sports Media Watch

Eagle said that his Nets assignments “will go down considerably from what they were at one point” thanks to his new “sizable” role as the lead NBA voice for Amazon Prime Video. Eagle said he will probably call in the range of 10-15 games, down from about 40 in recent years, while Ryan Ruocco will “assume the majority of the responsibility.”

As for Prime Video, Eagle said he will work “in the neighborhood of 50 games” across the regular season, NBA Cup, NBA Play-in Tournament and NBA Playoffs. As the lead voice for Amazon, he is set to call conference final games on television for what would be the first time in his career. Prime Video has a conference final every-other-year starting in 2027.

Eagle, 56, and his son, Noah, 28, both called YES Network games last season and both have since taken on larger national roles, Ian with Amazon and Noah with NBC Sports. Ruocco, 38, is a familiar voice for New York sports fans. He’s been with YES since 2007 when he was hired by the network as the New York Yankees statistician. He joined the YES broadcast team in 2011, handling both Yankees and Nets games. He also has national NBA duties with ESPN which he joined in 2023 and voices WNBA games as well.

Eagle has called Nets games on television since 1995 and before that on radio for a year, following the teams from the IZOD Center to the Prudential Center to the Barclays Center and covering everything from the Jason Kidd years to the 12-70 season in New Jersey, then the Big Three and now the Nets latest rebuild in Brooklyn. As Sports Media Watch reported, this coming season marks the first time during that tenure that he has held a No. 1 position on any national NBA game package. although he has called national games, particularly March Madness.

Eagle described how his duties with YES have changed over the last several years, once being “as high as 82 [games] because the Nets did not appear on national TV,” before dropping to 70, 60, 52 and eventually 40 last season. “This year, it’s really a sliding scale, depending upon availability and then how often they need me,” he said, indicating the 10-to-15 number is not firm. YES recently lost Frank DiGraci, Eagle’s longtime coordinating producer to NBC’s NBA coverage where he’ll play the same role.

The Forest Hills native is beloved among Nets fans for his skills as a broadcaster, his institutional knowledge of the franchise and perhaps more than anything his signature calls like “that’s a man’s jam” (which with the Nets addition of Terance Mann will become personal.) He has been notably paired over the years with Bill Raftery, Jim Spanarkel, Mark Jackson and Mike Fratello and most recently Sarah Kustok and Richard Jefferson, both of whom have credited him with mentoring them.

Just last month, Eagle won his 10th straight New York Emmy for Nets play-by-play in September 2025, marking his 11th award in the last 13 years.

YES has yet to announce its lineup for the coming season.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...-duties-in-light-of-national-role-with-amazon
 
Bobby Marks: Brooklyn Nets may not be done dealing

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Sean Marks seemingly hinted that the Brooklyn Nets may be done with salary dumps, telling New Zealand’s Sport Nation last month that “we haven’t used all of four cap space. We don’t intend to right now.” But that second sentence offered some wiggle room. He doesn’t “intend” to “right now.”

And ESPN’s Bobby Marks — no relation other than they’ve both drawn paychecks from the Nets — thinks that Sean Marks could indeed wind up doing something before October 21, the date teams need to finalize their rosters. For the Nets, it’s also the deadline to meet the minimum salary requirement, 90% of the salary cap, or face sanctions. including forfeiting their share of end-of-season luxury tax payouts and having a “frozen” cap hold added to their payroll. The first one is basically meaningless in the larger sense of things but the second is not something GMs want to deal with.

Meeting the so-called salary floor could be what drives the Nets final moves, Bobby Marks writes in a summary of 14 teams to watch as that deadline approaches.

Though the space has shrunk with the trades of Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Haywood Highsmith and Kobe Bufkin, Brooklyn still has over $13 million in room and its $8.8 million room midlevel exception (the two cannot be combined) to be active in trade discussions.

The former Nets assistant GM says as of the moment, the Nets are above the floor, but if they waive the three players with team options — Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin and Drew Timme — they’ll be under it once again.

The Nets already have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, and the three aforementioned players have a combined $6.2 million in non-guaranteed salary.

What’s a GM to do? Bobby Marks thinks one route would be to trade for a player.

If the three are waived before Oct. 20, Brooklyn would need to trade for a player earning more than $4 million.

That, of course, would reduce the amount of cap space the Nets would take into the trade deadline, where they will still have more space than any other team. There are indeed possibilities, including another salary dump despite what Sean Marks said. Bobby Marks notes that several teams may want to get under the luxury tax threshold or the two aprons. The Knicks he notes may need to trade either Tyler Kolek or Pacome Dadiet by the 21st. Dadiet, a 6’8” 20-year-old wing is being paid $2.8 million this year.

There are other teams looking to make late moves as well so expect one more busy weekend before the games begin.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-rumors/99678/bobby-marks-brooklyn-nets-may-not-be-done-dealing
 
As Brooklyn Nets fly to China, excitement … and some anxiety … rise

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The Brooklyn Nets were in the air Monday — for 17 hours — as the team headed to China for the NBA’s fateful return to the people’s republic for the first time in six years: the NBA China Games 2025 vs. the Phoenix Suns.

On board Brooklyn Nets charter flight to Macao. pic.twitter.com/nmGGFOxGmA

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) October 7, 2025

It’s the fourth trip the franchise has made to China, following visits in 2010, 2014 and 2019. No other team has made even three.

More importantly, the two games the Nets will play on Friday and next Sunday are the first since the Nets-Lakers series in 2019 when a tweet by then Rockets GM Daryl Morey supporting demonstrators in Hong Kong turned things upside down. Morey removed the tweet, saying he did not intend to offend “our friends in China” but Chinese authorities decided that the NBA hadn’t done enough to rectify things and a cold war between league and country ensued.

For three years, there were no NBA games on Chinese television, only highlight packages. NBA revenue from China, which before the incident rivaled that from North America, fell off. Chinese companies ended sponsorships. Adam Silver estimated that the league lost $400 million as a result of the controversy in the first year alone.

At the time, Joe Tsai predicted it would take a while for things to return to anywhere close to normal.

“The hurt that this incident has caused will take a long time to repair,” Tsai wrote on his Facebook page. “I hope to help the league to move on from this incident. I will continue to be an outspoken NBA Governor on issues that are important to China. I ask that our Chinese fans keep the faith.”

Since then, things have slowly gotten better. Last year, the NBA and TenCent, the big Chinese media company, quietly renewed their agreement to broadcast games and this summer, most of the game’s biggest stars made the trek to China to show the NBA flag … while pumping up their sneaker sales. LeBron James, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Draymond Green and ex-Net D’Angelo Russell all made appearances. It was easily the most active summer for NBA stars since 2019.

Tsai played a big if largely undisclosed role in the return to normalcy and he is expected to be a big part of the celebrations. At a press conference Monday, Silver told reporters that Tsai was indeed helpful because of his relationships with the NBA and Chinese government.

“It’s not the reason we’re back in China right now,” Silver said of Tsai’s connections, “But of course to the extent that Joe is highly respected — both in the United States and China — there’s no question that’s helpful, as much of the sports industry is based on relationships.”

In anticipation of a big reception for his players, Tsai told Brian Lewis he’s already issued a friendly warning to them.

“I was telling the players, when they go to Macao, when they step into the street, they’re going to be mobbed because the fan base in China has remained loyal,” Tsai told The Post. “They really love the NBA. And they really welcome the NBA to be back after, what, six years? Since we were in Shanghai six years ago.”

Indeed many of the stars who traveled to China this summer were treated to fan adulation and stunning drone shows, Curry’s reception probably the most elaborate…

The Nets reception is likely to top that. Not only is Tsai, executive chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba, the only owner of Chinese heritage in the league but the Nets are its third most popular team according to Mailman, a company that tracks the popularity of western teams in the country using social media. One reason: of the nine Chinese born players who’ve ever stepped on an NBA court, three have played for the Nets including Fanbo Zeng, the 6’11” 22-year-old currently on an Exhibit 10. It will be as big a deal as any since the NBA first broadcast games in China back in 1987-88.

Zeng told Lewis of his homeland’s love of the game which an estimated 300 million play or follow and which was declared a national pastime, 90 years ago, alongside ping pong. Zeng also spoke of his personal excitement in going home.

“I can imagine that. But that’s pretty good for me, especially enjoying the fans who support you no matter if I made the team or not,” Zeng told The Post. “I’ll get a chance in the preseason, so they’ll be hyped for me. That means a lot for me. I appreciate that.

“And when I was in China when I played the national team games, all the fans go crazy, too. That shows how much we love basketball, how big basketball is in China. … We should bring basketball more importance in the country.”

Whether it played a role in the truce between the NBA and the people’s republic or not, Tsai has unabashedly supported Chinese basketball which has fallen off in international competitions of late. The last two seasons, the Nets have signed a rising Chinese star, Zeng this season, Jacky Cui last. He finances the Joe Tsai Scholarship Fund which sends 10 promising Chinese players — five boys and five girls — to U.S. prep schools every year and is lead investor in the Asian University Basketball League, a six-country, 12-team league that opened play this summer.

He told Lewis that he sees the NBA China Games as more than about just basketball, hoping for a longer term effect.

“It’s going to be really exciting. Despite all that [geopolitics], what’s going on in the world, having an NBA team travel that far, I think the fans really appreciate it,” Tsai said. “And I think it’s just good for the world to have people come, Americans go to China, Chinese people come to America. We have a Chinese player on the team. It’s all going to be good.”


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-hist...nets-fly-to-china-excitement-and-anxiety-rise
 
Danny Wolf presents Brooklyn Nets with ‘uncommon’ opportunity

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Danny Wolf came out of the 2024-25 NCAA season with a reputation as the best passing big man in the June draft. But as Adam Silver started calling out names on June 25, Wolf’s stock seemed to drop. Projected at No. 18 in ESPN in its final mock draft, he had to wait until No. 27 for the Brooklyn Nets to take a chance. In the interim, the other sweet passing 7-footer, Hansen Yang of China’s Qingdao Eagles, got taken at No. 16 and wound up in Portland.

Now though where a prospect got picked matters little. They’re no longer draft prospects but NBA players and their success will be about what they do on the court, not on their college or international resumes.

Wolf was a late bloomer, in part because of how he was used in college. At Yale, where he spent his first two seasons of college ball, he was used as a traditional center and he did not look much like an NBA player. Then at Michigan, head coach Dusty May freed him up. He became a point center, averaging 17.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 49.7% shooting. Suddenly, people, particularly NBA scouts, started to notice.

“I think that the coaches [at Michigan] didn’t even know what my role was going to be,” Wolf said. “At Yale, I was more of a traditional 5, and then at Michigan, I don’t even know what you would call my position or how I played, but I think here, confidence is earned… At Michigan, that [confidence] was derived from me having the ball in my hands a majority of the game and being able to play through a bunch of mistakes. I think in the NBA it’s about continuing to get better within the confines of the roles your coach wants you to play.”

Even though he dropped precipitously by Draft standards, Brooklyn’s brain trust was willing to take a chance, something easier to do when you have five chances at success as the Nets did on Draft Night. So far, so good, as Clutch Points’ Erik Slater pointed out Saturday night…

Danny Wolf finds Ben Saraf with a smooth dime. pic.twitter.com/DdLGN4TDhD

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 5, 2025
Danny Wolf going to work off the bounce. pic.twitter.com/E0k25hgWZ7

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 5, 2025

Indeed, Wolf has shown some promise both in Summer League and the preseason opener against Hapoel Jerusalem. And Jordi Fernandez, who was an assistant coach when a No. 41 pick showed how a big even if unathletic center could dominate the NBA. He says it taught him a lesson.

“I think that you have to be creative with players that are uncommon,” the Nets coach said. “I was very fortunate to work with Nikola [Jokic], and we had to let him show us what he was able to do. Otherwise, if you see him as a traditional player, then you could fail, and I think that’s what Coach [Michael] Malone did very well. Nikola showed certain things that were so different for his position and a seven-footer, and that’s why he makes all these plays and plays in situations and positions where no other big man plays.”

Now, that is heady stuff and to be fair, Fernandez seems to be comparing skillsets and body types, not suggesting Wolf is the next Joker, winner of three MVP awards and an NBA ring. Still, it’s an interesting take.

Wolf did show off some stuff vs. Hapoel Jerusalem. In 15 minutes, he scored five points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out five assists. He had the ball in his hands much of the time.

“I mean, when the coaches trust me with the ball in my hands, it’s up to me to make a play,” Wolf said post-game. “I think a few times, I got a little too sped up and made a few — I made an errant pass and kinda lost the ball on a ball screen. But when coach Jordi draws me up or tells us to run a play and it breaks off, it’s up to you to make a play, and I tried doing that to the best of my ability.”

You won’t hear Wolf compare his game to The Joker’s. He’s currently just happy with where he is, what he’s doing.

“I was getting taped before the game, and I’m just like getting ready to go out, and it’s just — you dream, you literally dream about walking out of the tunnel to an NBA game,” he said. “It’s really cool. Obviously, it’s a preseason game, and it’s not against an NBA team, but it’s still, you’re playing in an NBA arena with an NBA team. It’s a pretty cool feeling. It’s a culmination of a lot of feelings but it’s just the start. It’s the first step in a long season, and its gotta go day by day.”

At 21, he’s the oldest of the Flatbush 5. The four others were 19. He may still spend some time on Long Island. It’s likely all five picks plus Fanbo Zeng will don Long Island uniforms at some point. It doesn’t bother him, he said.

And he does work to do. His defense is troublesome and he on the slow side. While he averaged 4.7 assists at Michigan, he also turned the ball over 3.2 times. He has two turnovers Saturday. His deep shooting, an underrated part of Jokic’s game, needs work as well. Fernandez believes in patience.

“We gotta use all our resources, the G League, if needed, not just with him but with all of [the rookies],” Fernandez said. “So all our resources are NBA minutes, Long Island minutes, all the development with the coaches. That goes for all five rookies. And I think, following the proper steps, we believe each one of them will find minutes in the NBA at some point. They just gotta be ready, and Danny’s done a great job so far.”


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-anal...sents-brooklyn-nets-with-uncommon-opportunity
 
Vince Carter preaches fan patience as season approaches

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Vince Carter is in Macao with the Brooklyn Nets, flying into the Chinese gambling capital on the team plane. The team tweeted out his picture arriving at their hotel…

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VC will be working with Taobao 88 VIP, Alibaba’s exclusive membership program that caters to the highest spending consumers on Taobao, the Alibaba-owned online shopping platform. Taobao 88 VIP is the presenting sponsor for the NBA China Games. One of the VIP perks will be is meet-and-greet with the Hall of Famer. He will also moderate a panel Sunday that will include Joe Tsai, Patrick Dumont, the Dallas Mavericks principal owner as well as soccer legend and Brooklyn resident David Beckham. (Dumont is also part of the Adelson family that owns the Venetian Macao where the games will be played.)

As he was rushing to Newark Airport to board the Nets chartered A360, VC spoke with Brian Lewis of the Post about the coming Nets season, referring to his former team, as Lewis notes, as “us.” His message to fans about this season was simple: be patient: the rebuild will come in phases, “small wins,” including building a culture.

“So you have to be literally step-by-step, let’s be patient, small wins,” Carter told Lewis. “And that’s what in my opinion is what’s missing in the game when you’re dealing with young, young teams like where we are as far as the Nets. Yeah, there’s no championship right now in sight, so let’s just do small wins, let’s just gather our information, let’s gather the group that we need to build the culture to move forward.”

Carter also said that he has already seen one big win in the phase-by-phase Nets rebuild: the hiring of Jordi Fernandez who he praised while also noting fans should have patience with the second year coach.

“I’ve been a fan of Jordi, of his approach,” said VC. “So that’s what I think would be a successful season, because it’s like, ‘OK, now we have this. What is the next phase?’ Because I feel like this is a phase thing. Will the organization, will the fans, will us on the other side, have the patience to do so? Because that’s not the way it is in sports anymore: Having patience and building, you know what I’m saying? They’re in that situation, in my opinion.”

Carter may have implied this phase of the rebuild is about tanking but he also offered some hope for fans, particularly some of the Nets’ veterans, this season. He even suggested that Cam Thomas, playing on a qualifying offer, could be part of a team core going forward.

“Cam [Thomas], he has the ability to to be one of those guys — young, still trying to find his way, but this is the big year for him,” he said. “And I think [Michael] Porter, his opportunity, he has a fresh start. So [you want to] give yourself something to build around. I feel like when you have a bunch of pieces, in a bunch of different places, you’re not looking up, like, ‘Damn, we can’t even get a group together to look up or to look forward to.’ And I think that’s what they’re establishing.”

As for the rookies, Carter had one piece of advice for the Nets brass: play them.

“I’m going to say this in general, I want to see them all have their opportunity, because like I say, it’s just now you’re seeing what you have and seeing what you get out of them,” Carter said. “And it’s a process that is going to be taxing, grueling, and is going to require patience.

“First-round picks, you have a lot of guards, so there is going to be competition: Who is willing to maximize their opportunity? Because this is an opportunity for a lot of people at the end of the day to get minutes, just be established in a role and be established moving forward.”

Lewis also revealed that Carter will not be part of the YES Network lineup. He’ll working with Noah Eagle and others on NBC Sports broadcasts of NBA games.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-anal...er-preaches-fan-patience-as-season-approaches
 
China: Let the Games … and promos … begin!

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The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns rested up Tuesday at their Macao hotel — the five-star St. Regis — after grueling flights across the Pacific that had them arrive in the early morning hours to the cheers of fans and snaps of cameras.

THE NETS ARRIVE IN MACAO! 🇲🇴 pic.twitter.com/eHhlDr0wPt

— NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2025

They will need the rest!

The teams face off Friday and Sunday in games that begin at 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. New York time on NBA TV. Even before that, they’ll have full schedules of promotional events, starting with team photos on Wednesday and an open practice Thursday at the Venetian Macao where the games will be played. There’ll be a Media Day and an NBA Cares event on Thursday and an “innovation summit” on Friday afternoon, Macao time, where Joe Tsai can be expected to speak. Then pre-game, there will be interviews with Jordi Fernandez and Jordan Ott, the former Nets assistant now running the Suns.

Wednesday will also see the opening of NBA House, an “immersive” fan experience that will see former NBA stars including two former Nets point guards — Stephon Marbury and Deron Williams — greet fans and sign autographs. Fanbo Zeng, the Nets Exhibit 10 signing, will also be posing and signing at a Fanatics event.

The Nets provided a drone view inside on Wednesday morning. If you squint, you’ll see it’s “powered by Alibaba Cloud AI Technology.”…

Come with us through Infinite Connection: A Brooklyn Nets Experience at NBA House in Macao 🎥 pic.twitter.com/fPvK78Gdpr

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 8, 2025

Sometime over the course of the four days, Adam Silver is expected to speak and is likely to make some news. On Saturday, between the two games, it will be NBA Fan Day at the Venetian. Making it even more stressful for all involved is that the two teams will be dealing with 12- (Brooklyn) and 15-hour (Phoenix) time differences. Jet lag doesn’t begin to describe it.

And that’s just the NBA menu!



The Nets have their own brand promotions and lots of them, several tied to Alibaba, the giant Chinese e-commerce company headed by Joe Tsai. Indeed, Tsai’s “investment” in the NBA China Games isn’t limited to what he’ll see on the court at the Venetian. The Games are “presented” by Taobao 88 VIP, a exclusive membership program that caters to the highest spending consumers on Taobao, the Alibaba-owned online shopping platform. Buy a VIP membership and get all manner of exclusives. Fifty million Chinese already have.

In its build-up to the Games, Taobao 88 VIP pushed a number of Nets tie-ins including a meet-and-greet with Vince Carter in Macao and opportunities to pick up all sorts of China Nets gear…

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In a video posted on Weibo, the big Chinese social media site, VC explained it all and noted the Taobao 88 VIP members can even get exclusive access to training videos featuring the Nets assistant coaches!

This being Brooklyn, there will be food components too…

There’s a role for Brooklyn Basketball, the Nets and Liberty’s youth training program, too. A Nets press release notes that the program will host 13 Brooklyn Basketball youth clinics across Macao and Hong Kong. It will permit “hundreds of young athletes to work directly with Brooklyn Basketball clinicians through skill development, on-court training, and teamwork exercises.”

Additionally, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, parent company of the Nets and Liberty, is “seeking opportunities to revitalize basketball courts in Hong Kong.” noting “its ongoing corporate social responsibility efforts to invest in the well-being of the communities it serves.” Presumably, that now includes China where depending on the year, they’re either a top three or top five NBA team in terms of popularity. That’s according to firm that tracks foreign leagues presence inside China.

If that wasn’t enough (and when is it ever enough for the Nets international marketing team?) the Nets and specifically the Brooklynetts dance team are partnering with China’s global multimedia company, Tencent, on a six-episode reality show to pick the first-ever Brooklynettes China Dance Team, “CheersNets,” who will perform in Macao. The team will be chosen Thursday night from this group and will perform Friday night. More brand promotion, more video.

Individual Nets players have also joined some of the sports sites, Egor Demin most prominently…

View Link

In another words, it’s a big deal if exhausting deal but certainly not a surprise.



The Games are the NBA’s first time back in China since 2019 when geopolitics overwhelmed basketball leading to a cold war between the league and people’s republic. After then-Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, China outlawed broadcasts of NBA games for three years. Fans could only catch glimpses of their favorites through highlight packages. China saw it as a national security issue … and an opportunity to let a celebrated multi-national firm know who’s boss.

Then this summer, a parade of NBA stars and superstars traipsed across China’s big cities selling sneakers and other product, a further signal the cold war was thawing. LeBron James, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green and ex-Net D’Angelo Russell all made high-profile appearances before adoring fans. Wemby even spent 10 days at a Shaolin Temple, shaved head and all, while pushing Louis Vuitton!

The popularity of the NBA in China cannot be underestimated and it can’t hurt that the team with the most trips to Chinese cities — eight games in four trips over the past 15 years — has an increasingly large presence … and owners proud of their Chinese heritage.

For diehard Nets fans back home, the Games themselves will be less of a promotional event than a chance to see their team face off against another NBA team after destroying Hapoel Jerusalem Saturday at Barclays Center. Drake Powell, the hyper athletic 20-year-old rookie, is likely to make his NBA debut after missing Summer League and a lot of training camp with left knee tendinopathy.

As Vince Carter noted in an interview with Brian Lewis just before he boarded the Nets charter to Macau, you want to keep giving fans hope.

“So [you want to] give yourself something to build around. I feel like when you have a bunch of pieces, in a bunch of different places, you’re not looking up, like, ‘Damn, we can’t even get a group together to look up or to look forward to.’ And I think that’s what they’re establishing.”

How much of this we’ll be able to access from the U.S. is TBD. None of the Nets beat writers are making the trek. Nor is YES Network. The Games themselves will be on NBA TV and we assume a number of other events will be available there as well. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the South China Morning Post, China’s biggest English language newspaper. It’s already covering things with stories on the Nets youth clinics and what the Games mean to the NBA and China. It’s owned by Alibaba and its executive chairman is … Joe Tsai.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-features-profiles/99713/china-let-the-games-and-promos-begin
 
How to make sure NetsDaily shows up in your Google search

As many of you are likely aware, Google searches are … different these days.

The good news is Google is offering a solution for folks who like to get their news from specific sources. If you want to help NetsDaily — while also streamlining all your Google searches — there is now a way.

Simply click on this link and add NetsDaily as one of your “Source preferences.” That’s all there is to it!

Back in August, the tech giant debuted a feature called “Preferred Sources.” It’s a way for Google to prominently feature the results from websites you trust, like NetsDaily:

“With the launch of Preferred Sources in the U.S. and India, you can select your favorite sources and stay up to date on the latest content from the sites you follow and subscribe to — whether that’s your favorite sports blog or a local news outlet. …

When you select your preferred sources, you’ll start to see more of their articles prominently displayed within Top Stories, when those sources have published fresh and relevant content for your search.“

As some of you might know, AI searches are hurting outlets around the world and in all spaces. We’ve worked hard at NetsDaily to build a brand you can trust and rely on for Nets and Liberty coverage. Our goal is to serve you, the fans.

If you’re a fan of our work and want to get the best Nets and Liberty coverage possible, this is an excellent win-win to improve your Google searches while helping NetsDaily out.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/general/99694/how-to-make-sure-netsdaily-shows-up-in-your-google-search
 
Brooklyn Nets drop first preseason contest in Macao, 132-127

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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

You will hear the words “tank” and “lottery” endlessly this upcoming Brooklyn Nets season, often from yours truly. But preseason basketball is the time to dream. At about 9:00 a.m. ET, I nearly spilled coffee on myself after watching Michael Porter Jr. make perhaps the nicest pass of his career…

the pass & finish 🔥

MPJ 🤝 Clax pic.twitter.com/77t8c4Mffp

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 10, 2025

The Brooklyn Nets tipped off their second preseason game — their first against NBA competition — just as the sun settled into the East Coast sky. Most Nets fans were thousands of miles away from the action, taking place in the autonomous Chinese region of Macao. The Brooklyn Nets, facing off with Phoenix Suns on both Friday and Sunday, were participating in the NBA’s first visit to China in six years, and they gave the fans over a show.

It wasn’t just Michael Porter Jr.‘s promising start, not even (just) Cam Thomas, who cruised to 18/6/3 in the first half alone…

this is a SILLY Cam Thomas bucket with the left: pic.twitter.com/HPdYuP9Lk8

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 10, 2025

It was Brooklyn’s high-octane (seriously) offense, which made their first ten shots of the game. Nolan Traoré got the start over Ben Saraf in this one, leveling the playing field as each rookie point guard has now been able to play one game with the starting lineup.

With Egor Dëmin and Haywood Highsmith still on the shelf, the current ten-man rotation for the Nets is looking set:

  • Traoré/Saraf
  • Cam Thomas — Tyrese Martin
  • Terance Mann — Ziaire Williams
  • Michael Porter Jr. — Noah Clowney
  • Nic Claxton — Day’Ron Sharpe

Those ten (and a courtesy appearance from Fanbo Zeng in front of the Chinese crowd) accounted for all the first half minutes, and all had shining moments, though none of them came on defense. Ben Saraf missed two 3-pointers badly, then started passing ‘em up, but had successful drives against some NBA defenders!

Saraf been up and down, a bad airball, couple meh TOs

but also this: pic.twitter.com/Bj4HTl2xAJ

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 10, 2025

Saraf finished with 9/1/0 and six FT attempts, Traoré with 6/1/1 and four turnovers. For the Frenchman, a couple tough drives, a couple wild ones, and a short mid-range pull up. Another silver-lining though is that they both looked comfortable in Jordi Fernández’s offense; their mistakes were not of the deer-in-headlights variety, but passing when they maybe could have shot, getting bumped off course by grown men.

The rest of the Nets, in their 71-59 first half, didn’t have even those problems. Noah Clowney, looking swole, hit a couple threes and even a layup when he got run off the line. The ball zoomed around in both the half-court and transition, often hitting the high post with appropriate movement around it…

Clax finds this one, MPJ is a big target: https://t.co/0t7BABPwi4 pic.twitter.com/hwzwB6tKHx

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 10, 2025

Nic Claxton finished with 12/9/5 and four turnovers, largely a beneficiary of Brooklyn’s free-flowing offense (and Phoenix’s terrible defense), but occasionally a kickstarter.

Brooklyn’s starters did briefly play into the second half in this one, and that’s where the wheels fell off. Once Phoenix started making some open jumpers, the holes in the Nets defense jumped off the screen. Michael Porter Jr. had a horrific defensive game, even worse than his reputation would suggest; maybe his veteran status has earned him that right, but I am scared I’ve underestimated just how bad he and Cam Thomas will be patrolling the wings in 2025-26.

The Suns, deciding to play some serious defense, won the third quarter 30-12 to take a small lead into the fourth quarter. By this point, the Nets bench was in the game, as was #22 overall pick Drake Powell, who hit his lone 3-pointer immediately. Jordi Fernández had Brooklyn full-court pressing for much of the third quarter, but all it did was lead to advantage opportunities for Phoenix — it went from preseason to pickup real fast

Brooklyn turned it over 34 times in all, and the teams combined to shoot 87 free-throws. The fourth quarter took 41 minutes, the game nearly three hours overall. Interminable. At least Danny Wolf finally checked in, hit a couple shots, and gave us one last highlight by hitting Powell on the fast-break…

Wolf to Powell for the lil highlight: pic.twitter.com/lLgzerjcvk

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 10, 2025

Brooklyn got their first look at Khaman Maluach — who many thought they would take at #8 instead of Dëmin — as well. Maluach was as advertised, raw and occasionally clumsy, but did put up 10/5/2 and was tough to score on around the rim.

Perhaps constituting cruel and unusual punishment, this game went to overtime after the Nets blew a seven-point lead with two minutes left. Wolf, Kobe Bufkin, Fanbo Zeng (zero points), Drew Timme, and Jalen Wilson could not create many easy shots in OT, and the Phoenix Suns ultimately walked away with the victory after trailing by as many as 18 points.

This game may serve as an encapsulation of Brooklyn’s upcoming season. They were feistier than expected in the first half, and more offensively competent against a defense that just didn’t bring it. The young guys showed flashes, while MPJ and CT reminded us that, no matter their flaws, they can put the ball in the hole. The second half was less exhilarating; Phoenix came to play, and Brooklyn began to stack turnovers and defensive miscues, leading to a loss.

Too bad this wasn’t a regular season game; it would have been perfect.

Final Score: Phoenix Suns 132, Brooklyn Nets 127

Next Up​

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Running it back: The Nets will take on the Suns even earlier on Sunday morning, with tip-off set for 7:00 a.m. ET, concluding their stint in Macao.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...-phoenix-suns-132-127-cam-thomas-nolan-traore
 
Did Joe Tsai suggest Brooklyn Nets are tanking?!?

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A month ago at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles, Joe Tsai didn’t say the Nets were tanking, but he may as well have. Not that the Nets strategy is some sort of secret, but the Nets governor gave a strong hint of what’s about to happen this season.

“Well, I have to say that we’re in a rebuilding year,” Tsai said on the All-In podcast. “We spent all of our [2025] picks — we had five first-round draft picks this past summer.

“We have one pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season. But we have a very young team.”

No, he didn’t use the “T” word — the Nets prefer “being flexible,” but as Tsai noted Brooklyn’s strategy isn’t hard to predict: Get as high a pick as possible with their own pick, returned to the team as part of the June 2024 trade with the Houston Rockets. Sean Marks & co. are also expected to push for another first at the trade deadline. The reason is simple: at the moment, draftniks see at least four prospects with franchise-changing potential, Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Nate Ament. Indeed, the top of the 2026 draft could be better than this year’s crop.

With a top pick, Brooklyn would have six players on rookie deals and as one league source told ND, controllable rookie deals — four years, the first two guaranteed — are increasingly valuable under the CBA if you’re looking to pay superstars at the top of your roster.

Privately, Nets insiders will tell you that there’s no dictate to lose games … and that’s not Jordi Fernandez’s way, but they do note the roster is young, with eight players 22 or under. Indeed it may be the NBA’s youngest ever. Everyone recognizes that, as Brian Lewis wrote Friday.

“Goals can stay within ourselves. We know what we’re playing for. But proving ourselves right more so than proving other people wrong,” said Wolf, who at 21 is the team’s fifth youngest player. “I think we’re the youngest team — I know we’re the youngest team in the NBA — so just continuing to learn and get better and grow together, that’s all we can ask for.”

Lewis also digs deep into the data to point out that relying on young point guards — the Nets have four players aged 19, 19, 19 and 22 who can play the position — is one surefire way to lose games.

Young lead guards lose, at least early. In the prior decade, 26 of 33 lottery point guards underperformed their draft slot per Win Shares on Basketball Reference. But in the past four years all 11 have, while the older guards started to impact winning once they began to mature.

Of course, that’s historical data and they have play the games whether in China or North America.


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-analysis/99835/did-joe-tsai-suggest-brooklyn-nets-are-tanking
 
Brooklyn Nets vs. Phoenix Suns preview: Game 2 in China

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Let’s play two! The Brooklyn Nets went across the world to China to take on the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. The game went into overtime and the Nets fell a few points short. The teams have one more game to go before they make the trip back to North America.

Where to follow the game​


NBA TV has us covered. Time for y’all to wake up even earlier as the party’s getting started at 7:00 a.m. ET.

Injuries​


No Egor Demin or Haywood Highsmith.

Koby Brea, Mark Williams, and Jalen Green are out. Green and Williams are expected back on Opening Night.

The game​


Process defines the preseason, and the Suns will look to speed things up and make the most out of their circumstances. As John Voita noted over at Bright Side of the Sun:

One realization hit me as I watched this game: the Suns’ depth is going to be tested this season. That much feels inevitable.

When you play with aggression, the kind Phoenix showed right from the opening tip, you invite whistles. Active hands can create chaos, but they can also create problems. Every swipe and reach carries a cost. For every deflection or steal, there’s the risk of a foul, and when those start piling up, the whole rhythm shifts.

When you play fast, you create opportunities and force the opponent into mistakes. For Jordan Ott and Phoenix, pressing the issue will lead to easier opportunities and help the group develop chemistry in a hurry. Expectations are super low for this group, but maybe they can surprise some people along the way.

Hey, Michael Porter Jr might have some more passing juice than I anticipated

oh shit Michael Porter Jr okay: pic.twitter.com/vG2kC3Gse9

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 10, 2025

For Porter Jr and the Nets, the goal this season is to get him to explore more aspects of his game in order to become a more well rounded version of himself. The scoring will be there, but if he can take leaps in some other areas, maybe the team will be back to playoff contention sooner than we think.

It’s unlikely this game goes to overtime again, but the fans in China will likely get another great show today. Games like these don’t count in the standings, but they go a long way in expanding the NBA’s reach overseas and potentially creating new fans that will want to follow the league and your team.

Player to watch: Noah Clowney​


This could be a big year for the third year forward/center. Clowney knocked down two three pointers on Friday and is a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown in preseason. He’s gotten more comfortable each season he’s been in the league, and the coaching staff has high hopes for him this season. Preseason is a great chance for Clowney to build on his years of development and possibly carve out a large role for himself coming off the bench in the regular season.

The Suns have a pretty intriguing young big of their own. Khaman Malauch was taken tenth overall in the Draft and came to Phoenix in the big trade over the summer. As we wrote on the site over the summer, he’s got a ton of potential and projects to be a heck of a pro. He should have his fair share of easy buckets with the attention Devin Booker draws, so watch for him to be an impact player early.

From the Vault​


Ones in the air for Diane Keaton

More reading: Bright Side of the Sun, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire


Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-game...-nets-vs-phoenix-suns-preview-game-2-in-china
 
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