The Brooklyn Nets are in full tank mode. Throughout the early season, they’ve been a frisky trap game machine that has won more games than the front office would probably prefer. However, the Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith trades (as well as the Cam Johnson trade likely coming soon) have already taken the wheels off the forward momentum this team had, as they are 3-9 since trading Schroder and 1-5 since trading Finney-Smith. The Nets should comfortably be one of the worst teams going forward this season, and that’s exactly the plan.
In a rebuilding season like this, with the team’s priority not being winning, focus instead turns to the development and evaluation of players on the roster. Many young guys usually get a chance on tanking teams, and the Nets have not differed from this practice, as 13 of their current players are 25 years old or younger. The question now is, which players should be part of the organization’s long-term plans? Here is a list of every young Net ranked and tiered by what role and importance they should hold going forward.
TIER 1: TRUE CORE PIECES(?)
1: Nic Claxton
2: Cam Thomas
Claxton and Thomas are clearly the two top prospects on this team, and they are the only two who are guaranteed to be good players for years to come. Claxton, who has dropped off since his DPOY-caliber 2022-23 campaign (perhaps due to being in a worse situation), is still an all-league defender with incredible versatility on both ends of the floor. The big man’s wiry frame allows for artfully fluid movement, and he uses that trait to capably cover any position on defense and attack the paint in a variety of ways offensively. Thomas is an All-Star level scorer, which is no secret at this point. Few players in basketball have been better pure bucket-getters than him this season. However, his mostly one-dimensional game makes him a super tough player to evaluate. What type of role could he play on a contender?
Despite being miles ahead of their Brooklyn peers in the talent department, both these guys are candidates to be traded in the near future. For that reason, they can’t be called true franchise building blocks. Claxton, who will turn 26 in April, is already a proven force in this league who will likely draw impressive trade offers from playoff teams as soon as the upcoming trade deadline. Thomas’ rookie contract expires this summer, and the Nets may not want to be the team that pays a guy with such uncertain competitive value and scalability. Ultimately, this Brooklyn squad is a blank slate, which is what makes them such an interesting team right now (if you’re an NBA nerd, that is). Their true core piece will be whoever they draft in the lottery in June.
TIER 2: SOLIDIFIED ROTATION CALIBER
3: Noah Clowney
In the age of stretch bigs, Noah Clowney fits right into the fad. The Alabama product has converted 38.5% of his 5.3 three-point attempts per game, a combination of efficiency and volume that marks a legitimate threat from outside. He’s poured in some huge performances as a starter and as a bench guy this season, including a 20-point outing in a stunning win over Milwaukee in which he knocked down six of his nine deep tries. The sophomore already has his trusty shot as an NBA level skill, and he has the potential to do a lot more at a high level. Like Claxton, Clowney can move pretty well defensively and offers some solid weakside rim protection and switchability. The 20-year-old has a lot of growth left to do, but it’s safe to bet on him playing a rotation role in the league for years to come.
4: Keon Johnson
Keon Johnson is a consistent jumper away from being a Bruce Brown-esque junkyard wing. He’s one of the most underrated athletes in the association, boasting some extremely impressive quickness and burst that he uses to harass opponents defensively and lacerate the lane relentlessly on offense. The Tennessee product has been given the biggest opportunity of his young career this season, and he’s produced very well. In his last 10 games, he’s averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. His increased playing time has allowed for his skill to start catching up to his natural tools, and it won’t be long before he’s a highly coveted role player.
5: Day’Ron Sharpe
Backup centers in the NBA usually are given a pretty straightforward job description. Rebound, set screens, protect the rim, and (sometimes) replicate the starter’s playstyle as best as you can. Day’Ron Sharpe excels at these tasks. The 2024 Bench Mob Blog All-Star has a knack for making his ball handlers look better with his P&R skills, as he’s a high-feel screener and roller with awesome lob-catching ability. He’s also an energetic rebounder who sometimes looks small out there compared to other centers but makes up for that deficit with heart. Sharpe’s ceiling is lower than that of Clowney and Johnson, but his floor is just as high, if not higher.
TIER 3: INTRIGUING FRINGE GUYS
6: Jalen Wilson
Well-rounded forwards fill a ton of rotation spots across the league, and Jalen Wilson fits that archetype. The 24-year-old won a national championship with Kansas during his college days, and he’s brought a winning playstyle to the pros. Like many young players at his position, though, Wilson will need to be a dependable marksman to truly succeed in the league. He is currently a 32.1% three-point shooter for his career.
7: Ziaire Williams
Considering he was drafted 10th overall in 2021, Williams can probably be considered a bust at this point. That said, though, he still has avenues to contributing to a team on a night-to-night basis. He’s been able to play some nice spot minutes for Brooklyn this season, even starting some games, because of his bothersome defense on the wing. Like Wilson, Williams can really stick if he improves his jumpshot.
8: Tyrese Martin
If Martin wasn’t already almost 26 years old, he would be higher on this ranking. The former 51st overall pick is essentially a rookie, as he played just 66 total minutes during his real first year and wasn’t on an NBA team at all in 2023-24. Martin, who burst onto the scene with his 30-point masterpiece versus Phoenix on November 27th, offers a fascinating combination of shooting, ball handling, and passing on the wing. His three-point efficiency has steadily declined since he first entered the rotation, but if he can bring that number back up, he can find a home in the league.
9: Tosan Evbuomwan
The newest Net, Tosan Evbuomwan has already been thrown straight into the fire, playing 20+ minutes in each of his first three games with the team. He was clearly ready for his chance, dropping eight points and six rebounds on January 6th versus Indiana and 13 points and seven rebounds in the following game versus Detroit. The two-way contract man has impressive ball skills for a power forward, possessing the ability to slash to the hoop and finish with craft and finesse. Also, as a rookie in 2023-24, he shot 37.5% from three. At just 23 years old, Evbuomwan is a project worth investing in.
10: Trendon Watford
Fourth-year man Trendon Watford is like an older version of Evbuomwan. He can make plays for himself and others with the ball in his hands, just not consistently enough to make him an impact player nightly. Still, he can put up some notable performances, such as his 10-point outing against Charlotte on November 19th in which he dropped seven points in the fourth quarter to help lift the Nets to a win. Watford could be a useful player somewhere, it just might not be Brooklyn.
11: Reece Beekman
Beekman, another two-way contract player, joined Brookyln as part of the Dennis Schroder deal. The rookie was a prolific defender in college and has already shown some of that juice in the spot minutes he’s received since becoming a Net. Like most little guards, the 6’1” Beekman will need to consistently hit shots from behind the arc to be a rotational piece. If he does, he could be a super nice player.
TIER 4: UNFORTUNATELY, PROBABLY NOT NBA PLAYERS
12: Dariq Whitehead
Dariq Whitehead, a 2023 first round pick, scored 75% of his career points in one game in early December when he dropped 18 against the Bulls. Otherwise, he’s been extremely injury-riddled and has played just seven total games in the NBA. The Duke product hasn’t produced well in the G League when he’s played down there, and if he can’t consistently stay healthy, the Nets would be better off rolling the dice on another player.
13: Maxwell Lewis
Speaking of injuries, Maxwell Lewis suffered a left tibia fracture in his first appearance as a Net this season after being traded there from the Lakers. When he was in LA as a rookie last season, he posted 11 total points and 10 total turnovers in 34 games played. Lewis is very raw and still has upside, but he hasn’t really flashed anything intriguing so far and he might not get a chance to do so anytime soon after his bad break.
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