The Nets are in the thick of a 2025 offseason rebuild, balancing youth with a few veteran bullets. Cam Thomas is positioned as Brooklyn’s likely go-to closer after a 24-point season, with Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann ready to shoulder late-clock scoring alongside him. Egor Demin arrives as a rookie guard who could grow into crunch-time responsibilities behind the established trio. Nic Claxton remains a trusted ball handler and decision-maker when the game tightens, while Day'Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams were kept around to add length and youth to the wings and frontcourt. The roster features five 2025 draftees amid modest free agency, suggesting the Nets could be among the league’s bottom-half teams, yet 82 games will test which late-game lineups actually close out wins. Bleacher Reports Greg Swartz is cited in the discussion about who takes the last shot in clutch moments, underscoring the practical, in-season evaluation ahead for Brooklyn.

In short, Thomas anchors the closing lineup, Porter Jr. provides a scalable secondary scorer, and Mann can slot in multi-position ways. Demin offers future upside, Claxton keeps the ball-handling flow, and Sharpe plus Williams supply development curves that could lift Brooklyn over expectations in bite-sized, late-game opportunities. The article frames a season-long audition for the last-shot role, with the overall rebuild shaping how aggressively Brooklyn pursues late-game shot-making this year.

Brooklyn passed on Fred VanVleet, despite high-profile chatter, opting to lean into development rather than chase a veteran point guard this offseason. The debate over VanVleet’s fit centers on his steady two-way impact alongside Cam Thomas and whether Brooklyn’s cap space could have accelerated a contender trajectory.

Instead, Brooklyn re-signed Ziaire Williams and Day'Ron Sharpe, added Ricky Council IV and Fanbo Zeng, and drafted Egor Demin with the eighth pick to cultivate a future guard core. The move landscape underscores a calculated push toward youth and upside, betting that Demin and a deeper guard rotation can lift Brooklyn into a higher ceiling as Thomas grows into a primary scorer and facilitator.

Fantasy takeaway: the Nets are betting on internal growth and role clarity over a one-off marquee signing. VanVleet in Brooklyn would have shifted Thomas’s usage and value; with him in Houston, Thomas remains a centerpiece, but Demin’s emergence and the wing depth behind him will shape guard rotations and late-round upside for dynasty and keeper leagues.

NBA 2K26 reveals its incoming rookie attribute landscape ahead of the Sept. 5 global release, headlined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Standard Edition cover, with Carmelo Anthony and Angel Reese on other editions. The Leave No Doubt Edition binds all three covers. The top 100 rookies begin their rating drip on Aug. 16, following a rollout of the ten highest rookie ratings, spotlighting lottery picks and immediate fantasy-interest players.

Key names from the draft class surface: Cooper Flag gunning for DAL, Tre Johnson to WAS, Kon Knueppel to CHA, VJ Edgecombe to PHI, Collin Murray-Boyles to TOR, and Egor Demin to BKN, among others. Oklahoma City’s Shai headline the roster, while veterans and cross-league crossovers pepper the chatter. The ratings push fantasy managers to eye early-season roles, minute share, and potential breakout paths, especially for rookies tied to team rebuilds and young cores.

In fantasy terms, the ratings set a framework for early roster decisions and dynasty pivots. Expect these rookie ceilings to inform draft-day value, situational roles, and strategic adds as teams refine rotation plans after the rollout and into training camp.

The Brooklyn Nets' performance at the 2025 NBA Las Vegas Summer League left much to be desired, finishing with a 1-4 record as they integrated four of their five rookies. Despite the overall struggles, Drew Timme stood out as a strong presence for the Nets, particularly in scoring. Egor Demin, the eighth overall pick, showed promising shooting skills, averaging 11.3 points per game while demonstrating improved three-point shooting. Nolan Traore, the 19th pick, showcased athleticism but struggled with efficiency. Ben Saraf provided solid playmaking as the 26th pick, while Danny Wolf contributed significantly in rebounding. The highlight reel from the Nets' content team captures these rookie performances.

AJ Dybantsa, a promising freshman wing from BYU, is generating buzz in early projections for the 2026 NBA Draft, with analysts placing him among the top picks. His unique profile as a 6-foot-9 scoring wing is highly coveted in the league. With recent mock drafts suggesting he could be selected as high as No. 2 or No. 3 overall, much attention will be focused on how he develops at BYU this season. The excitement grows around the potential for Dybantsa to join former BYU guard Egor Demin in Brooklyn after Demin's successful rookie year.

While experts note Dybantsa's flashes of brilliance and elite athleticism, they also highlight the need for consistency in his game. As he prepares for a season where expectations will be high, Dybantsa aims to prove he can be a franchise-changing player. The competition at the top of the draft class, including talents like Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer, means Dybantsa will need standout performances to secure his spot among the elite prospects.