What Nets fans should be watching for at 2025 NBA Summer League

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What Nets fans should be watching for at 2025 NBA Summer League

Erik Slater · ClutchPoints

Mon, Jul 7, 2025 ·

4 min read

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The post What Nets fans should be watching for at 2025 NBA Summer League appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The Brooklyn Nets made NBA history last month as the first team to make five first-round picks in a single draft. Later this week, their unprecedented draft class will take the floor together for the first time at the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League.

The Nets announced their Summer League roster last weekend, and all five of the team's rookies will play. That group includes Egor Demin , Nolan Traore, Drake Powell , Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf .

Brooklyn will also send several players from last year's NBA roster to Las Vegas, including Tosan Evbuomwan , Drew Timme and Tyson Etienne . Evbuomwan and Etienne are on two-way contracts, while Timme has a non-guaranteed standard deal. Third-year draft picks Noah Clowney , Dariq Whitehead and Jalen Wilson will not play.

Quincy Olivari and Grant Nelson are notable additions to the Nets' Summer League roster. Olivari spent last season on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers . Nelson starred for Alabama in 2024-25 before going undrafted and signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Brooklyn.

Nets assistant Steve Hetzel will coach the team for the second straight year.

Nets' historic draft class headlines 2025 NBA Summer League roster

Brooklyn's rookie class has been subject to scrutiny following the draft. The Nets' decision to use all five of their first-round picks shocked most draft observers. Their decision to select three international point guards, each known for their passing ability, also left many scratching their heads.

Despite this, General Manager Sean Marks and Head Coach Jordi Fernandez are confident that they have assembled a versatile group that can share the floor effectively.

Demin's play in Las Vegas will be the main storyline for the Nets' Summer League squad. The BYU point guard is widely regarded as the best passer in this year's draft class. However, his limited athleticism and average ball-handling ability limited him as a scorer last season, as he averaged 10.6 points per game on 41/27/70 shooting splits.

Demin's outside shot will be critical if he hopes to thrive as a lead ball-handler and play other positions. While he struggled at BYU (27.3 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game), he reportedly shot exceptionally well during pre-draft workouts, giving the Nets confidence that he'll be an effective floor-spacer.

Traore and Saraf also struggled as outside shooters last season. They'll both need to improve in that area to unlock their playmaking and downhill scoring ability.

Powell, a 6-foot-5 wing out of North Carolina, flashed elite defense and solid three-point shooting (37.9 percent on 2.6 attempts per game) last season. However, he was very limited outside of a spot-up role offensively. His 13.8 usage rate during his pre-draft season was the lowest of any wing ever drafted, according to the Athletic's Sam Vecenie.

Yet, he flashed significant on-ball capabilities as a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Powell's ceiling with Brooklyn will hinge on his ability to space the floor and develop as a threat off-the-dribble.

Meanwhile, Wolf was among the most exciting players in college basketball last season. The 6-foot-11 big man often handled the ball in the pick-and-roll with Michigan, flashing elite passing and downhill scoring ability. Fernandez, who previously coached Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis , has voiced a desire to utilize his big men as half-court hubs offensively.

While Wolf shot just 33.6 percent from three last season, his smooth stroke inspires hope that he can develop into a floor-spacing threat alongside Brooklyn's numerous point guards.

The Nets will kick off Summer League on Thursday at 5:30 PM EST against the Oklahoma City Thunder . They'll then face the Washington Wizards on July 13, the New York Knicks on July 15, and the Orlando Magic on July 16.

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