Brooklyn Nets and the NBA Summer League

For any team, the NBA Summer League is the first chance to see how a new team performs. 

As the Brooklyn Nets continue their latest rebuild, how their collection of rookies and second-year rising stars performs this summer could be the deciding factor for the 2026-2027 roster. 

Over the span of 11 days in July, teams will participate in the 2026 NBA Summer League held at the UNLV campus in Las Vegas. Rookies from the upcoming NBA draft will take the floor as well as players aiming to secure a place on the regular-season NBA and G League rosters. The coaching staff and scouts often use summer performances to influence training camp decisions heading into the fall.

For the Nets, it will allow Jordi Fernandez to experiment with different rotations and evaluate chemistry. Offensive and defensive roles can be put to the test before it really counts. As Brooklyn’s current roster does not feature a player older than 29 years old, the next few seasons and their subsequent summers will highlight undeveloped talent and a growing culture.

Their expected participants will be four of the “Flatbush Five,” Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf, who are all entering their second season together. After Brooklyn made history by drafting five first-round selections in 2025, games this summer will offer an extended look at how that group is developing collectively one year later.

Drake Powell will not participate due to knee tendinopathy, an injury he has struggled with since last Summer League. With the Nets prioritizing long-term development over immediate playoff expectations, one of the franchise’s biggest challenges entering next season will be growing from the inside out.

Players like Tyson Etienne, Chaney Johnson, and E.J. Liddell are also expected to receive major minutes as they continue fighting for long-term roster opportunities. The trio is all on two-way contracts between the Nets and their G League team, the Long Island Nets.

Before heading to Las Vegas, the Nets will join the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Sacramento Kings to compete in the California Classic Summer League at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Between July 4 and July 6, Brooklyn will play three games before transitioning into the important Las Vegas tournament later in the month.

For a team still in the early stages of finding its rhythm, this year’s Summer League may provide the best look at how far Brooklyn’s young core has progressed and the clearest prediction of which players could emerge as foundational pieces moving forward.

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