The Nets have officially unveiled jersey numbers for their offseason additions, but one returning player is making a surprising change. Here's the story behind Nolan Traoré's switch and the meaning behind the numbers Brooklyn's newest players will wear.
With the NBA offseason continuing, the Brooklyn Nets have officially revealed jersey numbers for their newest additions while also announcing a notable change for one returning player.
Second-year guard Nolan Traoré will switch from No. 88 to No. 10 ahead of the 2026-27 season, ending one of the more unique jersey choices in franchise history after just one year.
Traoré initially wore No. 19 shortly after Brooklyn selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft before changing to No. 88 ahead of his rookie season. The move immediately caught attention around the league, as he became the first player in Nets franchise history to wear the unconventional number.
Now, he'll take the floor in No. 10, which was most recently worn by Tyson Etienne during the 2025-26 season.
Along with Traoré's switch, Brooklyn's veteran offseason additions and rookie class now have their official jersey numbers for the upcoming season.
Three-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle will continue wearing the familiar No. 30, the same number he's worn throughout his NBA career. The jersey carries deep personal meaning for Randle, who adopted it as a child to honor his mother after she wore No. 30 during her own basketball career. According to Randle, when he asked if he could wear the number growing up, she told him he had to "do something with it," a message that stayed with him throughout his journey to becoming an NBA All-Star. During his time with the New York Knicks, he also launched his "30 for 3" literacy and tutoring initiative, further tying the number to both his basketball career and community work.
No. 30 was last worn by Ochai Agbaji during the 2025-26 season.
Free-agent addition Keon Ellis will wear No. 1 with Brooklyn after previously wearing No. 14, a number that has long held personal significance. Ellis wore No. 14 throughout his rise as a player, and Eustis Middle School in Florida even retired the jersey in recognition of his accomplishments after playing there from 2012 to 2014. With No. 14 already belonging to Terance Mann, Ellis will instead begin his Nets career wearing No. 1, which was last worn by Ziaire Williams.
Another veteran newcomer, Moritz Wagner, will wear No. 13. Wagner spent the last several years wearing No. 21, a number that became symbolic of the bond he shares with his younger brother, Franz Wagner. When the two became teammates with the Orlando Magic, Franz switched from No. 21 to No. 22 so Moe could keep the number he had already been wearing. Before that, Wagner also wore No. 21 with the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics.
This time, however, a familiar number wasn't available. Noah Clowney already wears No. 21 for Brooklyn, while Day'Ron Sharpe has No. 20, another number Wagner has worn during his NBA career. Instead, Wagner will return to No. 13, the same number he wore during his standout college career at Michigan. No. 13 was last worn by Tre Scott.
Brooklyn's rookie class also brings a few meaningful jersey selections.
Sixth overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. will wear No. 0, a number he's carried since childhood. Brown has said he chose it while growing up because of his admiration for NBA guards Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook, and he's continued wearing it throughout his basketball career. No. 0 was last worn by Dariq Whitehead in 2025.
Fellow rookie Joshua Jefferson will wear No. 9 with the Nets. Jefferson has said No. 5 has always been his preferred jersey, dating back to when he was around six years old, and he switched back to it during his senior season of college after previously wearing No. 2. Neither of those options was available in Brooklyn, however. Danny Wolf already wears No. 2, while No. 5 has been retired by the franchise in honor of Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd. Jefferson will instead take No. 9, which was last worn by EJ Liddell during the 2025-26 season.
Second-round pick Tyler Bilodeau, who signed a two-way contract with Brooklyn, will wear No. 34. Like Randle, Bilodeau's jersey number is a tribute to his mother. He switched to No. 34 during his sophomore season at Oregon State to honor Cass Bauer-Bilodeau, who wore the same number while starring at Montana State before playing professionally in the WNBA and ABL. Bilodeau has continued wearing the number ever since, frequently crediting his mother as the biggest influence on his basketball career.
No. 34 was last worn by Wenyen Gabriel in 2022.
While jersey numbers don't impact what happens on the court, they often become part of a player's identity over the course of a career. For Brooklyn's newest additions, several of those choices carry personal significance, while Traoré's move from No. 88 to No. 10 closes the chapter on one of the most distinctive jersey numbers in franchise history as he heads into his second NBA season.
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