The Brooklyn Nets have added two former Illinois players on training camp deals. Both will have the opportunity to compete for an two-way deal or G-League opportunity.
Two former NBA Summer League participants have joined the Brooklyn Nets on training camp deals, looking to battle for potential two-way deals or G-League opportunities.
Dain Dainja and Ben Humrichous are the two signees, both coming off successful seasons.
Humrichous, who spent his past two seasons with Illinois, was a crucial bench piece on Illinois' Final Four squad.
The 6-foot-9 forward shoots the deep ball well for his size, while providing physicality and consistency on the glass.
Humrichous had his best game of the March Madness tournament in the first round against Penn, knocking down four triples.
His 3-point shooting and defensive versatility are his best characteristics.
After his career showing against Penn, Humrichous continued to knock down the long ball, shooting at a 43.7% clip during the Big Dance.
Humrichous is a feel-good story, having started his career at Huntington University, an NAIA school in Indiana.
After three seasons with the Foresters, Humrichous made the leap to Division I with Evansville, staying in Indiana.
The Nets do have a lot of wing depth on the 15-man roster, but in today's NBA, you can never have too much shooting.
If Humrichous can have a strong showing in the month leading up to the preseason, he could carve out a role on Brooklyn's G-League squad.
Dainja is a former Illini as well, finishing out his collegiate career at Memphis last season.
After serving as a bench piece for most of his first three seasons, Dainja was a full-time starter with the Tigers, averaging 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
He shot above 61% from the field for the third straight year, while also posting career highs in blocks (1.3) and steals (0.9) per game.
After helping lead Memphis to AAC regular-season and conference tournament championships, Dainja was named to was named an Honorable Mention.
He went undrafted in last year's draft, spending the 2025-2026 seasons with the Miami Heat's G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Despite coming off the bench in most of his appearances, Dainja was a spark plug.
He averaged 14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting 63% from the field.
With the Nets' front court being one of their weaker position groups, Dainja's ability to produce in limited minutes could be intriguing.
Day'Ron Sharpe and Moritz Wagner project as the top two centers, with Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau providing additional size.
Keeping Dainja with Long Island could be beneficial to have call-up options if the center position gets thinner.
