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The Brooklyn Nets will be more concerned with lottery odds than wins this season. General manager Sean Marks abruptly pivoted to a rebuild this summer, resetting his team's timeline with an eye on the 2025 draft. However, several of Brooklyn's players have much to play for, whether it be contracts, trade appeal or pride.
Here are the three Nets with the most to prove during the 2024-25 campaign.
3. Ziaire Williams
Ziaire Williams is among several young, bounceback prospects the Nets took a flier on this offseason. Brooklyn acquired the 23-year-old and a second-round pick for Mamadi Diakite in a cost-cutting move by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Williams never caught on with the Grizzlies after they selected him 10th overall in the 2021 draft. At 6-foot-9 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and explosive athleticism, he has the tools of a high-level wing defender. However, he struggled to develop his offensive game while battling injuries in Memphis, shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from three over three seasons.
After playing one college season at Standford, Williams was a raw prospect when he joined the Grizzlies, who were trying to contend with Ja Morant. He'll now have a chance to lean into his development for a Nets team with zero expectations.
The forward is entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he can improve his outside shot and add tools to his offensive game, he'll be an extension candidate for the Nets next summer.
2. Cam Thomas
Cam Thomas has been a polarizing player since his LSU days. Despite leading the nation's freshmen in scoring during his lone college season, he fell to 27th in the 2021 draft due to concerns about his size, playmaking and defense. While he had moments of scoring brilliance, he spent most of his first two NBA seasons on Brooklyn's bench.
Thomas finally cracked the Nets' rotation last season and emerged as the team's leading scorer (22.5 points per game). The 22-year-old took steps in other aspects of his game, averaging 4.0 assists over two months late in the year. He improved as an off-ball threat, shooting a career-high 43.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. And while no one would mistake him for a plus defender, his effort on that end of the floor has trended in the right direction.
Despite this, opinions of Thomas are scattershot amongst NBA executives, something I discussed with the New York Post's Brian Lewis on my Bleav in Nets podcast.
“With Cam Thomas, there is no baseline [in opinions],” Lewis said. “Some scouts think he walks on water. They love him. Others wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole. They want no part of him. No matter what he's getting paid, they don't want any part of him. I've never seen a player like this, frankly… There is no sort of agreement between scouts or front office personnel about what is value is on the market or how good of a player he can be.”
How do NBA front offices view Cam Thomas ahead of his potential restricted free agency next summer?
I discussed with @NYPost_Lewis on Bleav in Nets. pic.twitter.com/xs7fxFv6ec
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 11, 2024
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Thomas will step into a lead offensive role this season. While he'll shoulder an immense burden as Brooklyn's only high-level shot creator, he'll have to continue developing the supporting aspects of his game if he hopes to shed the “microwave scorer” label. Doing so could go a long way toward increasing his market value next offseason when he's expected to hit restricted free agency.
1. Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons' appearance on this list doesn't need much explanation. The three-time All-Star is entering the final season of a five-year, $177 million contract. Calling his NBA future beyond this season “uncertain” would be putting it lightly.
Simmons has not made a significant NBA contribution since his meltdown during the Philadelphia 76ers' second-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. He's been unable to stay on the floor while battling back injuries and mental health issues, appearing in 57 of 254 total games over the last three seasons.
When on the floor, his offensive passivity has continued to trend in the wrong direction. He's been unwilling to attack the basket, attempting 72 free throws over his 57 appearances (1.3 per game) and converting only 31 (43.1 percent). The former No. 1 pick's field goal attempts per 36 minutes have decreased every season of his NBA career, per Basketball Reference.
Until the 28-year-old can regain the aggressive, downhill mindset that made him a force during his All-Star seasons, he cannot play a feature role for a playoff team.
Simmons has attributed his lack of aggressiveness to nagging back injuries. He's undergone two surgeries on bulging discs in the last two years, the second of which came in May. However, he said he is 100 percent at this year's training camp. Simmons drew rave reviews this offseason from renowned NBA trainer Chris Brickley, who said the Aussie is “back to playing at an All-Star level.”
But three seasons removed from his All-Star days, the offseason hype trains have no meaning. If Simmons hopes to revitalize his career, he must prove his value on the court.
