The Brooklyn Nets open the preseason on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas. The team boasts a reshaped roster following a pair of blockbuster trades at last year's deadline and numerous offseason moves.

With that, we break down the three must-watch developments for the Nets as they take the floor for their first game action of 2023-24.

3. Which offseason signings emerge with the second unit?

The Nets added four minimum signings in free agency this offseason: Dennis Smith Jr., Lonnie Walker IV, Darius Bazley and Trendon Watford. Smith Jr. drew interest from Brooklyn due to his high-level point-of-attack defense and driving ability. The former lottery pick is expected to handle the point guard duties with the second unit.

But beyond that, the roles of the new additions remain a mystery.

Walker, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard/small forward, is the most experienced player of the remaining additions. The 24-year-old averaged 11.7 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting for the Lakers last season. Despite inconsistent playing time throughout the year, Walker came up clutch for Los Angeles during their second-round series against Golden State, averaging 10.6 points per game on 54 percent shooting. That included a 15-point fourth-quarter performance in Game 4 to give the Lakers a 3-1 series lead.

Walker's on-ball creation and spot-up shooting should come in handy for a team searching for shot creation. However, with Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Thomas and Smith Jr. already in the mix for backcourt minutes, it remains to be seen whether the former lottery pick will garner consistent minutes.

Beyond that, Bazley and Watford present intriguing fits due to their positional versatility. Both have good size (6-foot-8) and ball-handling ability, allowing them to play anywhere from small forward to center. While neither are high-level shooters, they both present a threat, likely positioning them as small-ball fives in the NBA long-term.

Bazley is the more natural shooter and perimeter defender of the two, which could give him more opportunities to crack Brooklyn's rotation on the wing or at power forward.

However, Watford offers intriguing passing ability and a soft touch on floaters out of the short roll, which could give him the edge in a battle for backup center minutes. The LSU product can also handle the ball in transition and take bigger centers off the dribble when called upon.

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Head coach Jacque Vaughn has said Day'Ron Sharpe will get an early opportunity to win the backup center role behind Nic Claxton. However, Bazley and Watford present floor-spacing options alongside two non-shooting point guards in Ben Simmons and Smith Jr. They also offer far greater defensive versatility than Sharpe, who struggled in pick-and-roll coverage last year. Both factors could loom large if Sharpe doesn't impress early on.

2. What is Cam Thomas' role?

Cam Thomas' inconsistent playing time was at the center of many Nets fans' displeasures after the team traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last season. Despite Brooklyn's glaring need for shot creation (23rd-ranked offense after the trades) and Thomas' historic stretch scoring 40-plus in three consecutive games, the 21-year-old could not crack the rotation late last year.

Vaughn made it clear throughout last season that he wanted Thomas to improve as a playmaker and defender. The coach also told reporters last week that the Nets aren't built to win games playing isolation basketball, which has been the LSU product's greatest skill. This begs the question: is there room for Thomas in Brooklyn's rotation this season?

The answer should be yes, given the roster's lack of three-level scoring ability. There is reason to believe Thomas can thrive in a supporting role this season. He made significant strides as a three-point shooter in 2022-23 (38.3 percent), which bodes well for his fit off the ball. Thomas also said he added 10 pounds of muscle this summer, which he hopes will help him on the defensive end. And while Vaughn insists the team won't revert to the iso-heavy style of the Durant and Irving days, there's a glaring need for players who can generate offense late in the shot clock.

Thomas should see time as a lead ball-handler and off-ball guard this season. If he can improve his defense and play within the flow of Vaughn's offense, there's no reason he shouldn't have an expansive role in 2023-24.

1. Does Ben Simmons look more explosive, aggressive?

Ben Simmons' newfound health has been the talk of the Nets organization this offseason. The three-time All-Star raved about his improved body during several interviews leading up to training camp, saying he's “ready to dominate” this season. Simmons' teammates have spoken highly of his aggressiveness in transition during training camp, while Vaughn called the Aussie “the most explosive he's seen him” since joining Brooklyn.

“I think what we've seen is his ability to push the basketball, to do it over and over again, play with an extreme amount of pace, get to the rim, play with force,” Vaughn said of Simmons Friday. “All the things that we were asking and I was searching for last year – that later got revealed why they weren't happening – those things are happening now.”

Simmons' physical limitations were evident last year while returning from offseason back surgery. The explosion and downhill aggressiveness of his Philadelphia days were nowhere to be found, with the former number-one pick often reluctant to initiate contact and struggling to elevate over the rim on dunks. Vaughn has said he and Simmons have “an agreement” that the second-year Net will play point guard this season so long as he can apply pressure to opposing defenses.

Simmons should expect physical improvement this season based on the type of back procedure he underwent last summer, called a microdiscectomy. A study by the National Library of Medicine on NBA players who underwent the procedure found they typically return to their normal level of play in the second post-operative season. For Simmons, that means regaining the explosive athleticism and aggressiveness that made him a force during his early days with the 76ers.

Spencer Dinwiddie said at Media Day that the Nets will “go as far as Simmons and Mikal Bridges take them” this season. Several interesting storylines are at play as Brooklyn takes the floor for the first time in 2023-24, but none will be bigger than Simmons' ability to resemble his old self.