The Brooklyn Nets are facing a roster crunch after making an NBA-record five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA draft. They took their first step towards addressing it on Friday, waiving forward Maxwell Lewis.

Lewis, the 40th pick in the 2023 draft, was on a non-guaranteed contract after joining the team alongside D'Angelo Russell in a midseason trade that sent Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers. The 6-foot-7 forward missed two months after fracturing his tibia during his Nets debut. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds on 42/38/70 shooting splits in 14.2 minutes per game over 21 appearances upon his return.

Brooklyn's decision to waive Lewis is the first of several upcoming roster decisions following the team's historic draft.

Nets waive Maxwell Lewis amid roster crunch after historic draft class

Brooklyn Nets forward Maxwell Lewis (27) dribbles the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Barclays Center.
Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

After cutting Lewis, the Nets have eight players on standard contracts. With five rookies incoming, four free agents (Cam Thomas, Day'Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford) who could re-sign, and the potential to add more to the roster using cap space, the team will face decisions on several contributors from last season.

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That group likely consists of Keon Johnson, Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin and Drew Timme. Johnson is on a partially guaranteed minimum contract, while Wilson, Martin, and Timme are on non-guaranteed minimum deals.

Johnson was the most productive of the bunch last season. The former first-round pick appeared in 79 games with 56 starts, averaging 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He ranked third in field goal attempts (9.9 per game) among players who finished the season with the team. However, he struggled with efficiency, shooting just 38.9 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from three.

Wilson is entering his third season after the Nets selected him with the No. 51 pick in the 2023 draft. The former Big-12 Player of the Year and 2024 Summer League MVP averaged 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 40/34/82 shooting splits in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, the Nets converted Martin from a two-way to a standard contract midway through the year. The 25-year-old swingman had a promising season, averaging 8.7 points while shooting 35.1 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game.

Timme signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn late in the season before earning a two-year deal. The former Gonzaga star averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 44/26/63 shooting splits over nine appearances. He is eligible to sign a two-way contract if the Nets were to waive him.

Johnson, Wilson, Martin and Timme are all candidates to play for the Nets' Summer League team in Las Vegas. Brooklyn has yet to announce its roster, but will play its first game on July 10.