Brooklyn Nets rookie Drake Powell's poor injury luck continued on Sunday. After missing four games due to an ankle sprain he suffered during Brooklyn's season-opener, the 19-year-old re-entered the lineup vs. the Philadelphia 76ers. However, his return was short-lived, as he re-injured his right ankle four minutes into his second NBA game.
Powell turned his ankle on a non-contact play. He exited the game, and the Nets promptly ruled him out.
“I have no idea,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said of the severity of the injury. “It’s bad luck when you step on somebody, and ankles are usually soft tissue. We can discuss that, but when you step on somebody, you cannot control that. So bad luck, I feel for the kid. He’ll be back soon because he’s a worker and he’s great. He started very well with great energy… Unfortunately, this is part of the game, and he’ll be back soon.”
Drake Powell just turned his right ankle, the same one he injured during the first quarter of Brooklyn's season-opener.
It wasn't a very abnormal play. That ankle doesn't look very stable. pic.twitter.com/3ToU7Gitt8
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 2, 2025
Powell missed most of the offseason due to left knee tendinopathy. However, he's impressed during his limited NBA opportunities.
Drake Powell re-injures right ankle after returning to Nets' lineup
The former North Carolina wing provided a spark off the bench on Sunday, going coast-to-coast for a transition layup and bolstering Brooklyn's defensive rotations. Powell was among Fernandez's first substitutions, with the head coach searching for a solution to his team's horrid defense.
“You bring in Drake, who is a good defender and is gonna be a high-level defender, and we keep developing these [other] guys. Unfortunately, he couldn’t play longer. But that was the thought process, was to try to help with the lineups. It just didn’t work out,” Fernandez said.
Drake Powell with a strong take and finish on the fastbreak. His transition play finishing was the best part of his offensive game at North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/EwGTxNrXxx
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 2, 2025
Powell was among the nation's top defenders while converting 38 percent of his threes during his lone college season. Many regarded him as the top athlete in this year's draft class. However, he's been limited by injuries after the Nets selected him with the No. 22 pick in June's draft.
With the rookie sidelined by another ankle sprain, Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson should continue to see minutes on the wing in Brooklyn's second unit.
