One of the Brooklyn Nets' reported signings will not make it to training camp amid a roster crunch. Ricky Council IV won't sign with the Nets due to an injury, according to NetsDaily.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Aug. 1 that Council was signing a one-year deal with Brooklyn. However, the team never officially announced the contract.
Free agent guard/forward Ricky Council IV will sign a one-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent Adie von Gontard tells ESPN. The former 76ers wing appeared in a team-high 73 games last season, averaging 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2025
Council signed with the Philadelphia 76ers after going undrafted out of Arkansas in 2023. Following an impressive G League performance, he earned a multi-year contract. However, the 6-foot-6 guard was not able to capitalize on an expanded role last season with the injury-ravaged 76ers.
He averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 38/26/80 shooting splits in 17.1 minutes per game over 73 appearances. Philadelphia waived him entering the offseason.
Where Nets' training camp roster stands after Ricky Council deal falls through
With the Council deal falling through, Brooklyn is at 22 contracts, including the unofficial Exhibit 10 signings of Fanbo Zeng and Grant Nelson. NBA teams are allowed to carry 21 contracts at training camp. If the Nets sign Zeng and Nelson before Thursday, they will have to waive another player.
The Nets waived Keon Johnson's non-guaranteed contract last week. Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin and Drew Timme are the team's remaining players on non-guaranteed deals.
Brooklyn selected Wilson with the No. 51 pick in the 2023 draft out of Kansas. The former Big-12 Player of the Year turned in an encouraging rookie campaign before winning MVP at the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League. He made 79 appearances with 22 starts in 2024-25, averaging 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .397/.337/.818 shooting splits in 25.7 minutes per game.
Martin, the No. 51 pick in the 2022 draft, joined Brooklyn on a two-way contract ahead of last season. The Nets converted his contract to a two-year, standard deal midway through the year. The 26-year-old made 60 appearances with 11 starts, averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .406/.351/.793 shooting splits in 21.9 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, Timme signed a 10-day contract late in the year after a dominant stretch with Brooklyn's G League affiliate. The Nets converted him to a two-year, standard deal shortly after. The former Gonzaga star appeared in nine games, averaging 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists on .441/.257/.625 shooting splits in 28.2 minutes per night.
