The Brooklyn Nets have reportedly made decisions on three role players for the rest of the season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Nets will guarantee the contracts of three minimum signings from this offseason: Yuta Watanabe, Edmond Sumner and Markieff Morris.
Watanabe has been among the breakout stories of the NBA season, leading the league in 3-point percentage (51.4) while emerging as one of Brooklyn's most reliable perimeter defenders. The Japanese forward has propelled the Nets to victories with clutch fourth-quarter performances in several wins.
Yuta Watanabe’s performance last night deserves a thread 🧵 So here we go:
No other way to start it.
Ice cold with the confidence on this clutch three. Watanabe is leading the NBA in 3-point percentage at 55.6. pic.twitter.com/mxSa2I2HjW
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 18, 2022
The 28-year-old struggled to crack Toronto's rotation during his last two seasons before signing the non-guaranteed deal with Brooklyn. Watanabe has now carved out a valuable role as a 3-and-D spark plug off the bench for the streaking Nets.
Sumner signed on a partially guaranteed deal after missing last season with a torn Achilles. The lanky guard has provided a much-needed defensive option in Brooklyn's backcourt. At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Sumner’s hard-nosed defense has provided a change of pace for a Nets team that struggles to guard at the point of attack.
Offensively, the 26-year-old has also flashed some self-creation in transition and the half court using his incredible speed. Sumner has seen his minutes reduced as of late after stepping into an expanded role with Kyrie Irving suspended early this season. The guard's 3-point limitations (28.1 percent on 1.7 attempts per game this season) make him a difficult fit in certain lineups. However, Sumner's versatility and high motor have made him an important depth piece given several early injuries in Brooklyn's backcourt.
Morris has appeared in 19 games this season, shooting 48.7 percent from 3-point range as a reserve big man. More than anything, the 33-year-old was viewed as a valuable veteran presence following a 2021-22 Nets season that was plagued by internal dysfunction. Marc Stein reported during the preseason that Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai made a personal recruiting pitch to Morris this summer.
“The Nets considered the Morris signing as sufficiently significant that I'm told Nets owner Joe Tsai made a personal recruiting pitch to the 33-year-old,” Stein said. “The Nets were desperate to add a veteran who could command the respect of stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and believe Morris has the gravitas to speak up when necessary like he did in Los Angeles alongside James and Davis.”
Morris' experience was on full display during Brooklyn's Dec. 10 upset win over Indiana in which the Nets rested their top eight rotation players. The 12-year veteran posted 15 points and 11 rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting while making two key passes in the final minutes.
Watanabe, Sumner and Morris fill out one of the deepest Brooklyn rosters in recent memory. Following a dysfunctional start, the Nets have clawed their way to the league's second-best record, winning 19 of their last 23. Brooklyn will continue the push for the top spot in the Eastern Conference as it closes out a three-game road trip with stops in New Orleans and Miami later this week.
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