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The Nets’ newest rookies weren’t introduced under arena lights Monday. They sat inside the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, a short walk from Barclays Center, with campers watching and a skills clinic waiting after the microphones were turned off.
Mikel Brown Jr., Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau arrived as three different projects in Brooklyn’s rebuild: a guard with creation juice, a forward with connective skill and a shooter trying to prove he’s more than that. They also arrived understanding where the Nets are as a franchise but have no interest in using it as an excuse.
Brown, the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, had already spoken with Julius Randle, whose arrival from the Minnesota Timberwolves is still awaiting finalization as part of a three-team trade.
The message, Brown said, was direct.
“We’re going to shock the world with our competitiveness,” Brown said, describing the conversation with Randle. “Trying to bring back that winning culture that Brooklyn Nets once had, this Nets organization once had. And it’s going to take day by day, step by step, just getting 1% better every day.”
That’s a lot for a rookie who hasn’t played a Summer League game, much less an NBA minute. And that confidence is why Sean Marks had Brown high on his board.
“I don’t think anybody’s ever questioned the confidence that he’s had,” the Nets general manager said. “They’ve all got a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.”
That’s where Monday found the Nets, between youthful belief and organizational patience. Marks has spent the last two drafts adding young players with size, skill and positional flexibility. Five first-round picks arrived last year. Brown, Jefferson and Bilodeau followed this year. The roster remains young. The trade for Randle, once finalized, will add a proven scorer and another veteran voice. Michael Porter Jr. gives Brooklyn another experienced player for the young group to watch.
Marks’ job now is to turn all of it into something more orderly than hope. He liked the poise the rookies showed Monday. But Marks also knows a news conference isn’t an NBA possession. Summer League, training camp and the regular season will ask harder questions than anyone did from a scrum.
Brown sounded eager for that part. He said it hit him two days earlier, when the Nets handed him team gear and he stood inside the facility. Then the feeling passed. He was ready to work.
Brown also gave an early window into his bond with head coach Jordi Fernández. He called Fernández “a player’s coach” and said he is “ride or die for him.” The detail he chose had nothing to do with a play call. After the draft, Brown went to watch his sister’s volleyball game. Fernández texted him to ask how she played.
While Brown remains the headliner, Brooklyn’s class has three distinct lanes. Jefferson, the No. 28 pick, brings age, strength and frontcourt feel. He spent four years in college, played at Saint Mary’s and Iowa State, and arrives with a reputation for passing, physicality and versatility. The Nets have already spoken with him about competing on both sides of the ball and using the full range of his game.
“I think my defensive ability at a high level can be undersold a little bit,” Jefferson said. “I think I move my feet pretty well, guard 1 through 5, so it’s what I’m going to try to prove on day one.”
Jefferson also said Brooklyn has laid out a plan for him across performance work, mental health and on-court development. His first chance to show it in a game will have to wait. Because the Randle trade hasn’t been finalized, Jefferson can’t play for the Nets in Sacramento. He’s expected to be available in Las Vegas.
Brown and Bilodeau are expected to be available for both Summer League stops.
Bilodeau, the No. 43 pick, has the simplest NBA entry point. He shot 46.4% from 3-point range in his final season at UCLA and gives Brooklyn a frontcourt shooter with size. But he used Monday to push against the idea of being reduced to one skill.
“I think that’s what I’m known for, shooting, but I think I score on all three levels,” Bilodeau said. “I think I’m really good at punishing switches, using my size and strength, but also want to be seen as a good defender and a rebounder as well.”
Marks pointed to Bilodeau’s range, quick release and confidence. He called Jefferson a rare facilitator at his position. He described Brown as a student of the game who spent part of his predraft meeting interviewing the Nets back.
Curiosity will help. So will the competition.
Marks said last year’s rookies played roughly 6,400 minutes, part of a development plan built around NBA reps rather than practice time alone. That plan now has to serve an even deeper group of young players while veterans help set the daily standard.
By the time Monday’s news conference ended, the rookies were headed toward the campers waiting on the court. It was a fitting first image: three new Nets, still learning Brooklyn, already being asked to teach.
Brown already has his first lesson from Fernández. It didn’t come from a playbook, but from a text about his sister’s volleyball game.
“He’s like, ‘Did we win?’” Brown said. “I was like, ‘Yes, coach, we won.’ So that in itself just shows that it’s more than basketball.”
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Mikel Brown Jr., Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau arrived as three different projects in Brooklyn’s rebuild: a guard with creation juice, a forward with connective skill and a shooter trying to prove he’s more than that. They also arrived understanding where the Nets are as a franchise but have no interest in using it as an excuse.
Brown, the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, had already spoken with Julius Randle, whose arrival from the Minnesota Timberwolves is still awaiting finalization as part of a three-team trade.
The message, Brown said, was direct.
“We’re going to shock the world with our competitiveness,” Brown said, describing the conversation with Randle. “Trying to bring back that winning culture that Brooklyn Nets once had, this Nets organization once had. And it’s going to take day by day, step by step, just getting 1% better every day.”
That’s a lot for a rookie who hasn’t played a Summer League game, much less an NBA minute. And that confidence is why Sean Marks had Brown high on his board.
“I don’t think anybody’s ever questioned the confidence that he’s had,” the Nets general manager said. “They’ve all got a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.”
That’s where Monday found the Nets, between youthful belief and organizational patience. Marks has spent the last two drafts adding young players with size, skill and positional flexibility. Five first-round picks arrived last year. Brown, Jefferson and Bilodeau followed this year. The roster remains young. The trade for Randle, once finalized, will add a proven scorer and another veteran voice. Michael Porter Jr. gives Brooklyn another experienced player for the young group to watch.
Marks’ job now is to turn all of it into something more orderly than hope. He liked the poise the rookies showed Monday. But Marks also knows a news conference isn’t an NBA possession. Summer League, training camp and the regular season will ask harder questions than anyone did from a scrum.
Brown sounded eager for that part. He said it hit him two days earlier, when the Nets handed him team gear and he stood inside the facility. Then the feeling passed. He was ready to work.
Brown also gave an early window into his bond with head coach Jordi Fernández. He called Fernández “a player’s coach” and said he is “ride or die for him.” The detail he chose had nothing to do with a play call. After the draft, Brown went to watch his sister’s volleyball game. Fernández texted him to ask how she played.
While Brown remains the headliner, Brooklyn’s class has three distinct lanes. Jefferson, the No. 28 pick, brings age, strength and frontcourt feel. He spent four years in college, played at Saint Mary’s and Iowa State, and arrives with a reputation for passing, physicality and versatility. The Nets have already spoken with him about competing on both sides of the ball and using the full range of his game.
“I think my defensive ability at a high level can be undersold a little bit,” Jefferson said. “I think I move my feet pretty well, guard 1 through 5, so it’s what I’m going to try to prove on day one.”
Jefferson also said Brooklyn has laid out a plan for him across performance work, mental health and on-court development. His first chance to show it in a game will have to wait. Because the Randle trade hasn’t been finalized, Jefferson can’t play for the Nets in Sacramento. He’s expected to be available in Las Vegas.
Brown and Bilodeau are expected to be available for both Summer League stops.
Bilodeau, the No. 43 pick, has the simplest NBA entry point. He shot 46.4% from 3-point range in his final season at UCLA and gives Brooklyn a frontcourt shooter with size. But he used Monday to push against the idea of being reduced to one skill.
“I think that’s what I’m known for, shooting, but I think I score on all three levels,” Bilodeau said. “I think I’m really good at punishing switches, using my size and strength, but also want to be seen as a good defender and a rebounder as well.”
Marks pointed to Bilodeau’s range, quick release and confidence. He called Jefferson a rare facilitator at his position. He described Brown as a student of the game who spent part of his predraft meeting interviewing the Nets back.
Curiosity will help. So will the competition.
Marks said last year’s rookies played roughly 6,400 minutes, part of a development plan built around NBA reps rather than practice time alone. That plan now has to serve an even deeper group of young players while veterans help set the daily standard.
By the time Monday’s news conference ended, the rookies were headed toward the campers waiting on the court. It was a fitting first image: three new Nets, still learning Brooklyn, already being asked to teach.
Brown already has his first lesson from Fernández. It didn’t come from a playbook, but from a text about his sister’s volleyball game.
“He’s like, ‘Did we win?’” Brown said. “I was like, ‘Yes, coach, we won.’ So that in itself just shows that it’s more than basketball.”
Continue reading...
