Mar 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) brings the ball up court against the Memphis Grizzlies during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets Rookie Grades: Danny Wolf

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated May 2, 2026 8:32 PM ET

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The Brooklyn Nets garnered plenty of criticism during the 2025 NBA Draft despite having five first-round picks. A series of low-risk moves resulted in the organization having the most top-30 selections in the history of the NBA Draft. But the prospects taken are where the negative attention came from.

Fast forward to now, and that noise has certainly died down. Brooklyn's rookies each brought something to the table, and while none were in contention for Rookie of the Year, a few are in the running for an All-Rookie selection.

Danny Wolf may not be one of those players, but he still impressed many after falling to the No. 27 overall pick. Many analysts had him projected to go higher, but that didn't deter the former Michigan star from taking advantage of his opportunities.

Wolf was a do-it-all big man coming out of college. Able to play the four or five, he took those ball-handling responsibilities into the NBA and showed some of that off with the Nets, averaging 8.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 20.8 minutes per game.

The 6-foot-11 Israeli-American was a solid scorer in the limited minutes he received. His bread and butter was attacking the basket, using great footwork and poise to finish at the rim.

However, one flaw was his three-point shooting. His efficiency from beyond the arc was a question coming out of Michigan, and that appeared to follow him, knocking down the deep ball at just a 32.2% rate in year one.

On the other side of the ball, Wolf was able to keep up a good amount of the time, but it was evident that he matched up better with power forwards in the paint. Centers were able to out-muscle the 21-year-old.

There's great potential for Wolf to become a featured rotation player in the Nets' rotation when they become more competitive. He has a unique skill set that translates to the modern NBA, straying away from the traditional big man. The biggest challenge will be polishing some of those defensive holes and getting more efficient from three-point range.

For being one of the last picks in the first round, Wolf lived up to or exceeded many people's expectations. He wasn't spectacular, but made good use of minutes by doing a little bit of everything. Brooklyn should hold on to him for a long time and continue to develop those skills.