Can Nets' Big Drew Timme Step into an Extended Role This Season?

As the Brooklyn Nets enter the 2025-2026 NBA season on track to be one of the youngest teams in league history, many inexperienced players will likely earn a shot to prove they deserve a consistent role.

After dominating both the Las Vegas Summer League and the G League, 25-year-old forward Drew Timme enters the preseason with an opportunity to establish himself as a reliable contributor at the NBA level.

Timme was the Summer League’s second-leading scorer, averaging 25.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

During his time with Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, Timme earned All-NBA G League Second Team honors after averaging 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 57% from the field.

After entering the NBA as a Consensus First-Team All-American after his time in Gonzaga, Timme was viewed as a more traditional post-up forward with solid rebounding skills. Since becoming a professional, he has developed an extra sense of comfort as an outside shooter, shooting 2.7 three-pointers per game at an efficient rate (38.5%) during his most recent G League season.

Timme won’t be expected to put up a barrage of threes every game, but his added versatility could still lead to more playing time. 

After his impressive season in the G League, Timme made an immediate impact while finishing out the season on the Nets’ NBA roster. During his NBA debut, Timme tallied a double-double by scoring 11 points and bringing down ten rebounds.

He ended up appearing in 9 total games, while starting two, totaling averages of 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from field-goal range

During his time in Brooklyn, head coach Jordi Fernandez had some high praise for Timme's performance throughout that short span.

“Never rushed, uses his body, like he can find his teammates, he can score, he can rebound,” Fernández said. “Very impressed with him, very happy for him because he deserves it, and that to me can be an example of one of those guys that it's like, ‘oh, but at this level…’ and well, he still does it.”

One of the key determining factors for whether Timme will receive consistent playing time will be his ability to play defense. If he can prove to be a reliable defender at the NBA level, Timme's natural scoring touch and knack for bringing down rebounds could lead to him cracking a spot in the Nets' rotation.