Case Study: Tyrese Martin’s Role in the Brooklyn Nets’ Rotation

Tyrese Martin may perfectly personify Jordi Fernandez's first year leading the Brooklyn Nets. He's scrappy, gritty and gives 100% effort at all times—which are the exact qualities the soon-to-be-second-year head-coach seeks.

Martin was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft and found a home in Brooklyn after a stop with the Atlanta Hawks. Martin had his training camp deal converted into a two-way contract ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and after multiple standout performances as a Net, Martin was given a standard NBA contract.

On Nov. 27, 2024, Martin nearly led Brooklyn to victory himself, scoring a career-high 30 points in a 127-117 rout of the Phoenix Suns. That performance solidified Martin as one of the team's top three-point threats.

In 60 appearances, Martin played just over 20 minutes a night, contributing averages of 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and two assists. He was a near-perfect fit in Fernandez's system and brings a much-needed level of grit, which should greatly benefit Brooklyn's incoming draft class as the five rookies look to adapt to the Nets' new culture.

This is assuming he makes the final roster, which, just like his peers, Jalen Wilson and Drew Timme, he should.

Brooklyn does, however, have a pretty packed roster in dire need of trimming. Where the Nets find personnel relief is anyone's guess, but there is a world where Martin, Wilson or Timme head elsewhere as a result.

While the potential release of Martin could be viewed as a means to an end, Brooklyn would likely be better suited to parting ways with a newer face rather than someone who has already bought into the system. Who might that be? Well, that decision ultimately falls on the Nets' front office. But in the early stages of the team's rebuild, continuity is vastly essential. There's no way to bring rookies into a new culture without the help of those who have previously been a part of it.

That frames the eventual decision the front office has to make as such: keep Martin to continue establishing an identity, or prioritize potential by keeping a younger player with perhaps a higher ceiling. Is there a right or wrong answer? Seemingly not, but what conclusion the franchise comes to will signal what direction it plans to move in going forward.

As is the case for both Timme, Wilson and now Martin, it's hard to imagine the latter not signing elsewhere quickly—if the Nets end up parting ways.