How the Nets’ Unorthodox Roster Is Ushering in a New Era of Brooklyn Basketball

The Brooklyn Nets' decision to enter a complete roster teardown last summer has blessed general manager Sean Marks with a rare opportunity. Marks, who's been tasked with rebuilding Brooklyn from the ground up once already in his career, has a chance to modernize the game of basketball beyond what it's already progressed to.

Size has been a major point of emphasis in the Nets' 2025 offseason. They began by drafting Egor Demin eighth overall—a 6-foot-9 facilitator who is a matchup nightmare—followed by (in order) Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf. Traore is the shortest of the bunch, yet still measures in at 6-foot-4, which is more than capable for a lead guard.

However, the obvious intrigue is in Demin and Wolf, both of whom are players who should not be able to distribute at the level they can. Passing and ball-handling ability in such a large frame has become infamous with one man in the modern NBA, Nikola Jokic, who is a three-time MVP and one-time champion.

It seems like ever since Kristaps Porzingis was drafted fourth overall back in 2015, every team at least takes their chance on finding the next "unicorn." The Portland Trail Blazers added Hansen Yang in June's draft. The Washington Wizards made Alex Sarr the second-overall pick just a year ago. And of course, we all know who was drafted with the top selection in 2023.

Now, the expectation for Demin, or more so Wolf, cannot be to evolve into a Jokic-Victor Wembanyama caliber player. Those guys are one of a kind. What can be expected, however, is for Demin and Wolf to be one of a kind.

They don't need to replicate already-great players to be considered successful choices. Demin and Wolf just need to impact the game in ways only they can.

And what's important to mention is: Demin and Wolf are so much more than just facilitators. Demin proved that to be true in Las Vegas during summer league, displaying the threat he poses from beyond the arc—despite narratives suggesting otherwise.

The same goes for Wolf, whose flashy passes outshined the fact that he was a dominant rebounder in his final collegiate season at Michigan. These two aren't mere "gadget guys," but instead offer a unique take on their respective positions.

They're both unorthodox, rare, uber-talented young basketball players. And that may very well be the exact reason Marks decided to place a call to each of them back on draft night. Time will tell.