NBA Team Releases LeBron James’ Former Teammate After Draft Night

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 6:11 PM ET

The 2025 NBA Draft is in the books, and a new wave of talent is ready to leave its mark. While draft night brought fresh excitement and hope for franchises, it also marked the beginning of tough roster decisions as teams prepare for the NBA Summer League.

Ahead of Summer League action, front offices are actively reshaping their rosters to make room for newly drafted talent. That often means parting ways with players who no longer fit the team’s long-term direction or developmental goals.

One such move involved a former teammate of LeBron James. According to NBA insider Michael Scotto, "the Brooklyn Nets have waived Maxwell Lewis.”

The Brooklyn Nets have waived Maxwell Lewis.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 27, 2025

Lewis, 22, is a Las Vegas native who played college basketball at Pepperdine. He was selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, then traded to the Lakers on draft night.

During his rookie season with Los Angeles, Lewis appeared in 34 games but averaged just three minutes per contest. He played seven more games in the 2024-25 season before being included in the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn.

Lewis' Nets debut was delayed after he fractured his left tibia, sidelining him for four weeks. In total, Lewis played 21 games for Brooklyn, including one start, and averaged 5.3 points per game.

The Nets were busy on draft night, making five first-round selections. They began by picking Egor Demin, a 6-foot-9 guard from Russia who played at BYU. They followed with Nolan Traore from France, Drake Powell from North Carolina, Ben Saraf from Israel and Danny Wolf from Michigan.

After the draft, Nets general manager Sean Marks shared his thoughts with ESPN.

“I’m thrilled with the group we got tonight,” Marks said. “We’ve got some guys who play the right way, move the ball the right way and have some untapped skills there.”

Brooklyn's Summer League campaign begins July 10 in Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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