Nets Rookie Ben Saraf Embraces Competitive Culture in Brooklyn

While a fanbase will naturally have more excitement for the earlier picks their team made in the draft, the Brooklyn Nets’ second-to-last selection of the 2025 NBA Draft could very well be the team’s most NBA-ready rookie as they prepare for the 2025-26 season.

After finding early success in two of Israel's top professional basketball leagues, Saraf will have the opportunity to immediately step in and contribute as Brooklyn's coaching staff works to identify their top playmakers.

Throughout the Las Vegas Summer League, Saraf served as the Nets' leading passer with 3.7 assists per game while also averaging seven points, two rebounds and one steal per game.

As part of the Nets Generation web series on the Brooklyn Nets YouTube channel, Saraf shed some light on the competition level and intensity that he and his fellow teammates brought to the Summer League.

“I really am loving sharing the court with these impressive players,” said Saraf. “They [Nets] love to pick players that are competitors. I think I fit into that. I really love to compete. And i think that’s what’s special about this team. Everybody’s here to compete. It’s going to be really fun this hear.”

With three seasons of professional basketball experience already under his belt, Saraf knows what it's like to compete at a high level, although he has yet to play an NBA game.

During his first professional season with Elitzur Netanya, Safar was named the Israeli Basketball National League's Sixth Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year after averaging 14 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. For the 2023-2024 season, he joined Elitzur Kiryat Ata of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, where he was named the league's Rising Star after averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steal per game.

Saraf also impressed in international competition, being named the tournament MVP of the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championship after averaging 28.1 points, 5.3 assists and leading all players with four steals per game. During the 2022 FIBA U16 championship, he was the tournaments leading scorer with 24.3 points per game.

As Saraf's time in the Summer League wrapped up, he was able to acknowledge how the coaching staff and organization played a role in his development in such a short period.

“It was great for me and all the rookies to get to know the system and the coaching staff. I think we just came to compete every day, high intensity,” Saraf said. ”It was a great experience.”

His previous experience should help with the acclimation process, but nothing compares to playing in the NBA. However, his performance in the Summer League shows that he already has an advanced understanding of the game and could potentially fill the team’s glaring need for a playmaker.