Nets, Wizards Could Each Miss One Starter Tonight

Tonight, the Brooklyn Nets will face off against the Washington Wizards, hoping to get their second win of the season.

While the players themselves will be vying for the win, the front office could feel differently, as tonight's Easten Conference bout could have 2026 NBA Draft implications, depending on how things play out.

Right now, the Nets and Wizards are neck-and-neck in the East, both standing at 1-11, only ahead of the 1-12 Pacers. Both Brooklyn and Washington are amid rebuilds, with the Wizards slightly ahead in that regard having taken top prospects in each of the last three drafts.

Brooklyn, having taken a record five first-round prospects at last year's draft, assuredly wants the best possible pick next year. And that means losing plenty of games, unfortunately.

Washington is one of just a few teams that will be in a similar position, meaning a loss tonight could give the Nets a leg up in that regard. It's early in the 2025-26 season, but wins will add up as the regular season churns on.

Here are the injury reports for both the Nets and Wizards ahead of tonight’s game:

Brooklyn Nets injuries:

Haywood Highsmith — Out: Right knee

Ben Saraf — Out: G League

Cam Thomas — Out: Left hamstring

Nolan Traore — Out: G League

Danny Wolf — Out: G League

Washington Wizards injuries:

Sharife Cooper — Out: G League

Bilal Couliably — Questionable: Left calf

Will Riley — Out: G League

Jamir Watkins — Out: G League

The Nets continue to play undermanned, most notably without their second-leading scorer in guard Cam Thomas, who remains out due to a hamstring injury. 

Thomas’s injury continues to be felt across the lineup, as his scoring gravity has somewhat hampered the team’s overall offense. He averaged 21.4 points per game across eight contests prior to injury, shooting just 40% overall with room to improve.

The Nets will also be without Haywood Highsmith, who has yet to make his return from injury after being acquired from the Heat in the offseason, as well as three rookies on G League assignment.

Danny Wolf, one of the three, has seen a stellar G League stint so far, averaging 24.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in his last three games.

The Wizards, too, have three G League prospects out, with a strong contributor in Bilal Coulibaly questionable for tonight’s game. He's played in just four games so far this year, and has now missed four-straight.

The Nets and Wizards tip off at 5 p.m. CT tonight.