The Networks today the team confirmed that they have named all five players they selected in the first round of the 2025 draft to the third-year team (Link to Twitter via CJ Holmes of The New York Daily News ).
This means the following players now have guaranteed salaries in 2027/28 (marked in brackets):
- Yehor Demin ($7,578,240)
- Nolan Traore ($4,193,040)
- Drake Powell ($3,709,320)
- Ben Saraf ($3,172,920)
- Danny Wolf ($3,081,840)
(RELATED: 2027/28 Rookie Squad Options Decisions)
The moves aren’t a real surprise considering the Nets have plenty of cap flexibility going forward and can afford to be patient with the prospects they drafted between eighth and 27th overall a year ago. Still, the contributions of those players — none of whom earned a spot on the All-Rookie teams last season — have been limited so far.
Demin is currently part of the starting lineup and has career averages of 10.1 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game on .393/.379/.847 shooting, while Traore has been a part-time starter through 60 games, averaging 9.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.8 points. 21.9 MPG while shooting .386/.325/.776.
(RELATED: Nets’ Demin (Bone Bruise) is out in at least a week)
Powell (6.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG), Saraf (7.4 PPG, 3.2 APG) and Wolfe (8.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.2 APG) have played modest roles so far, mostly coming off the bench.
Brooklyn will have until Nov. 1, 2027, to make the next round of decisions on the quintet, which is the deadline to exercise fourth-year options for the 2028/29 season. The cost of these options will range from $9.6 million for the Demin to $5.6 million for the Wolf.
