Mikel Brown Jr. records 16 points, five assists

If Thursday’s game was the last for Brown in Las Vegas, he’ll head home with a sour taste in his mouth. The rookie guard shot 2-of-10 from beyond the arc and was 1-of-5 from two, as he struggled at times with Houston’s physical perimeter defense. However, given the time he missed during his lone college season due to a back injury, Brown’s ability to play starters’ minutes this summer is a positive. With Ben Saraf struggling in summer play and Nolan Traoré unavailable due to injury, Brown should go into training camp with a legitimate chance of earning significant playing time, if not the starting point guard role.

With Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin sitting out Saturday’s game, Saraf started at point guard and logged 32 minutes. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but the second-year guard recorded five assists and earned some trips to the foul line. Saraf’s rookie season was one to forget due to injuries and inconsistent play, and he’ll once again face a lot of competition for rotation minutes when training camp opens in the fall.

Playing in just his second basketball game since February, Brown got going in the second half of Friday’s 91-65 victory. With future teammates Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle sitting courtside, the rookie guard scored 16 points after halftime as the Nets pulled away. Just as encouraging for the Nets is that Brown played well alongside Egor Dëmin, who also put up 20 points in the rout. As Brown gets more game reps, he brings a level of athleticism and skill the Nets lacked at point guard last season.

Injuries and inconsistent play when healthy conspired to make Saraf an afterthought during his rookie campaign. And with the Nets using their lottery pick to select Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr., having a good summer is essential for Saraf as he looks to carve out a consistent role for himself. Coming off the bench in Monday’s California Classic finale, the 26th overall pick in the 2025 draft shot the ball well and led the Nets in assists. Given Brooklyn’s youth on the perimeter, Saraf is worth keeping an eye on this summer.

After sitting out the Nets’ first two games at the California Classic, Brown made his summer debut on Monday. The lottery pick out of Louisville did not shoot the ball particularly well, but he dished out four assists and logged 19 minutes without issue. It remains to be seen how much Brown will play in Las Vegas, as he’s coming off a back injury that cost him 14 games last season. However, Monday’s effort was encouraging, even with the shooting struggles.

Saraf had a strong finish to his rookie season, but the Nets’ backcourt only got more competitive with the addition of No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. He didn’t play in this game, but he will likely start over Saraf when he eventually debuts. Saraf should have a role for the Nets this year, but it is unlikely he makes much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Four of the Nets’ 2025 first-round picks are expected to be available during Summer League in some capacity, with Traoré being the exception. According to Nets lead executive Sean Marks, the 6-foot-3 guard recently had his knee scoped. Traoré appeared in 56 games last season, starting 31, and he averaged 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.1 three-pointers in 22.2 minutes. With Egor Dëmin and Ben Saraf in the mix, not to mention 2026 lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr., Traoré will face significant competition for playing time when training camp opens in the fall.

Despite playing in 21 games, Brown earned third-team All-ACC honors after his lone season at Louisville. A back injury led to him missing a total of 14 games; eight in December/January, and the final six after the issue flared up in late February. The 6-foot-5 Brown, who is one of the most gifted offensive talents in this draft class, averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.6 three-pointers. To flourish at the next level, Brown will need to become more efficient as a scorer and playmaker, as evidenced by his shooting 41.0 percent from the field and committing 3.1 turnovers per game. While the Nets did use three of their five first-round picks in the 2025 draft on guards, none truly separated themselves from the pack. As a result, Brown should have every opportunity to take the reins as the franchise’s starting point guard of the future. The preseason battle between him, Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf will be one for fantasy managers to watch, especially if Brown remains healthy.

Before fouling out, Saraf tallied a solid stat line in 26 minutes. This was his fourth straight start, and he has averaged 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game during this stretch. Saraf was the 26th pick in the draft last summer and showed some flashes during his first year in the league. He likely won’t be ready to make significant contributions during his second season, but he’s worth stashing in dynasty formats.

Traoré was downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day and has now officially been ruled out. Ben Saraf should continue to start at point guard for Brooklyn, though he may see extra minutes with Traoré out. The 19-year-old is simply going to have to shoot better than 38 percent from the field to have any chance of being a fantasy asset. He’s still young, and he did spike some good games from an assists perspective down the stretch, but that’s about all there is here for fantasy purposes.