MPJ, Sharpe among Nets out vs. Philadelphia

The Nets didn’t have Day’Ron Sharpe for Thursday’s exhibition, so Wagner moved into the starting lineup after coming off the bench on Tuesday. The veteran forward/center logged 18 minutes, though foul trouble limited his time on the floor. A healthy Sharpe makes Wagner a non-factor in most fantasy leagues, but he’s likely to be worth streaming at times.

Playing alongside Julius Randle for the first time, Porter was excellent as he led the Nets with 16 points and four threes in 17 minutes in the 124-90 victory over the Hornets. Randle had 13 points, two threes and three assists in 18 minutes. Porter is coming off the board in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

Brown Jr. sustained the injury within the last three weeks, and he’s limited at the start of Nets’ training camp. There are no indications that he’ll miss any time to start the regular season, but fantasy managers should still keep an eye on his status moving forward.

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.

After scoring 20 points in his first Las Vegas appearance on Friday, Brown did not play against the Hawks on Saturday. Back in action on Tuesday, the rookie point guard put together a solid floor game in Brooklyn’s 32-point victory. Given what the Nets saw from the point guards they selected in the first round of last year’s draft, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf, Brown should have every opportunity to earn significant rotation minutes when training camp opens in the fall. He’s looked up to the task thus far, and Brown’s back has not been an issue after missing 14 games at Louisville last season.

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.

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.

Sharpe is coming off the most productive season of his NBA career, as he averaged highs in points (8.7), rebounds (6.7), assists (2.3) and steals (1.1). Used mainly as a reserve in his first five seasons, making 21 starts in 253 total appearances, the 6-foot-9 center may be the Nets’ starting center next season. Nic Claxton was traded to the Bulls as part of a three-team deal that sent Julius Randle to Brooklyn. While the Nets could also add a veteran in free agency or shift Noah Clowney into that role, Sharpe’s opportunities will increase in 2026-27. If he’s allowed to start, he’ll be worth taking a flier on in drafts.

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.

Having missed the Nets’ past 11 games, Porter Jr. will miss the team’s remaining regular-season games, head coach Jordi Fernandez announced on Friday. The championship-winning forward will finish the season having averaged 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. With Danny Wolf also out, Ziaire Williams should remain a productive fantasy contributor.