The Brooklyn Nets have shown they are not afraid to take a chance on young talent. That trend has continued in 2024 as the team enters a full rebuild. In addition to the players Brooklyn already possesses, they acquired former Memphis Grizzlies forward Ziaire Williams during the offseason and were rumored to sign coveted Chinese guard Yongxi Cui to a two-way contract. The Nets have made another intriguing move on ex-NBA G League guard Tyson Etienne.
Brooklyn signed Etienne, who was a free agent, on Sep. 10, per Nets Beat Reporter Erik Slater.
Tyson Etienne is a 6'2" guard born in Englewood, NJ who went undrafted in 2022. He previously spent three years with the Wichita State basketball program. After building a strong foundation during his freshman year, Etienne lept to a collegiate-career high average of 16.3 points per game along with a .392 three-point shooting clip. He continued his strong production for one more year before pursuing professional play.
Etienne averaged 10.5 points and averaged 3.5 assists on 44/36/78 shooting splits in 37 games for the Atlanta Hawks' G League affiliate during the 2023-24 season, Slater noted. The Nets requested waivers on Etienne after signing him, and he will head to G League affiliate Long Island, Slater added.
The Nets are stocking up on prospects
Slater further revealed that fans can expect the Nets to sign more players and send them to Long Island. It appears Sean Marks and company want to give young players a chance and see if their potential can eventually help the team.
In addition to their 2024 efforts, Brooklyn is gearing up to acquire talent in the exciting 2025 draft class. Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. His elite two-way abilities would surely provide a boost to a developing Nets team. However, whether the Nets get him or not depends on where they fall in the draft lottery.
Thankfully, Flagg is not the only highly-touted prospect. Brooklyn could get a shot at landing Rutgers stars Ace Bailey or Dylan Harper, who are projected to be in the top three of the draft class.
Even if the Nets' pick does not land in the top five, they should still be able to get a high-upside player who can eventually contribute to the team. If not, they will have plenty of internal talent they can continue to groom for years to come.