Several pressing questions surround the Brooklyn Nets as they enter the 2026-27 campaign. Near the top of that list: Will any of the team's five 2025 first-round picks become a future building block alongside Egor Demin?
Through three preseason games, Nolan Traore looks like the leading candidate.
The sophomore point guard has turned heads during his minutes with the second unit. He was among the best players on the court in Monday's win over the Washington Wizards, scoring 20 points and dishing out a pair of assists in 20 minutes.
“Offensively, [Nolan] was a lead [guy]. He touches the paint almost whenever he wants, and he's been very efficient,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “You see it right there: 6-for-8 from the field, 2-for-4 from three. I like his aggressiveness shooting the three. His shot looks very confident. Credit to the work he put in the whole summer, and I just want to challenge him to improve defensively. There's just a couple of hiccups that I think he could have been better, but I know he is tough and he's up for the challenge.”
Despite undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery this summer, Traore's body transformation was the most noticeable among Nets players. The 6-foot-4 guard entered training camp at 190 pounds, up from 180 in his rookie season.
Nets guard Nolan Traore flashes improved physique and outside shot during preseason
He said the weight room was his main focus this summer.
“For me, it was more the physical aspect,” Traore said of his training. “I spent a lot of time in the gym during the summer. That was the main focus. It's going to help me for basketball for sure. So I mean, it was just a good thing for me.”
The Nets hope that physical development will help Traore improve as a rim finisher. The No. 19 pick shot just 45.0 percent at the rim as a rookie, ranking dead last among all NBA players with over 50 attempts, per CleaningTheGlass. He's improved in that area this preseason, converting 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) two-point attempts.
Traore's outside shot also looks improved early. After converting 31.8 percent of his three-point attempts as a rookie, he's shot 4-of-7 from three and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line this preseason.
“Obviously, the shooting [was a focus], too,” Traore said. “I worked a lot on [my shot], and I feel good now. I changed a few things… I won't have a completely different shot from last year. It was more focused on just having the same form every time.”
Article Continues BelowNolan Traore is cooking. He's got 13 points on 5/7 shooting (2/4 from three) in his first 10 minutes. pic.twitter.com/LI0pAQ35NU
— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) October 12, 2026
Traore spent the beginning of his rookie season in the G League. Several of the Nets' young prospects could open the year in Long Island this season, given the team added three veterans this summer (Julius Randle, Keon Ellis, Moe Wagner) after making eight picks in the last two drafts.
Traore averaged 8.9 points and 3.8 assists in 22.2 minutes per game across 56 NBA appearances (31 starts) as a rookie. He feels his time in Long Island at the start of the year aided his development.
“I think going to Long Island helped me a lot,” he said. “Confidence-wise, you get to play against great players, play a lot of minutes, and it really helped me finish the season in a really good way. I just hope to keep that going and keep getting better.”
The Nets will close the preseason on the road on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. They'll return to Barclays Center for their regular-season opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 21.