Brooklyn Nets X-Factor For The 2025-26 Season - Drew Timme

By all accounts, the Brooklyn Nets are on the pathway to missing the playoffs for a third straight season. As part of the team’s rebuilding project, both through the NBA Draft and/or free agency, one player that flew under the radar and may be a huge difference maker is Drew Timme. A three-time All-American, two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year, and Gonzaga Bulldogs' all-time leading scorer, Timme’s journey to the NBA wasn’t exactly direct. 

Undrafted in 2023, Timme has spent most of the past two seasons playing in the G-League with the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks), Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings and Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets). It wasn’t until late last season that Timme earned a call-up to the NBA and a multi-year contract on the back of averaging 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists with the Nets' farm team. 

In his short audition with Brooklyn, Timme did not miss a beat, recording an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double and then following that up with a 19-point, 6-rebound effort. In the nine games he played during his rookie season, two of which were starts, Timme averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, while scoring in double figures in seven games. 

On a Nets roster that has undergone massive changes, acquiring veterans Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Haywood Highsmith, and Kobe Bufkin through trades, and adding five first-round draft picks, Timme is one of just a few holdovers from last season. 

What makes Timme’s game both unique and valuable is his versatility and old-school approach. Although he can, on occasion, step out and knock down the three-pointer, hitting 25% in both college and with the Nets, the 6’10” forward’s bread and butter comes from his interior blue-collar game. Timme’s ability to facilitate from both the high and low post meshes well with the Nets' projected starting unit. While Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr. provide an elite scoring punch from downtown, Timme’s playmaking ability creates easy looks, while his willingness to set screens opens driving lanes. 

Paired with Nic Claxton, Timme offers a complementary frontcourt skillset with his offensive polish and passing vision that is missing from Claxton’s game. While both are roughly the same height, Timme provides a bigger body defensively to bang with the opposition on the ground, while Claxton gives the Nets a high-flying rim protector. 

Although his game is not flashy with quick handles, long-range bombs, or high-flying dunks, Timme provides the Nets with the ultimate glue guy who blends everything together.