The Long Island Nets season is quickly approaching. Media Day is a week away, the season two weeks. As this happens, we are beginning to see the roster take shape even more. So, Long Island is putting
their G League team together with ex-NBA players to help develop the rookies. Saturday saw no different as Long Island made two pivotal trades, including dealing a player who was a big part of their offense last season, Drew Timme.
In the first of two trades, the returning player rights to Timme were dealt to the South Bay Lakers in exchange for a first round pick in the 2027 G League Draft and the returning player rights to Nate Williams, a 6’6” shooting guard with 47 games NBA experience. How the trade affects Timme’s eligibility for the Nets open two-way opening is uncertain. The Nets are one of two NBA teams with an open two-way.
Timme appeared in 29 NBA G League regular season games for Long Island last season. Long Island acquired Timme from the Stockton Kings following their abysmal showing in the 2024-25 NBA G League Tip Off Tournament showing. Timme came in and immediately made his presence felt, even notching a 50-point game.
He averaged 23.9 points and 10.3 rebounds, making himself a double-double machine each time he stepped on the court. He also was no slouch as a playmaker either, averaging 4.1 assists and even 1.0 steals in his 35.6 minutes per game. He earned All-G League Second Team honors to finish his stellar season. Playing for Brooklyn, Timme averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in nine games.
Williams has appeared in 47 career NBA games, starting four of them, across three seasons from 2022 through 2025. He played for the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, averaging 3.3 points in 7.4 minutes per contest. However, even more impressive, he shot 43.5 percent from the field.
He appeared in 81 career NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games, starting 62 games across three seasons with the Salt Lake City Stars and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 30.9 minutes per game. He earned an NBA G League call-up when he signed with Portland on April 1st, 2023, after spending the G League Season with the Stars.
Before beginning his professional career, the 26-year-old played four collegiate seasons (2018-2022) at the University at Buffalo, appearing in 122 games and starting 84 of them. He averaged 12.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 23.5 minutes per game. The Rochester, N.Y., native received All-MAC First Team honors as a senior before becoming the second Bull in program history to play in an NBA game.
The second of two trades saw Brooklyn’s G League affiliate acquiring returning player rights for guard Jay Scrubb from the Maine Celtics in exchange for returning player rights for Oshae Brissett. This marks Brissett’s return to the Celtics organization. He was part of the Celtics 2024 NBA championship team.
Brissett appeared in 11 G League games for Long Island, averaging 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 25.5 minutes per game. Long Island originally acquired Brissett off waivers on Jan. 18, 2025.
Scrub stands at 6’6” and appeared in 40 G League games for Maine last season. He averaged 14.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 23.2 minutes per game. He’s played in 97 G League games, averaging 18.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.2 minutes per contest.
Scrubb earned an NBA G League call-up signing a two-way contract with the Orlando Magic on March 24th, 2023. The Louisville, KY native has appeared in 24 career NBA games with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Orlando Magic. At the NBA level, he averaged 4.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per contest.
He was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft and traded to the Clippers as a part of a multi-team deal. Now, he finds himself back in the same organization which drafted him.
These two moves have the same thing in common: an NBA-experienced player has been acquired by Long Island. This is something that Long Island is striving for, as they fully expect the Flatbush 5 to spend a lot of time on Long Island, especially Drake Powell. Veteran playmakers such as Malachi Smith and Tyson Etienne could prove to be great mentors for the young guns.
