NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets are one day away from officially beginning their preseason when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday to start off their slate of games. Brooklyn has been working its way through training camp for the past week or so and while every player is using the preseason to compete for minutes, there are a couple of them that will have delayed debuts.
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez announced after Monday's practice that rookies Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson will not be playing in Tuesday's preseason opener due to their respective injuries. Brown is still working his way back from a left ankle sprain that he suffered prior to the official start of camp while Jefferson is dealing with a stiff lower back.
"Mikel
will not be available yet. He's progressing, he's done a great job so far working. We're happy with how he's progressing, but not ready to play tomorrow," Fernandez said when asked about Brown's current status. Fernandez went on to note that Brown started doing some contact work with the coaching staff and that the goal is for him to play at some point during the preseason.
Jefferson had suffered a left ankle injury while trying to help the Iowa State Cyclones go all the way in the NCAA Tournament and he said during his Media Day interview that it took him some time to come back from. Jefferson played in three games with the Nets during the Las Vegas Summer League, but he seemed like the ankle issue was behind him so the hope is that his current back ailment doesn't last too long.
Brown dealt with a back injury of his own during his freshman season at the University of Louisville, but he seemed to put the injury behind him with the way he performed during summer league action this offseason. At the moment, it doesn't seem that Brown and Jefferson are dealing with long-term injuries, but them missing preseason action due to injury is disappointing to say the least.
Nets HC Jordi Fernandez said that rookies Mikel Brown Jr. (ankle) and Joshua Jefferson (low back stiffness) are OUT for tomorrow's preseason opener at the Hornets.
— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) October 5, 2026
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Mikel Brown Jr., Joshua Jefferson out Tuesday at Hornets
