C.J. Holmes: 5 Nets players with the most to prove in 2024-25

NEW YORK — Even if the rebuilding Nets find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings next season, there are still plenty of competitors on the roster who have much to play for beyond pride. Entering what is expected to be a lost season in Brooklyn, these five players should have more motivation than most.

Honorable mention: Killian Hayes

Dariq Whitehead, 20, missed most of last season because of injury, then struggled mightily in his first taste of summer league action. However, the Nets’ 2023 first-round pick will not be featured on this list because of his age and injury history. Even though he is healthy now, it is important not to have unrealistic expectations given all that he has been through. So, he gets a pass, for now, because next season will essentially be an extension of his rookie year.

Killian Hayes, however, has played in 210 career games compared to Whitehead’s two. Four seasons into his NBA career, it is safe to say that the French guard has fallen short of the lofty expectations that were placed on him when the Detroit Pistons selected him seventh overall in the 2020 NBA draft.

Hayes, 23, inked an Exhibit 10 deal with Brooklyn in July. He will have to earn a roster spot in training camp, which is why he lands on this list as an honorable mention. If he does manage to make the roster, he will be looking to prove that a change in scenery was all he needed to get his career back on track. Hayes did show flashes of potential in Detroit, but if he wants to shed the bust label, he has to be better in every facet of the game — and he knows that.

No. 5: Trendon Watford

Trendon Watford, one of the Nets’ more versatile pieces last season, will return to Brooklyn next season on a one-year contract. With unrestricted free agency looming once again next summer, the 23-year-old enters 2024-25 looking to prove that he is worthy of a long-term deal. If not with the Nets, then somewhere else in the league.

Watford’s minutes were inconsistent last season, but he broke out down the stretch, averaging 12.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists over his final 11 appearances. That included a 21-point performance against the Indiana Pacers on April 1, and he also started in the team’s final two games of the regular season.

The forward should enjoy greater stability under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez. And now that former star forward Mikal Bridges is a Knick, he should see more usage compared to last season. Watford shot 52.7% from the field in 2023-24, which ranked third on the team among players who appeared in at least 60 games.

No. 4: Ziaire Williams

Similar to Hayes, albeit with far less public scrutiny, Ziaire Williams is another former lottery pick looking to prove that he can be a difference-maker in the NBA. The Nets, continuing to double down on young talent, acquired the 6-9 wing from Memphis in July with hopes of igniting his untapped potential. Speaking to reporters at his basketball clinic in Lancaster, Pa., last month, Williams said he has already embraced his fresh start in Brooklyn.

For Williams, success comes down to two things: playing efficiently and staying healthy. While he does possess the physical tools to be a plus defender in the NBA, he shot just 39.7% from the field and 30.7% from 3-point range in 51 games last season. And because of different injuries, he has appeared in just 150 games over the past three seasons.

So, the first step for Williams is proving that he can stay healthy. If he can do that, then he will obviously be in a better position to showcase his all-around game.

No. 3: Nic Claxton

Nic Claxton believed that he was one of the better two-way centers in the NBA, and this summer he got paid like one and signed a new four-year, $100 million deal to remain with the Nets. However, now that he secured his bag, what comes next?

Claxton, 25, is the longest-tenured Nets player entering next season. That comes with a certain level of responsibility, as the team’s younger players will now look to him for leadership. Expectations will also be higher in terms of his continued development under Fernandez. He has yet to be named an All-Star, make an All-NBA team or win any major awards.

At some point this Nets franchise will need him to make the leap. It is one thing to get paid like one of the better centers in the NBA. It is another to actually play like one, night in and night out. More will be asked of Claxton than ever before, and he must step up, especially if the Nets hope to accelerate their current rebuild.

No. 2: Cam Thomas

Cam Thomas’ ceiling has been a wildly divisive subject since the Nets selected him 27th overall in the 2020 NBA draft. Some believe he can develop into a player who impacts winning, in every facet of the game, on a nightly basis, while others think he will never mount to more than a high-volume scorer who puts up empty stats on bad teams.

The 22-year-old did take steps toward the former last season and wound up averaging 22.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.4% from deep. However, there is still more to be desired in his game from a defensive standpoint. And while he did improve as a passer toward the end of last season, he still has much to improve in that area and has to learn how to create for others on a more consistent basis.

The good thing is, with Bridges gone, Thomas enters next season as the Nets’ unquestioned No. 1 scoring option. He should start every game next season as long as he remains healthy and will have a chance to truly showcase what he is capable of in a more stable environment under Fernandez. Not to mention Thomas is eligible for a rookie extension, so he enters next season with plenty of motivation to perform.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Zach Lowe think Thomas could lead the NBA in scoring next season. But everyone knows that Thomas is a bucket. His reputation around the league going forward will be defined by how well he develops in other areas of his game.

No. 1: Ben Simmons

No surprises here.

Ben Simmons, a three-time All-Star and an All-NBA performer during his earlier years with the Philadelphia 76ers, has yet to return to form since dawning a Nets uniform in 2022. The 28-year-old was limited to just 15 games last season because of a lower back injury and has appeared in 57 total games since arriving in Brooklyn.

Simmons is in the final year of his current deal and will earn a whopping $40.3 million next season despite his limited availability. General manager Sean Marks expects Simmons to be healthy and available at the start of training camp next month, and if he hopes to extend his NBA career in a meaningful way — whether with the Nets or another team — he will have to prove that he can stay healthy and play at a high level.

Perhaps Simmons will never return to All-Star form, but if he can prove that he can still be a productive player at both ends of the court, he will always have a home in the league despite the baggage that comes with him.