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With the Brooklyn Nets now setting their sights on the regular season, the time to start trimming the roster is now.
Even without the services of point guard Kyrie Irving, the team looked very solid in the preseason, and everything came together in their October 14 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Filling the void left by Irving will be difficult, but it looks like superstar James Harden is more than capable of leading the offense, so the team should be just fine as they start their championship run.
Their training camp roster is very guard-heavy, so it makes sense that the team would have to make some cuts there. After signing two guards earlier in the week, the Nets have now decided to let two more go.
The team is waving goodbye to both Jordan Bowden and Brandon Rachal, but it might not be the end of either of them with the Nets.
G-League Bound?
The #Nets, as expected, have waived guards Jordan Bowden and Brandon Rachal. Both could end up with G League Long Island.
The Nets have waived Bowden and Rachal, but the New York Post’s Brian Lewis notes that both of them could end up with the the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G-League affiliate.
This is common to see at this time of the offseason as the rosters get trimmed. It’s also important to fill out a G-League roster because you never know when you might have to call players up to fill in for a game or two.
The G-League is also a good way for players to continue their develop instead of simply riding the bench in the NBA.
Both Rachal and Bowden are young players, so getting some time in the G-League could prove to be very important for them, even if neither of them find a long-term home with the Brooklyn Nets.
Both Undrafted Players
Bowden, who played for four years at Tennessee in college, went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft while Rachal bounced around between LSU, community college and then Tulsa before he went undrafted in 2021.
Both players played with the Nets in the Summer League, which is likely part of the reason why they want to hang onto them with their G-League affiliate. If he does go to Long Island, this will be Bowden’s second stint there. His best game as a Long Island Net came on March 5 when he put up 20 points and 11 rebounds in a victory.
For a team with championship aspirations, it’s hard to imagine either of these young guards playing much of a role on the Brooklyn Nets, even in the absence of Irving.
Each season, there appears to be at least one standout player that came up from the G-League, so maybe there is a chance it’ll be one of these two.
Before blossoming with the Brooklyn Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie bounced around in the G-League, both as a member of the Pistons and the Nets. Now, he’s anchoring the Washington Wizards at point guard, so there are certainly some success stories out there. It just takes a lot of hard work to make the jump, but it’s not impossible.
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