Brooklyn sends a rookie first-round pick to the G League amid a prolonged shooting slump
The Brooklyn Nets sent rookie first-round pick Drake Powell to the G League on Friday amid a prolonged shooting slump. Powell, the 19th pick in the 2025 draft, was a bright spot to Brooklyn for extended stretches earlier this season.
The North Carolina product continued to make a defensive impact at the NBA level using his seven-foot wingspan and elite athleticism. He is also shown encouraging burst attacks. Powell averaged 6.4 points on 46.0 percent shooting from the field and 32.4 percent from three in 16.9 minutes per game over his first 30 appearances.
However, he has struggled to find his rhythm offensively of late.
Nets send Drake Powell to G League amid prolonged slump, call Ben Saraf
Powell is averaging 5.2 points on 35.4 percent shooting from the field and 20.9 percent from three in 19.1 minutes per game over his last 17 appearances. The Nets took advantage of the G League to get their NBA record five rookie picks in the first round of extended replays this season.
After struggling through the preseason and his first appearances in the NBA regular season, the Nets sent Nolan Traore to Long Island for an extended period. After an impressive G League streak, the French floor general returned to Brooklyn and he has since become the team’s full-back.
With Powell on Long Island, rookie Ben Sarraf could see extended minutes in the Nets’ rotation. Brooklyn called up Saraf on Friday after spending an extended stint in the G League. While struggling during his NBA performances, the Israeli point guard is on average 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists on .423/.373/.759 shooting in 15 games with Long Island.
2026-03-01 04:20:00
