The Nets signed forward Drew Timme to a two-year deal on Friday, expanding the active roster to 18 players with three two-way players.
The 24-year-old had been a standout performer in recent games on Long Island, as he was recently named G League Player of the Week after averaging 35.7 points and 12.7 rebounds. He scored a career-high 50 points against the Motor City Cruise on March 22, becoming just the second player in franchise history to reach that point total.
Because Cam Johnson is trending toward earning a performance-based $562,000 bonus, Brooklyn needed to hold off on signing a 15th player until the end of the season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
“I think he’s done a great job with our club,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’re the same team. You do your job, you’ll get rewarded, and he deserves to be here. So, we’re excited to get to know him at this level, give him an opportunity and see how he does.”
This will be Timme’s first NBA opportunity after going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023, where he led the Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a national championship berth in 2021. He earned First Team All-America honors as a senior.
“It’s dope. It’s obviously a dream come true,” Timme said. “This is what I’ve been wanting ever since I could pick up a basketball. So, super grateful for the opportunity and super excited to be here.”
Timme averaged 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and one steal across 29 appearances this season on 57/38.5/73.1 splits. He’s registered 17 double-doubles and is the only player in the G League this season to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
“The G is not the prettiest thing around, but it motivates you to work hard,” Timme said. “And the staff down there is amazing, they’re great, they know what to do. They know how to get you to where you want to go. And they’re on you every day, and might be annoying sometimes, but on the whole, it’s great. And you know, those guys really helped me get to where I am right now. So, I’m very appreciative.”
SIMMONS RETURNS
Ben Simmons returned to Barclays Center on Friday for the first time since he was bought out by the Nets and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in February. In 11 games with his new team, the 6-10 guard averaged 4.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field. He’s come off the bench in all 11 appearances and averaged 17.7 minutes per game entering the night.
“I had the opportunity to watch him play with a Clippers jersey,” Fernandez said of Simmons. “He really [helps] the team with scoring efficiency and rebounding, assisting. He’ll do whatever it takes to help the team, same thing he did here. So, I think that attitude is the most important thing. He’s more than capable. He’s a very good player.”
Simmons averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 33 appearances for Brooklyn this season, including 24 starts, his most since joining the Nets in 2022-23. He attempted 7.4 field goals and 1.1 free throws per 36 minutes this season, which were both career lows, and wasn’t cleared to play in back-to-back sets.
The 28-year-old ended his Nets tenure with 90 games played and zero playoff appearances over three seasons.
NBA EUROPE
In a joint announcement with FIBA on Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league is exploring the possibility of creating a new men’s basketball league in Europe. Basketball is almost as popular as soccer overseas, so the potential partnership makes sense.
While details are still being worked out, Silver mentioned the idea of a 16-team league with 12 permanent members and four teams that can be relegated out of the group. Teams would be placed in proven European markets and current NBA owners would be encouraged to partner with the new league.
Fernandez, who hails from Badalona, Spain, thinks the idea has real potential.
“Now developing the idea is the most important thing,” Fernandez said. “Obviously I’ll always support everything that can help my country or in Europe with developing something really cool.”