Nets rookies Mikel Brown Jr., Joshua Jefferson choose numbers

The Brooklyn Nets are about one month away from beginning their preparations for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season after finishing last year with a lowly 20-62 record. Brooklyn will be relying on their players that they selected in the 2026 NBA Draft to step up on the court as the team tries to win as many games as possible and two of them have chosen their numbers.

In a photo posted on the Nets ' X social media account, rookies Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson posed with No. 0 and No. 9 jerseys, respectively, prior to both participating in the summer circuit. Brown was able to play in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League once the team felt comfortable with him taking the floor amidst his recovery from a back injury while Jefferson had to wait until Las Vegas to step on the court.

Jefferson, whom the Nets selected with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 draft, was only able to put on a Nets jersey because of a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves that netted Brooklyn the No. 28 pick and forward Julius Randle. The trade bringing Randle and Jefferson to the Nets was not finalized until midway through the Las Vegas Summer League so the rookie's debut took longer than expected.

Jefferson, 22 , showed some flashes during his time in Las Vegas as he averaged 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 33.3% from the field and 12.5% from behind the three-point line. Jefferson displayed his ability to handle the ball in a 6-foot-9, 240-pound body while also showing that he has some areas of his game to work on before next season comes around.

Brown, 20 , had a solid performance for the Nets across the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League as he had some awe-inspiring moments with the ball in his hands. In four games played in Brooklyn's summer circuit, Brown averaged 15.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 38.8% from the floor and 34.6% from deep.