By giving Tyrese Martin a two-way and waiving Killian Hayes and Amari Bailey, the Nets are at the league maximum of 15 standard deals and three two-ways.
The Long Island Nets look like they’ll be pretty good this season.
In a flurry of final roster moves Saturday morning, the Brooklyn Nets gave Tyrese Martin, a 6’6” wing who played well in both Summer League and preseason, their third and final two-way contract, and waived the injured Killian Hayes who agreed to rehab with Long Island. The team also announced that it had waived Amari Bailey, who can join Long Island as well.
Mike Scotto was first with the news on Martin, a 25-year-old UConn product…
The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to a two-way contract with Tyrese Martin, league sources told @hoopshype. Martin earned the two-way spot by impressing the Nets during an open training camp competition and through the preseason. pic.twitter.com/yTd0qjp5sK
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 19, 2024
And Shams Charania was first with the Hayes news. Hayes was ineligible for a two-way as a fifth year NBA player even though he just turned 23.
The Brooklyn Nets are waiving former No. 7 pick Killian Hayes, sources tell ESPN. Hayes will continue to rehab a hip injury and pursue an NBA deal with Nets’ Long Island G League affiliate. pic.twitter.com/JGzzjCjzOO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2024
The moves put the Nets at 15 standard deals and three two-ways, the maximum. They also appear to ensure that Keon Johnson and Jalen Wilson, both on partially guaranteed deals, will make the Opening Night roster. Wilson who started Friday night’s preseason game vs. Toronto, will receive $325,000, Johnson $700,000, for making the roster.
Martin appeared in four games as a reserve for Brooklyn during the preseason, averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.0 minutes per game. The 25-year-old spent last season with the Iowa Wolves, the NBA G League affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he averaged 17.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals over 35.1 minutes per game across 33 regular season contests. In the Las Vegas summer league, he averaged 10.8 points while shooting better than 40% from deep. He also grabbed 3.2 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game over five appearances.
Martin also saw action in 16 games as a reserve with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2022-23 campaign. The Nets signaled their interest in Martin as a two-way when after his Summer League stint, they traded for his G League rights, still held by the Wolves.
He joins Jaylen Martin and Cui Yongxi on two-way deals. All three will earn $578,500 this season, half the rookie minimum. They can move between Brooklyn and Long Island during the season, but there are restrictions on the number of games each can play before Brooklyn must make a decision on whether to convert the two-way to a standard deal. They’ve done that three times in the last three years with Kessler Edwards, David Duke Jr. and Jalen Wilson, all originally signed to two-way contracts.
Hayes situation is more complicated. Although ineligible for a two-way, he can play on a G League contract. The Nets however do not hold his NBA rights as they do with the two-ways, meaning he can sign with any NBA team during the season.
The 6’5” French point guard can now rehab his hip soreness, not identified further, which kept him out of all four preseason games. The Long Island Nets training camp opens October 28 and the G League opener is November 8. Hayes will continue his rehab in Brooklyn in the meantime.
Hayes was waived by Detroit last February in a roster management move, four years after taking him at No. 7 in the 2020 Draft. He sat out the rest of the season, working out with former Nets assistant coach Adam Harrington. He signed with Brooklyn after a workout in July. Hayes had disappointed in his three and a half seasons in the Motor City after being drafted ahead of Tyrese Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey, among others.
In 210 games with the Pistons, his shooting splits were 38/28/78. By some measures, he was the worst shooter in the NBA. But he plays good D and has good court vision. His assist to turnover ratio was a very solid 2.7-to-1.
In addition to Hayes, Cui and the two Martins, Long Island fans will likely see a lot of Dariq Whitehead who continues to rehab from his shin reaction surgery last January as well as big men Patrick Gardner and George Conditt IV, both near 7-footers. Both are members of their national teams, Gardner Egypt and Conditt IV Puerto Rico. Two undrafted college players, Mark Armstrong, Villanova’s 6’2” point guard, and KJ Jones II, the Division II player of the year at Emmanuel in Atlanta, will also be in Long Island’s training camp. Jones II is a 6’6” wing.
- Nets convert Tyrese Martin to two-way contract, waive former lottery pick Killian Hayes – Colin Martin – SNY
- Nets waive Killian Hayes amid hip injury rehab – Josue Pavon – Clutch Points