Brooklyn Nets Lose Summer League Standout

The summer league roster now appears thin at the guard spot.

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

According to reports, Jacob Gilyard has moved on. The 5-foot-8 guard has performed so admirably through just three games that he has decided to leave the Brooklyn Nets' summer league roster in hopes of landing an NBA contract, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

While not a major blow considering the summer league is meaningless compared to the regular season, Gilyard still could have had an impact on a Nets roster that currently only rosters Dennis Schröder at the point guard position. The 26-year-old undrafted free agent from the 2022 draft has only averaged eight points per contest, but his seven steals in Tuesday's win over the New York Knicks appears to have "impressed other teams."

While the news of Brooklyn's acquisition of Ziaire Williams softens the blow of Gilyard's departure, allowing potential under-the-radar talent such as Gilyard's is not a great sign for the future of the franchise. The counter-productiveness is not what the Nets need right now, as they must stockpile as many promising prospects as possible, either to contribute once they're competitive again or to use as trade bait.

Since reports suggest Gilyard leaving is due to interest from other teams around the league, it may have been a smart move to allow him to build his value and cash in on a trade. He likely would've only mustered a second round pick, but that still would have been better than losing him for nothing.

Now, the summer league roster is left without a starting point guard, and the active roster will not be able to dip into their summer league counterpart in hopes of either replacing Schröder or finding his backup.

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