Between a wave of incoming rookies and several offseason trade acquisitions, Nets fans will have some new jersey numbers to learn ahead of the 2025–26 NBA season. While the rookie’s jersey numbers have already been announced, two other players, one acquired via trade and another who was on the roster last season, will also be wearing new numbers this year.
Nets on SI takes a look at the two Brooklyn players who will be changing their numbers this season.
Michael Porter Jr.: No.17
On June 30, it was first announced that the Nets traded Cameron Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick. During his time in Denver, Porter Jr. wore number 1. Last season, Dennis Schröder wore No.17 for the Nets before being traded to the Golden State Warriors.
Last season, Porter Jr. received the most playing time of his six-year NBA career (33.7 minutes per game) while averaging 18.2 points, the second-most of his career, along with seven rebounds and 2.1 assists. He also shot 50% from the field and 39.5% from three. He took advantage of the opportunity to earn some increased minutes, tying his career-high by scoring 39 points in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans last season.
As someone with experience on a team that made a deep playoff run, his postseason background could prove to be valuable if the Nets’ rebuild goes according to plan. He played a key role in helping Denver win the NBA Finals, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the Game 5 closeout game against the Miami Heat.
Ziaire Williams: No.1
Ziaire Williams, on the other hand, played with the Nets last season, but wore No.8. His new number was most recently worn by D’Angelo Russell, who signed with the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason.
After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, he set career-highs in points (10) and rebounds (4.6) while appearing in 63 games for the Nets last season.
While Williams was relied on more for his defense, he still managed to score a minimum of at least 20 points on several occasions last season. His best performance of the season came against the Boston Celtics, when he scored 23 points while shooting 57.1% from the field
