LAS VEGAS — Brooklyn Nets forward Terance Mann has been in the NBA since 2019 when he was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 48th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Mann’s basketball journey has taken him to everywhere other than his hometown of Brooklyn, but he now gets to play for the professional basketball team where he grew up.
“It’s just crazy to think about, I grew up around there. I remember being little. My mom was close to LIU Brooklyn. I used to walk around the area before Barclays (Center) was even built,” Mann said to the media on Las Vegas on Saturday about what it’s like to play for Brooklyn. Mann was acquired by the rebuilding Nets in a trade from the Atlanta Hawks prior to the 2025 NBA Draft and he’s ready to give whatever he can.
“I think I’m the oldest on the team. Yeah. So, definitely, definitely new for me coming from the Clippers, where guys were a lot older than me,” Mann said when asked about being the oldest player on a team for a change. “So, it’s an adjustment for me, for sure. But I’m excited to embrace the journey, you know, taking these guys under my wing showing them how to be professionals.”
The Nets not only acquired Mann from the Hawks, but they also received Drake Powell, the 22nd overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, as Atlanta was trying to free up salary to get forward Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics. While Mann was born in Brooklyn, he moved to Massachusetts when he was 10 years old, but now, he can make a difference for a Nets team looking to improve on their 26-56 record from the 2024-25 season.
Mann, 28, averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 49.6% from the field and 36.8% from three-point land during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers and Hawks last season. Mann also has a chance to being in the starting lineup for Brooklyn next season so his veteran presence and perimeter skill will be helpful to one of the youngest teams in the league.