The Brooklyn Nets have been making plenty of moves this summer as the team prepares for a 2025-26 NBA season that will hopefully be better than the 2024-25 campaign. With training camp beginning later this month, Brooklyn is looking to bring the best talent to camp to create great competition and one of those competitors has already decided on his jersey number.

Per “NBA numerologist” Etienne Catalan on X, Nets Two-Way forward EJ Liddell has chosen to wear jersey No. 9 for the 2025-26 season, whether he plays in Brooklyn or in Long Island for the G League team. As Catalan pointed out, No. 9 was last worn by forward Trendon Watford, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in free-agency after spending the past two seasons in Brooklyn.

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The Nets announced on Sep. 3 that they had signed Liddell to a Two-Way contract after spending the 2024-25 season with the Chicago Bulls in the same capacity. Liddell became a free-agent this offseason and had remained on the market until Brooklyn signed him earlier this month to compete for playing time or potentially to show how he can be of use to the G League squad.

Liddell, 24, was one of the best players in his home state of Illinois as he was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018 while also being a two-time winner of Illinois Mr. Basketball. He went on to play three seasons at Ohio State, a tenure in which he was one of the best players during his sophomore and junior years. During his third and final season for the Buckeyes, Liddell was named third-team All-American prior to being the 41st overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Liddell has played just 20 games in his three seasons in the NBA as he has spent most of his time playing in the G League, with his best season being during the 2023-24 campaign. Liddell, who played for the Birmingham Squadron, the G League afiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, averaged 17.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 78.7% from the free-throw line.

Liddell, listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, is most likely going to be vying for time at one of the forward spots, mostly power forward, as he seeks to gain some NBA minutes on a consistent basis. The good news for Liddell is that the Nets don’t have much depth at power forward outside of Noah Clowney and Danny Wolf, the 27th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: What will EJ Liddell bring to the Nets ahead of 2025-26 NBA season?