{"id":589943,"date":"2026-02-08T06:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T06:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/589943\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T06:15:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T06:15:20","slug":"nets-hope-josh-minott-ochai-agbaji-can-be-key-pieces-for-rebuild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/589943\/","title":{"rendered":"Nets hope Josh Minott, Ochai Agbaji can be key pieces for rebuild"},"content":{"rendered":"

At Thursday\u2019s trade deadline, most of the attention in Brooklyn was around Cam Thomas being waived<\/a> and Michael Porter Jr. being kept.<\/p>\n

But now in the aftermath, it\u2019ll be on Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji being added \u2014 and how the under-the-radar pair can fit into the rebuild of the Nets, who beat the Wizards 127-113<\/a> at Barclays Center on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know they\u2019re very good players. That\u2019s why they\u2019re here,\u201d coach Jordi Fern\u00e1ndez said. \u201cShow me what you can bring to the group, and if you can be part of this group, you can be a future Net.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew Net Josh Minott is all smile during warmups. He did not play in Brooklyn\u2019s 127-113 win over the Wizards on Feb. 7, 2026 at Barclays Center. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cBall pressure is our first staple. Every time you can apply ball pressure \u2014 full-court or half-court \u2014 you can create turnovers and deflections and make the other team uncomfortable late in the clock. We believe those guys can do that, and I\u2019m excited to watch them play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both newcomers were available Saturday vs. Washington, though neither saw action. <\/p>\n

Brooklyn actually had a clean injury report with every roster player except the two-ways available.<\/p>\n

The Wizards suiting up just eight sent the tank-happy Nets fans into a fervor.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, on a young Nets team trying to build around youth and disruption, there are opportunities for both Minott and Agbaji to carve out roles.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me it\u2019s about staying true to the values I\u2019ve learned over my 3 \u00bd years in the league, especially the work ethic,\u201d said Minott, still just 23. \u201cI\u2019ve been around some winning organizations. Understanding what we did right and what it takes to make those playoff pushes, it\u2019s about bringing that over.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefensively, I line up with the core values here, pressure and being disruptive. My shooting has come a long way too. I can confidently say that\u2019s a strength and I believe in taking the right, open shots.\u201d<\/p>\n

League observers who spoke with The Post particularly cited the move for Minott, 6-foot-8, 212 pounds, as shrewd.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Nets are hoping Ochai Agbaji, formerly with the Raptors, can become a key piece in their rebuild. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

A second-round pick by Minnesota, he was acquired by Boston and promptly won a starting spot with his energy, defense and athleticism. <\/p>\n

He averaged 10.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in a seven-game stretch earlier this season.<\/p>\n

But Minott hit a slump before suffering a severe ankle injury that sidelined him for five weeks. <\/p>\n

He lost playing time to Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman, and with Boston facing both a roster and cap crunch, the Nets squeezed them for Minott, sending no picks or players and just the minimum cash required to make a deal official ($110,000, per sources).<\/p>\n

With Noah Clowney, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf all having their various struggles, there is opportunity for Minott.<\/p>\n

Now in Brooklyn, he plans to bring the same fire that earned him early playing time this season in Boston.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the hunger I was playing with. That\u2019s something I\u2019m definitely bringing here, the hunger and desperation,\u201d said Minott. \u201cI know this organization values that mindset of disruption. I saw we\u2019re near the top of the league in pickup points, so it\u2019s not just talk. I\u2019m bringing that drive and determination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agbaji, 25, arrives with more experience, first with Utah and then Toronto.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFollow all the basketball buzz in Brooklyn\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for Inside the Nets by Brian Lewis, exclusively on Sports+.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The off guard arrives managing just 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds on 42\/19\/86 shooting splits, having backslid badly from a career year a season ago when he averaged 10.4 points and 3.8 boards on 50\/40\/71.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me it\u2019s about getting back to myself and who I know I can be,\u201d Agbaji said. \u201cThat\u2019s super important in this league and it\u2019s what I work for and what I\u2019m trying to show again.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, my defense and the intensity I play with every single night. I\u2019m always trying to win every possession. That\u2019s who I am as a player. I know I have a lot more to show. I had a great season last year and I\u2019m trying to build on that. My time in Toronto was great, but I\u2019m looking forward to what I can do here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agbaji played at Kansas alongside Jalen Wilson, winning an NCAA title.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hosted him on his recruiting visit. I\u2019ve known him a long time and seen him grow,\u201d said Agbaji. \u201cEnding up teammates with him again is great. It makes this feel even more like home.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At Thursday\u2019s trade deadline, most of the attention in Brooklyn was around Cam Thomas being waived and Michael…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":589944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3767],"tags":[7,670,247,3803,248,6,671,10513,66],"class_list":{"0":"post-589943","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn-nets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-brooklyn","10":"tag-brooklyn-nets","11":"tag-brooklynnets","12":"tag-jordi-fernandez","13":"tag-nba","14":"tag-nets","15":"tag-ochai-agbaji","16":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116033548332181199","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=589943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/589944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=589943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=589943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=589943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}