The Nets made historical past this summer season, changing into the primary NBA group to pick 5 gamers within the first spherical of the 2025 NBA Draft, together with two Jewish gamers in Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, the primary such duo chosen in the identical draft since 2006.
Brooklyn drafted Saraf and Wolf with consecutive picks at Nos. 26 and 27, immediately doubling the league’s Jewish participant rely from two to 4, becoming a member of Portland Path Blazers ahead Deni Avdija and Sacramento Kings heart Domantas Sabonis. Amari Bailey, who performed for the G League Lengthy Island Nets final season, additionally identifies as Jewish.
“To be honest, it’s fantastic, the way it just worked out,” Nets normal supervisor Sean Marks stated. “If you think about it, the game of basketball is such a worldly game, played all over the globe… What I will say is, there’s talent everywhere, and that’s our job, to bring in the best talent regardless of race, ethnicity and so forth.”
In 2023, the UJA-Federation of New York reported roughly 1.4 million Jews within the New York space. Brooklyn, essentially the most crowded Jewish borough with about one-third of this inhabitants, now options two distinguished ambassadors in Saraf and Wolf.
Jacob Gurvis of Jewish Neighborhood Voice experiences that Saraf, the son of two former Israeli skilled basketball gamers, wears No. 77, symbolizing the Hebrew phrase “mazal”, which implies luck. Wolf gained Israeli citizenship to compete for Israel on the FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece.
“It’s definitely going to be unique having them both here and we’re excited about that,” Marks stated. “I know the borough is excited about that. I know the Jewish community here is very excited about that, too.”
Saraf, the third level guard chosen by the Nets on draft evening, averaged 11.8 factors, 3.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 42 video games for Ratiopharm Ulm final season. In 2023-24, he performed for Elitzur Kiryat Ata within the Israeli Basketball Premier League, incomes the league’s high younger prospect award. He was additionally named MVP of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024, main the match with 28.1 factors per sport.
The 19-year-old believes his abroad skilled expertise will set him aside in Brooklyn.
“I’ve been playing pro for three years now, so I’ve played a lot of games so far,” Saraf stated. “I think it’s going to be helpful knowing how to manage your body, to really stick to your routines and be willing to compete every night so things can translate the right away for the NBA.”
Wolf, the Nets’ solely non-guard choose in 2025, averaged 13.2 factors, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per sport at Michigan final season, main the Wolverines to a Huge Ten Event title and a Candy 16 look. Beforehand, he earned All-Ivy League honors at Yale over two seasons. The 21-year-old additionally helped Israel safe a silver medal on the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece, the place he practiced with Saraf.
“I think just the jump I made from Yale to Michigan and now — obviously the NBA is a different animal and going to have to keep working on a lot of different things, but I think there’s just a lot of different things I can do on a basketball court,” Wolf stated. “Whatever coach Jordi and the staff want me to do, I’m going to do to the best of my ability, while still working and developing to become that kind of player.”
Past their Jewish heritage and tireless work ethic, positional versatility connects Saraf, Wolf and Brooklyn’s 2025 draft class. Marks credit David Blatt, a former NBA head coach and Israeli American basketball govt, for aiding in figuring out Saraf and Wolf throughout the draft course of.
“I think words of wisdom are always important,” Marks stated. “I have a lot of respect for Coach Blatt, as a person, as a coach. And when we do our due diligence, you want to watch the players themselves, but also you need to know all the things that you didn’t know. And everything was very positive coming from coach Blatt. He really liked these two guys, and he knew them pretty well. So, he really helped us and finally we were lucky enough to get them both here.”
Now teammates in Brooklyn, Saraf and Wolf have the chance to characterize Israel on basketball’s largest stage. Although each are thought of developmental tasks — Saraf should enhance his outdoors capturing, and Wolf wants to scrub up turnover points — their future seems to be promising. On a rebuilding Nets group, they might make a right away influence.
“I think I really enjoyed watching Ben overseas,” Marks stated. “We went over to look at him stay a few occasions, so it was nice to look at how arduous he competes. I believe that was one thing that actually stood out, passing skill, satisfaction on protection. I believe he’s taking part in at a excessive degree over there.
“Danny, I think we already sort of talked a little about the high IQ and a skill set that’s very unique for a person his size. So, to see him out there, other teams continue trying to figure out, well, how do we stop him? Who do we guard him with? What system do we put around him? And that’s a unique problem to have, right? How do we use both of those young men to the best of their abilities and watch them grow and so forth.”
