Nets sign Armoni Brooks to two-way after waiving RaiQuan Gray

Armoni Brooks arrived in Las Vegas as the oldest (25) and most experienced (74 NBA games) player on the Brooklyn Nets Summer League roster. He’s now the newest Net, being signed to a two-way deal.

Brooks, a 6’3” sharpshooter who has played with the Rockets and Raptors since going undrafted in 2019, is the second two-way signed by Brooklyn after Jalen Wilson, who the Nets took with the 51st pick in June’s draft. Brooklyn also waived RaiQuan Gray who had been taken with the next to last pick in the 2021 Draft and spent two years on Long Island, other than a one-game stint in the final game last season.

Mike Scotto had the news first...

Minutes after Scotto’s tweet, the Nets confirmed the signing in a press release.

Brooks, as Scotto notes, led the Summer League Nets along with Wilson, hitting 20 3-pointers in Brooklyn’s five games, three times hitting five in a game. His most dramatic production came late in the Nets semi-finals loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday, including two deep threes to keep the Nets in the game...

Brooks has appeared in 74 games (16 starts) across two seasons with the Houston Rockets (2021-22) and Toronto Raptors (2022), recording career averages of 6.9 points on 36.6 percent shooting from the field, 33.0 percent shooting from 3-point range and 75.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.4 minutes per game.

In his rookie season (2021) with the Rockets, Brooks appeared in 20 games (five starts), posting averages of 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 26.0 minutes per contest while shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from distance. The 25-year-old also played in four playoff games with the Raptors during the 2022 postseason.

The Waco native and University of Houston product has also played in 88 G League games split between the College Park Skyhawks and Rio Grande Valley Vipers, registering averages of 13.1 points on 44.0 percent shooting from the field, 38.7 percent shooting from distance and 83.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Under the new CBA, teams can sign up to three two-way deals. With the signing of Brooks, the Nets have now filled two of them. Two-way players can be active with their NBA club for up to 50 games, up from 45 under the old CBA. Each are paid $552,000, but the their salary does not count on the cap.

The Summer League was seen as an audition for the two of the three two-ways and Gray despite a good game in the semi-finals did not have a good showing. The Florida State product signed a non-guaranteed two-way deal with the Nets on April 8, 2023. Gray tallied 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a block in 35 minutes in his lone game with Brooklyn the next day against the 76ers. In 44 career NBA G League games (22 starts) with the Long Island Nets, Gray holds averages of 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals across 25.8 minutes per contest.