Brooklyn Nets cut roster down to 16 players

The Brooklyn Nets released four players this week, cutting their roster down from 20 to 16 players.  The team announced in a press release that Chase Budinger, Jorge Gutierrez, Beau Beech and Egidijus Mockevicius were the four players waived.

Undrafted rookie Yogi Ferrell still remains with the team.  He is the only player left on the roster without a fully guaranteed contract for the upcoming season, but could be challenging fellow rookie point guard Isaiah Whitehead for a role off the bench.

The Nets entered the preseason with 15 guaranteed contracts on their roster, so it comes as no surprise as to which players were waived.  Brooklyn needed to cut five players before the start of the regular season.  It’s widely anticipated that Beech and Mockevicius will join the Long Island Nets.  Budinger and Gutierrez both have NBA regular season experience, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will play for Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate.

Beech and Mockevicius combined to play just 17 minutes through the team’s first five preseason games.  Budinger appeared in four games, while Gutierrez played in just three.  None of the aforementioned players performed well enough to supplant anyone who has a guaranteed contract.

First year head coach Kenny Atkinson had to personally waive players for the first time, and he found it to be extremely difficult for him.

“It’s the hardest part of the job, because I’ve been with those guys since summer league,’’ Atkinson said. “Beau and Iggy. And I thought Chase did a heck of a job. He’s an NBA player. We had all our roster spots, 15 guys under contract, and I thought he did a really good job, all those guys. So for me, first-time head coach, first time doing it, it’s not easy. … Those guys put in a lot of work.”

The Nets will take on the New York Knicks on Thursday night in their final preseason contest.  The regular season begins on October 26.