Nets forward Jalen Wilson showing he could be part of future in Brooklyn

The opportunity could be fleeting for Jalen Wilson.

His window to start for the Nets — one that opened the last two games — could last only for as long as Cam Johnson remains out with a right ankle sprain and an already shorthanded Brooklyn lineup needs to adjust.

But with Johnson the subject of trade rumors and a candidate for the rebuilding Nets to deal away before the Feb. 6 deadline, games such as Saturday’s could also provide a glimpse of the future.

Nets forward Jalen Wilson drives to the basket against Miami on Sunday against the Heat at Barclays Center. Getty Images

The Nets’ second-round pick in the 2023 draft, Wilson falls into the category of players who could stick throughout their rebuild — unlike Johnson, unlike now-Warriors guard Dennis Schroder, unlike now-Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith.

Wilson falls into the category of young players head coach Jordi Fernandez wants to help develop and mold.

And during the Nets’ 106-97 loss to the Heat at Barclays Center, Wilson flashed the latest step in that growth by grabbing a season-high nine rebounds and posting a career-best eight assists to accompany 12 points in more than 35 minutes of playing time.

The 6-foot-8 forward’s numbers have received a bump during his second season, with Wilson averaging 9.3 points (up from 5.0 as a rookie), 8.2 shot attempts (up from 4.2) and 4.5 3-point attempts (up from 1.7) per game.

His expanded production in Brooklyn’s offense has coincided with his increased role.

On a night when he fell one rebound and two assists shy of what would have been the first triple-double of his career, Wilson delivered a blueprint for what his future contributions could resemble.

“I know I can rebound,” Wilson said after the game, “and I just got to go out and do it. Obviously, not every game is going to be a high-rebound game, but just having the mindset to be aggressive on the boards is definitely something that I want to have always because it helps the team.”

Wilson either assisted or scored on three of the Nets’ opening four baskets Saturday, with his layup coming in transition after he snagged a Bam Adebayo pass, tore down the court and received a return pass from D’Angelo Russell.

By halftime, Wilson had already compiled six assists.

His final two of the first half sparked baskets by Russell and Noah Clowney to pull the Nets within four after 24 minutes.

He knew that the Nets would have to crash the boards with the Heat starting both the 6-foot-9 Adebayo and 7-foot center Kel’el Ware.

Jalen Wilson looks to take Phoenix big man Nick Richards off the dribble on Wednesday at Barclays Center. Imagn Images

“When everyone’s rebounding, whether it’s me, Ben [Simmons], Noah, whoever it is because we get the rebound, we can get out and transition and it starts our offense,” Wilson said.

It marked just the third time in his NBA career with more than nine rebounds, but while at Kansas, Wilson’s rebounding average jumped from 7.4 to 8.3 during his final college campaign in 2022-23.

The rebounding instincts have always existed.

They just have taken time to translate into his cameos, and now extended minutes, with the Nets.

But Wilson’s progress has been on display since the NBA Summer League, when he took home the MVP after collecting 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and an assist per game.

Those strides continued once the 2024-25 campaign arrived, including during the recent starts with Johnson sidelined after aggravating his ankle injury against the Knicks on Tuesday.

When the Nets pivoted toward their youth movement at the end of last season under interim head coach Kevin Ollie, Wilson benefited.

That remained the case after Fernandez arrived and emphasized a similar vision for the future — one concerned with potential after the mess of the rebuild subsides, after the Nets’ future pieces are assembled, after long-term roles become just as clear as his short-term one — while also not punting on the present.

In just under two weeks, the starting spot could belong to Wilson — depending on if the Nets deal Johnson and what their return package entails.

But for now, he has continued to make a case for being a piece of the Nets’ future.

“What he does is something that every team can utilize,” Russell said Saturday. “I mean, he’s a young player, but you ask the majority of the teams in the league would they want him, I’m sure they would.

“He’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing.”