It was a small moment, easily missed unless you were watching for it.
After a late November Nets practice, as players trickled off the court, Haywood Highsmith stayed behind. The veteran forward, still stuck on zero minutes this season and still rehabbing the same right knee that hasn’t let him debut in Brooklyn, grabbed rebound after rebound as rookie Drake Powell shot free throws.
Highsmith bounced the ball back time after time with a smile, whispering guidance only Powell could hear. It wasn’t staged and it wasn’t requested. It was simply who he is, a player who can’t yet contribute on the court but remains determined to help in any way he can.
“Just a true vet,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “You see him right now, he’s passing the ball to Drake and we’re not asking him to do it. So that shows you the type of veteran he is, his leadership. He holds him accountable and he wants him to get better. So that’s very important for us. That leadership is priceless and we’re very happy with him… He’s doing his job every single day.”
Even on the sideline, Highsmith’s already become one of Brooklyn’s quiet anchors. He’s mentoring rookies, staying engaged on the bench and bringing the kind of steady presence the Nets hoped they were getting when they brought him over from the Miami Heat. On a young team still figuring itself out, that off-court impact’s been every bit as valuable as the 3-and-D minutes he was originally expected to provide.
In the meantime, the Nets have leaned into his presence rather than his production. Highsmith was brought in to offer two-way glue: a switchable defender, a 37.4% career 3-point shooter and a player hardened by Erik Spoelstra’s system and postseason demands. His 74 appearances and 42 starts with the Heat last season made him one of the more reliable 3-and-D rotation wings on the market for a team like Brooklyn, which has stocked up on developmental forwards.
And Highsmith still profiles as a fit once healthy. Brooklyn’s defense has climbed steadily behind improved effort and communication. Adding a strong positional defender who can guard up a spot only reinforces that. Offensively, the 29-year-old doesn’t need touches to be impactful. He screens, cuts, occupies corners without complaint and keeps the ball moving. Those traits are valuable on a roster leaning heavily on rookies and veterans in newly defined roles.
There’s also the trade component. Highsmith’s $5.6 million expiring contract and playoff resume make him a natural deadline target for contenders seeking a no-maintenance, plug-and-play wing. If he returns in the near future and shows he’s back to form, Brooklyn could convert a summertime salary-absorption deal into another future asset.
That November exchange with Powell wasn’t just a snapshot of Highsmith’s personality. It’s been the blueprint for how he’s approached these difficult months of rehab. He can’t help the Nets on the scoreboard, yet, but he’s helped them everywhere else, through small conversations, steady encouragement and a consistency that hasn’t slipped while his knee slowly catches up.
Brooklyn’s hopeful the on-court impact follows soon, but the off-court version hasn’t wavered for a second. Until that changes, they’re getting everything he can give.
“He’s been doing great. He’s an extreme pro. He’s the ultimate pro,” Fernández said. “Great example for everybody else… We just don’t have any update, but he’s doing very well.”
