[1] The Nets received the ninth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected NCAA Final Four MVP, Ed O'Bannon from the University of California, Los Angeles.
[7][8] Derrick Coleman missed the first month of the season due to an irregular heartbeat;[9][10][11] he was soon traded along with Rex Walters, and Sean Higgins to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Shawn Bradley, Greg Graham and Tim Perry,[12][13][14][15] as the Nets won four of their next five games after the trade, leading to a 9–9 start.
In January, the team dealt Kenny Anderson to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Kendall Gill, and second-year guard Khalid Reeves.
Off the bench, Jayson Williams played an increased role as the team's sixth man, averaging 9.0 points and leading the Nets with 10.0 rebounds per game, and Fleming contributed 7.7 points and 3.3 assists per game.
[29][30] Following the season, head coach Butch Beard was fired after publicly criticizing his players,[31][32][33] while Gilliam signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks,[34][35][36] Childs signed with the New York Knicks,[37][38][39] Brown signed with the Miami Heat,[40][41][42] Rick Mahorn re-signed with his former team, the Detroit Pistons,[43][44][45] Graham was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics,[46] Perry was released to free agency, and Fleming retired.