With the rest of this season all about rebuilding and player development, the Nets still are trying out young players to see which ones they can use to build.

Brooklyn went young in Thursday’s game against Minnesota, and the results were about as expected.

They were beaten, 105-90, before a crowd of 17,926 at Barclays Center in a game that saw them trail most of the evening.

D’Angelo Russell, on a gimpy ankle, logged just a dozen scoreless minutes.

Instead, head coach Jordi Fernandez gave Maxwell Lewis the first start of his career and handed Trendon Watford just his third as a Net and first of the season.

The result was predictably ugly, trailing most of the night and down by as many as 18.

“No. 1 is to give a look at these younger guys during an important part of the game where you can see how they handle it,” Fernandez said. “But [Russell] has been dealing with the ankle. And just trying to be smart with that, too. He’s been pretty sore, and I just don’t want to run it through the ground.”

Watford finished with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Lewis scored 10 points and grabbed six boards in valuable minutes for the second-year wing.

Anthony Edwards, who scored 28 points, drives to the basket during the Nets’ 105-90 loss to the Timberwolves on April 3, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images

Nic Claxton had 18 points, six boards and five dimes, while Dariq Whitehead added 17 points.

“Just do the right things. I’m sure me, as well as the coaching staff, know by now how talented I am offensively. I’m going to make shots,” Whitehead said. “For me, it’s just doing the right thing and earning the coach’s trust, being in the right spots on defense, doing the right things. Everything else is going to take care of itself.”

Against a solid Minnesota team, the Nets predictably were outclassed.

Maxwell Lewis, who scored 10 points, made the first start of his NBA career in the Nets’ loss to the Timberwolves. NBAE via Getty Images

Anthony Edwards poured in a game-high 28 points, some of them high-flying.

The Timberwolves star briefly was sidelined when — after hitting a 3-pointer to put the Nets in a 38-30 hole — he came down awkwardly on Fernandez’s foot.

Edwards hobbled off the court with 3:54 left in the half.

Anthony Edwards sits on the court after suffering a brief injury in front of the Brooklyn bench, but returned in the second half of the Nets’ loss to the Timberwolves. Jason Szenes for New York Post

Former Knick Julius Randle, who scored 11 points, shoots over Trendon Watford during the Nets’ loss to the Timberwolves. Jason Szenes for New York Post

But he returned for the second, no worse for wear.

He continued to punish Brooklyn and got the loudest applause of the night on a dunk that left the Nets trailing 90-73 with 6:24 to play.

The rest of the night was garbage time.

Nic Claxton, who scored 18 points, slams home a dunk during the Nets’ loss to the Timberwolves. Jason Szenes for New York Post

“I was out of bounds, trying to move out of the way,” Fernandez said. “Definitely got to be faster than that because the player’s health is the most important thing in the game. So next time, I’ve just got to move faster.”

Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 18 boards for Minnesota.

Minnesota owners Marc Lore (left) and Alex Rodriguez watch the Timberwolves’ win over the Nets. Jason Szenes for New York Post

Brooklyn (25-52) remained sixth in the lottery odds, two games behind the fifth-place 76ers and three ahead of the seventh-place Raptors.