Changes are on the horizon for the Brooklyn Nets after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. Less than a year removed from trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the new-look squad posted the NBA’s ninth-worst record (32-50), raising questions about the roster and front office’s long-term viability.
Despite this, general manager Sean Marks retained his job and led a coaching search that ended with Jordi Fernandez’s hiring. But entering his ninth year as GM with one playoff series win, the pressure is on Marks to make winning adjustments in the near future. In this offseason preview, we’ll break down the Nets’ roster outlook, free agent questions, salary cap situation, and tools to acquire talent heading into next season.
Nets’ roster outlook
Brooklyn’s disappointing season has cast uncertainty over the roster moving forward. The Nets have made it clear that they intend to build around Mikal Bridges. They rebuffed numerous trade inquiries for the forward at the deadline, including a Houston Rockets package that reportedly would have returned Jalen Green and several of their draft picks from the James Harden trade.
But beyond Bridges, no one feels safe.
Cam Johnson, Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton round out what many would call the Nets’ “young core.” However, Johnson will turn 29 next season and failed to meet expectations in 2023-24 after signing a four-year, $94.5 million contract. Despite his underwhelming campaign, the 6-foot-8 forward has shot 41% from three on 6.0 attempts per game over his last three seasons. He should still have value to numerous teams around the league, making him a prime candidate to be used as a salary filler in a trade for a star.
Cam Thomas cracked the rotation this season for the first time in his career. He led Brooklyn in scoring, averaging 22.5 points per game on 44/36/86 shooting splits. However, the Nets were reluctant to offer Thomas a rotation role during his first two seasons, even after trading Durant and Irving during the second half of 2022-23. It remains to be seen whether the 22-year-old’s high-level shot creation outweighs his defensive limitations in Brooklyn’s eyes.
Regardless, Thomas’ breakout campaign boosted his stock across the league, making him another candidate to be included in a package for a marquee name. The LSU product will enter the final year of his contract next season and is eligible for an extension this summer.
Nic Claxton’s unrestricted free agency will be among Brooklyn’s top storylines this summer. The 24-year-old said he is excited to test the waters of free agency, and league executives are projecting him to earn a deal in the range of $20-$25 million annually. However, all signs point to the Nets putting on a full-court press to re-sign Claxton. If he does return, he’ll join Johnson and Thomas as a trade candidate in Brooklyn’s pursuit of a star.
Ben Simmons will return in 2024-25 as the Nets’ highest-paid player at $40.3 million. But after playing in 57 of 200 games since Brooklyn acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline, the three-time All-Star cannot be seen as anything other than a number on the salary sheet. While many have speculated about the trade value of his expiring contract, the most likely scenario remains the Nets letting his deal run out and opening up upwards of $50 million in cap space next offseason.
Looking further down the roster, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder are veterans under contract through 2024-25. Both players will be 31 at the start of next season and are unlikely to factor into the Nets’ long-term plans. Brooklyn has turned down offers for Finney-Smith during the last two transaction cycles after acquiring him at the 2023 deadline. With the forward under contract for $14.4 million before a $15.4 million player option in 2025-26, this summer may be Marks’ last chance to cash in before his value dips further.
Schroder is entering the final year of his contract at $13.0 million. He was productive after joining Brooklyn at the trade deadline, averaging 14.6 points and 6.0 assists on 42/41/80 shooting splits. The Nets could look to extend him on a short-term deal after next season, adding another tradable mid-sized salary to their books, or let him walk to create more cap space.
That leaves Brooklyn’s young prospects: Noah Clowney, Day’Ron Sharpe, Jalen Wilson and Dariq Whitehead. Clowney flashed impressive two-way versatility late in the season after being called up from the G-League. The 19-year-old was the fourth-youngest player in the NBA last season and appears part of the Nets’ long-term plans.
Sharpe cracked the rotation for the first time in his career and impressed during the first half of the season. However, Clowney cut into his minutes late in the year. Like Thomas, Sharpe will enter the final year of his contract next season and will be a restricted free agent in 2025.
Wilson flashed his potential as a reserve three-and-D wing during his rookie campaign, leading Brooklyn to convert his two-way contract to a three-year, standard deal. Whitehead, the 22nd pick in last year’s draft, spent the first half of the season in the G-League before undergoing season-ending surgery on a stress reaction in his left shin. It marked the shooting guard’s third lower leg surgery in the last two years. He is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp.
Guaranteed (10): Ben Simmons, Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder, Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, Keita Bates-Diop (Player Option)
Partially-Guaranteed (1): Jalen Wilson
Two-Way (1): Jaylen Martin
Free Agents (6): Nic Claxton, Lonnie Walker, Dennis Smith Jr., Trendon Watford (RFA), Keon Johnson (RFA), Jacob Gilyard (RFA)
Free agents
Nic Claxton
While Claxton is eager to test the waters of unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career, the Nets have made their stance clear when discussing his future. Newly hired head coach Jordi Fernandez said he believes Claxton will be Defensive Player of the Year for Brooklyn, while Marks said the sixth-year center is his “number one priority” this summer. Claxton is one of Marks’ most successful development projects after the GM selected him 31st overall in 2019. The Georgia product bet on himself in 2022, signing a two-year, $17 million contract. Since then, he’s quickly climbed the ranks of the NBA’s top defensive centers. Claxton ranks fourth in the league in stocks (steals + blocks) over the last two seasons, trailing only Anthony Davis, Brook Lopez, and Jaren Jackson Jr. He’ll now command a hefty price for his services, and all signs signal the Nets are willing to pay it.
Lonnie Walker
After joining Brooklyn for the minimum, Walker looked like one of the offseason’s best value signings early in 2023-24. The 25-year-old averaged 15.7 points on 50/47/79 shooting splits over his first 15 appearances, leading the NBA among those playing 26 or fewer minutes per game. However, he suffered a hamstring injury midway through the year and fell out of the rotation during the second half of the season. After playing sporadically during his last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn, Walker said he’s looking for a team that will offer him a consistent role.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Smith Jr. signed with the Nets for the minimum after emerging as one of the league’s top point-of-attack defenders with the Charlotte Hornets in 2022-23. He built upon that reputation this season, ranking first among all point guards in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, per DunksAndThrees.com. However, his offensive shortcomings continued to limit his role as he shot 43.5 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from three (1.9 attempts per game). He also struggled to stay healthy, missing 26 games due to back and hip injuries. Brooklyn has a glaring need for ball-handlers given Simmons’ unavailability, opening the door for Smith to return on another team-friendly deal. However, it’s difficult to see the Nets offering him a substantial raise after they ranked 23rd in offense last season.
Trendon Watford (RFA)
Watford, another minimum signing, impressed during limited action this season. The Nets deployed him as a primary ball-handler after the Portland Trail Blazers used him as a small-ball five during his first two seasons. Watford was productive while receiving extended minutes during the final weeks of the season, averaging 12.9 points and 2.2 assists on 54 percent shooting over his final 11 appearances. The 23-year-old said he enjoyed his time in Brooklyn and could “definitely see himself returning” next season. The Nets can extend Watford a $2.7 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.
Keon Johnson/Jacob Gilyard (RFA)
Johnson and Gilyard joined the Nets on two-way contracts during this season. Both players spent most of their time in the G-Leauge. Johnson was among Long Island’s most productive players, averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals on 47/37/79 shooting splits over 41 appearances. Despite this, he did not receive NBA minutes in the final weeks of the season with most of Brooklyn’s roster sidelined. Gilyard made only 10 appearances with Long Island after signing his two-way late in the year. The Nets can extend qualifying offers to both players, making them restricted free agents.
Salary cap + Free agent/trade exceptions
The Nets enter the offseason with $134 million committed to 11 players. Brooklyn will avoid the luxury tax next season, which is set for $172 million, to reset a CBA clause known as the repeater tax.
Teams exceeding the tax line three times in four years are subject to the repeater, meaning they are taxed $2.50 per every dollar over. That figure increases to $2.75, $3.50 and $4.25 for every additional $5 million over the line. Avoiding the tax next season would ensure the Nets are not subject to the repeater until at least 2028.
Brooklyn has $38 million in space below the luxury tax before re-signing Claxton. Assuming they bring back the big man on a deal in the $20-$25 million range, they will have $13-$18 million in space left to fill three roster spots.
Guaranteed salary: $132,330,896
Non-guaranteed salary: $1,816,857
Total salary: $134,147,753
The Nets have numerous exceptions to add players within that space below the luxury tax. They will have the $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel and $4.7 million biannual exceptions to use in free agency. The non-taxpayer midlevel can be used on one player or split up to sign multiple. Marks also has four trade exceptions, the largest of which is $20.3 million generated in the Spencer Dinwiddie deal with the Toronto Raptors at this year’s deadline.
Brooklyn can use the trade exception to acquire another player without matching salary. They would still need to send out an asset to entice another team to give up said player, such as draft compensation and/or a player of their own. For example, Marks acquired Royce O’Neale using a trade exception during the 2022 offseason, absorbing his $9.2 million salary and sending the Utah Jazz a 2023 first-round pick.
The salary of the player acquired would still count towards the Nets’ books for next season.
Free Agent/Trade Exceptions:
Non-Taxpayer Mid-level exception: $12,951,000
Bi-Annual exception: $4,715,000
Spencer Dinwiddie trade exception: $20,357,143 (Expires 2/10/2025)
Joe Harris trade exception: $11,928,571 (Expires 7/6/2024)
Royce O’Neale trade exception: $9,500,000 (Expires 2/10/2025)
Patty Mills trade exception: $6,802,950 (Expires 7/8/2024)
Nets draft capital
The Nets have 11 first-round picks from now until 2030:
- 2025 1st (Rockets own swap rights)
- 2025 1st via Suns
- 2027 1st (Rockets own swap rights)
- 2027 1st via Suns
- 2027 1st via 76ers (Top-8 protected)
- 2028 1st
- 2028 1st via Suns (swap rights)
- 2029 1st
- 2029 1st via Suns
- 2029 1st via Mavericks
- 2030 1st
They can trade up to seven of these picks. That number will increase to eight on draft night when their 2031 first becomes available.
The Nets do not have a pick in the 2024 draft, with their first and second-rounder owed to the Houston Rockets. However, Marks hinted that they could trade into the draft if there is a player they love in this year’s class.
“I think we look at the draft the same way every year. It’s take the best available,” the GM said at his exit interview. “If there’s somebody in there that, wow, they’re slipping, can we get in there at that particular pick? That would be important for us just to go and say, ‘Hey, we, we got the 20th pick, we got the 44th pick.’ That doesn’t do us any good. It’s for us this year, it’s gonna be more strategic.
“It’s about, ‘Is the player available at that pick? How do we get in there?’ So those conversations will be happening relatively soon and they’ll be happening all the way up until on the clock… I would not rule out acquiring anything. If there’s a guy there that you like, you’ve gotta have the conviction to go after it and and go after them.”
