Brooklyn has a decision to make with Noah Clowney, and the timing only adds to the intrigue.
The Nets forward is entering his fourth NBA season, and because he’s eligible for a rookie-scale extension, the conversation around his future is already in motion. Brooklyn has poured significant draft capital into the last four NBA Drafts while still trying to build toward a real push for a playoff spot, which makes Clowney’s next contract one of the more interesting questions on the roster.
On “Game Theory,” Sam Vecenie of The Athletic laid out why a deal for Clowney would make sense, while also making clear that Brooklyn doesn’t have to rush into anything.
"If Brooklyn wanted to give him [four years and $40 million] and just continue down the road, I guess I would get it. I think he's better than Zeke Naji, I would say at least," Vecenie of Clowney on his " Game Theory" podcast. As of now, the Nets could go in a number of different directions depending on how they feel about him heading into this upcoming campaign and beyond.
Vecenie also said Clowney hasn’t done enough yet to lock himself into the kind of role that changes games when everything is on the line.
"So I don't think you're going to run into that problem, but I haven't seen enough from Clowney yet to where I go, this is definitely a guy that helps you win in high-leverage situations," Vecenie continued. "Even though I do see the ceiling for Brooklyn, too.
I can see a world where Noah Clowney is an effective basketball player. It's just like he hasn't [been to this point].
Clowney, 22, just posted the best numbers of his three-year career last season, finishing with averages of 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He shot 39.6% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range.
The extension talk also comes with a broader market backdrop. The Houston Rockets recently gave Amen Thompson a five-year, $208 million extension, and Clowney could be in line for something much smaller but still meaningful.
Vecenie pointed to Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji as a possible comp, noting that Nnaji signed a four-year, $32 million deal when he became extension-eligible. A four-year, $40 million agreement for Clowney, Vecenie said, would be understandable.
Brooklyn and Clowney have until right before the regular season starts to get a rookie-scale deal done, so this one could linger through training camp and the preseason before a final answer arrives.
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