The Brooklyn Nets may be headed into the summer with a very different kind of shopping list.
After a rough 2025-26 season that ended at 20-62 and landed them the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Brooklyn is looking for ways to speed up the turnaround. That urgency matters even more because the Nets do not control their first-round pick in 2027, which puts extra pressure on this offseason to matter.
According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Nets are expected to lean on their cap space in trades rather than simply hunting the free-agent market.
"League sources told The Post that the Nets are more likely to use the space in trades than chasing free agents," Lewis wrote.
Brooklyn is projected to be one of the few teams with major cap room this summer, and that opens the door to deals that could bring in players not likely to be available in free agency. Lewis also pointed to the view of cap experts Bobby Marks of ESPN and Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron, who believe that is where the best value can be found.
That’s where the names start getting interesting. Lewis reported that the Nets have shown interest in New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III and Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace, while also noting an earlier report connecting Brooklyn to Boston’s Jaylen Brown.
Murphy and Brown would both require major offers, but Wallace presents a different type of possibility. Lewis wrote that there is around the league belief Wallace could be open to leaving Oklahoma City and that he is eligible for a big extension the Thunder may not want to pay.
"There is a belief around the league that Wallace is open to leaving OKC, and he’s up for a big extension the Thunder might be loath to pay," Lewis wrote on the prospect of the Nets trading for Wallace if Oklahoma City is willing to part with him. "The young guard would cost multiple first-round picks but be the point-of-attack defender the Nets need."
Wallace, 22, averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in 2025-26, while shooting 43.2% from the field and 35.1% from three. Depending on how the Julius Randle trade shakes out financially, the Nets could have as much as $40 million in cap space, giving them a path to pursue Wallace, Murphy or Brown if they decide to make a big swing.
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Sean Marks Just Gave Nets Fans A Concerning Nolan Traore Update
The Nets used their 2026 draft press conference to introduce a new wave of young talent, including guard Mikel Brown Jr., but the spotlight also quickly shifted to Nolan Traore and where he fits into the teams immediate plans. General manager Sean Marks confirmed the rookie guard is dealing with a knee issue that will keep him out of summer league, a reminder that even in a draft setting the medical side of roster building can matter just as much as the picks themselves.
Traores absence is notable because Brooklyn is trying to sort out its backcourt picture with fresh additions and a long runway before training camp. Marks said the hope is for Traore to be back fully for camp in early September, which at least keeps the timeline from spilling into the fall, but it also leaves the Nets waiting to see how quickly one of their young guards can get on the floor and start competing for minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Summer Roster Is Here But Two Key Names Are Missing
The Nets have put together their summer league groups for both the California Classic and Las Vegas, giving their newest young players a first look in Brooklyn colors. Mikel Brown Jr. and Tyler Bilodeau are set for the California stop, while a larger wave of rookies from the 2025 draft is expected to join the mix once the action shifts to Las Vegas.
One notable name is missing from the list. Joshua Jefferson is not cleared to take part yet because his arrival to Brooklyn is still tied to an unfinished transaction, and Nolan Traore will sit out the summer run after a recent knee procedure. For a team using these exhibitions to sort out its next crop of talent, the absences matter almost as much as the names on the court. [Read more 🡒]