The Brooklyn Nets passed on a Noah Clowney extension Monday, and that fits the moment as much as anything else. The deadline came and went, and only eight players from the 2023 Draft got rewarded with new deals. Several bigger names - Scoot Henderson, Anthony Black, Derick Lively II, Bilal Coulibaly and Jaime Jacquez - also came up empty.
So Clowney heads into the season on a prove-it setup. He’ll make $5.4 million, and when June arrives he’ll be a restricted free agent, which means Brooklyn can match any offer that comes his way. That’s the new reality under the CBA.
The 6-foot-10 forward, who just turned 22, has reasons to feel good about where he stands. Last season he put up 12.3 points and 4.1 rebounds while getting to the foul line 3.4 times per game across 66 appearances, 60 of them starts.
Those are the kinds of numbers that catch your eye. The shooting line, 40/33/80, is the part that leaves room for more.
So does the broader question of how steady he can be.
That steadiness is what Clowney keeps coming back to, especially now that he won’t be starting 60 games with Julius Randle installed at power forward. He said Monday that he understands what comes with a changing role.
“I mean, realistically, we’re professionals. You should be able to adjust to a new role,” Clowney said. “It might take a couple games to click - maybe more than a couple of games - but you should be able to figure it out.
“It’s not changing so drastically to where it’s like concerning me. I play less minutes more than likely.
Other than that, my role is not too much different. Coming in with two ball handlers, the ball will be in my hands a lot less, 100 percent, but pick your spots, create chaos.
That’s the goal.”
Jordi Fernandez, though, kept circling back to the same word: consistency. The coach sounded encouraged by what he has seen from Clowney and believes it can translate once the games count.
“I’ve seen consistency from him, and that’s the key,” Fernández said. “If he can provide that to the group, Noah is going to help us win a lot of games, [with] not just his size and physicality, but also his shooting, getting to the free-throw line, just doing the simple things.
“He’s put in all this work all summer and he’s shown … consistency. And now we’re going into real games. … We’re all excited and I think Noah’s going to be a big part of it.”
Fernandez also made clear that there’s still more Clowney can do, especially on the glass.
“Yeah, he can be better,” Fernández admitted. “And he will be better, and that’s important.
He focuses. He’s focusing on it.
We brought those points to him, and we know he can impact not just the defensive glass but also the offensive glass.
“And there’s no excuses. Sometimes we put him [on] very good offensive players, and that’s still not an excuse. He’s going to go and finish possessions.”
Preseason has given Brooklyn plenty to like. Clowney has looked strong, as Brian Lewis noted, averaging 9.8 points on 52.2/60.0/85.7 shooting splits while posting a team-best plus-7.5.
The rebound total, though, was only three. That gap between flashes and consistency keeps showing up.
Clowney said he understands the assignment.
“Rebounding, I don’t know the numbers,” Clowney said. “That’s the goal, to get more. But I try to do what I’m asked.
“Play defense, go get some rebounds to end possessions, make shots when the ball comes to you. Pretty much that.
Just bring an energy on the court, especially playing bench minutes. It’s a lot easier to come in and play harder for one stint per half.
But yeah, just pretty much guard, keep the ball flowing, just play basketball.”
He may sound understated, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t fired up.
“Everybody’s excited about it,” Clowney said of the season. “There’s no benefit from losing.
There’s none. So, win games.
We’re going to go into every game with the idea of winning it, put our best foot forward. And that excites a lot of people.
So yeah, it’s a lot more excitement in the building.”
The extension decision wasn’t a shock. Brooklyn has leaned into prove-it contracts before, and seven of the eight players who got extensions were selected ahead of Clowney in the 2023 Draft.
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