The Nets have wasted no time reshaping the roster after a brutal 20-62 season, and Day 3 of NBA free agency finds Brooklyn already deep into its offseason overhaul.
The headliner from the draft came first: Brooklyn used the No. 6 overall pick on guard Mikel Brown Jr., with the hope that he can grow into the point guard of the future. From there, the front office kept moving. The Nets re-signed forward Josh Minott and center Day'Ron Sharpe, picked up the team option on guard Malachi Smith, and brought back forward Chaney Johnson on a Two-Way deal.
Brooklyn also made additions from outside the organization. The team reportedly signed Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis and Orlando Magic forward Mo Wagner in free agency, while also bringing in Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle through a trade.
That trade sent center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team deal. In return, the Nets got Randle and the No. 28 pick, which they used on Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson.
The departures were part of the cleanup too. Brooklyn declined forward Ziaire Williams’ $6.25 million team option and also passed on extending a qualifying offer to guard Ochai Agbaji and forward Jalen Wilson.
There still appears to be room for more. NBA salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan noted that Brooklyn is projected to have about $25 million in cap space after signing Wagner, though that number depends on how the Randle-Claxton deal is structured and when the Nets complete the move, along with some other mechanisms that still need to be sorted out.
As free agency continues to thin out, a few names stand out as realistic targets for Brooklyn, including Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, and Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga. General manager Sean Marks still has work to do, but the Nets have already made plenty of noise heading into the later stages of the offseason.
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Keon Ellis Might Be The Kind Of Nets Move Fans Wanted
Brooklyn kept its offseason focus on the kind of move its fans have been asking for, adding Keon Ellis on a two-year, $18 million contract with a mutual option for the second season. The guard is entering his fifth NBA year and arrives with a reputation built more on disruption and effort than on shot creation, which fits the direction the Nets have been trying to establish.
Ellis also comes with a familiar face in the building, reuniting with assistant coach Jordi Fernandez after the two worked together in Sacramento. For a Nets team looking to sharpen its identity, that connection matters almost as much as the contract itself, because it gives Brooklyn a player the staff already knows can be trusted in the right role. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Just Made A Move That Could Change This Rebuild
Brooklyns rebuild just picked up a very different kind of wrinkle, one that adds both heft and proven scoring to a roster still trying to find its offensive identity. Julius Randle arrives with years of NBA experience and a style that can change the tone of a possession, especially for a team that has leaned heavily on youth and development while searching for more reliable half-court answers.
The fit is obvious on paper because Randle can create pressure on the rim, draw contact and give the Nets a steadier source of offense than theyve had at times this season. He also brings something a young locker room usually needs in a rebuild: a veteran presence who has been through different team contexts and can help accelerate the growth of Brooklyns next wave, even as the larger roster picture continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]