The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2025 offseason with more cap space and first-round draft picks than any other NBA team. General manager Sean Marks and first-year head coach Jordi Fernández used those assets to collect veteran contracts in return for future draft considerations and made league history by selecting five players in the first round.
Free-Agent Retentions
Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams re-signed on identical two-year, $12.5 million deals that include team options for 2026-27. Cam Thomas accepted his $5,993,172 qualifying offer for one season, giving him veto power over any trade this year. Minimum-salary agreements were reached with Fanbo Zeng (Exhibit 10) and partially guaranteed rookie guard Yuri Collins, who was later waived. Similar partial guarantees were signed and subsequently waived for D’Andre Davis and David Muoka. Guard Terry Roberts and forward Tre Scott also reached camp agreements; exact terms are not yet public.
Key Trades
- Picked up Terance Mann and the draft rights to No. 22 pick Drake Powell from Atlanta in a three-team deal; sent $1.1 million to Boston.
- Acquired Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 Denver first-round pick for Cameron Johnson.
- Took on Haywood Highsmith and Miami’s 2032 second-rounder for a top-55-protected 2026 Nets second-round pick.
- Received either the Clippers’ 2026 second or the least favorable of Boston, Indiana and Miami’s 2026 seconds plus Boston’s 2030 second from Houston in a seven-team transaction; sent the draft rights to No. 36 pick Adou Thiero to the Lakers.
- Obtained guard Kobe Bufkin from Atlanta for $110,000 in cash.
Historic Draft Haul
Brooklyn became the first NBA franchise to use five first-round selections in a single draft:
- No. 8 – Egor Demin (four years, $31,340,681)
- No. 19 – Nolan Traoré (four years, $18,463,882)
- No. 22 – Drake Powell (four years, $16,723,991)
- No. 26 – Ben Saraf (four years, $14,806,815)
- No. 27 – Danny Wolf (four years, $14,384,199)
Two-Way Contracts
Tyson Etienne and E.J. Liddell signed one-year two-way pacts featuring $85,300 partial guarantees. One two-way slot remains open.
Departures
- Reece Beekman – signed with Orlando
- De’Anthony Melton – signed with Golden State
- D’Angelo Russell – signed with Dallas
- Trendon Watford – signed with Philadelphia
- Waived: Dariq Whitehead, Keon Johnson, Maxwell Lewis, Drew Timme, Tosan Evbuomwan
Roster and Cap Outlook
The Nets are operating below the $154.6 million salary cap at approximately $141.2 million in committed salary, leaving about $13.4 million in room and the full $8.781 million room exception untouched. The club is hard-capped at $207,824,000.
Brooklyn currently lists 14 fully guaranteed contracts along with forward Jalen Wilson (partially guaranteed $2,221,677) and guard Tyrese Martin (non-guaranteed $2,191,897). One roster cut is required before opening night.
Next Steps
Management must decide whether to keep both Wilson and Martin or waive a guaranteed player such as Highsmith, Clowney or Bufkin to remain above the league’s minimum salary floor. The team also has to fill its final two-way slot before the regular season, with camp invitee Fanbo Zeng and recently waived big man Drew Timme among the possibilities.
The Nets will enter 2025-26 with one of the NBA’s youngest rosters, three newly acquired veterans on expiring or movable contracts, and flexibility to reopen significant cap space next summer.
Source: Hoops Rumors
