The Brooklyn Nets are one of the teams that are heading into free-agency with a clear plan ahead of them as they are looking down the barrel of a full-scale rebuild. Brooklyn took care of business by trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks and re-signing center Nic Claxton to a big contract, but they still have free-agency to worry about.
With the Nets headed into a rebuild, they are not concerned with adding the best players that were considered available since Brooklyn is prioritizing player development and playing time for the younger players on the team. At the moment, the Nets are operating as an over-the-cap team so they have already spent enough money without having to worry about being above the salary floor that is mandated by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
With that being said, there are still plenty of free-agents out there looking for new homes and possibly, big paydays as well. Here are five free-agents that the Nets could still go after on Day 2 of free-agency on Monday:
SG Gary Trent Jr. (UFA)
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Trent, 25, is coming off a 2023-24 season in which he averaged 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 42.6% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range. Trent has spent the past 3.5 seasons playing for the Toronto Raptors, but according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, there is doubt that Trent could be getting the payday that he’s looking for. If that’s the case, then Trent could be someone for the Nets to go after if he’s looking for a change of scenery and more of a role than the Raptors could offer him.
PG Markelle Fultz (UFA)
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Fultz, 26, is an interesting player within the NBA as he has come a long way from when some had wondered if he would be a bust because of what happened to his shoulder. During his time with the Orlando Magic, Fultz has shown that he is getting his confidence in his game and that he handle a role as either a starter or coming off the bench as evidenced by his 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 22.2% from three-point range.
SG Malik Beasley (UFA)
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Beasley, 27, is one of the players on the market that is probably looking to play for a contender, but if he isn’t able to find a preferred destination, he could be a good candidate for a player looking to rebuild his value so that he can get better offers/opportunities next summer. At the very least, Beasley will be able to spread the floor for the Nets this season and is coming off a 2023-24 season in which he averaged 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 41.3% from deep.
SF Miles Bridges (UFA)
Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports
Bridges, 26, is someone that can be polarizing given the legal trouble that he has gotten into off the court. More to the point, off-the-court issues aside, Bridges will most likely be looking for a big payday this offseason, but as of right now, he remains unsigned and may have to wait another year to capitalize on his play. If that’s the case, the Nets could find some value in kicking the tires on a player who just averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on 46.2% shooting from the field and 34.9% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
C James Wiseman (UFA)
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Wiseman, 23, has had an up-and-down career thus far as he has shown flashes of the player that was the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but has also shown that he may not be as good as many thought during their evaluation of him during the Draft process. The Detroit Pistons are letting Wiseman test the market so it’s possible that the Nets could bring him on and see what he’s got, especially if Brooklyn ends up trading backup center Day’Ron Sharpe anyway.
