With a soft 2025 free agent class, the Brooklyn Nets are considered more likely to use their $60 million in cap space to rent out in trades to pick up more assets than to sign anyone of note outright. This will likely also result in the Nets being near the top of the lottery ahead of the 2026 NBA draft.
“They’re going to use it in trade because they’re not going to have anyone to pay in this free agent market,” a rival executive said. “They could end up right back in this spot next year.”
If the Nets are not a threat to sign players to any offer sheets, the restricted free agent market could be slow to develop as a secondary effect.
This year, the Nets will draft in the lottery for the first time since 2010 when they selected Derrick Favors.
Even though the Nets are short on talent, head coach Jordi Fernandez has the team overachieving and more competitive than expected.
“If you’re the Nets, the thing you’re excited about is Jordi,” an executive said.