At noon Monday, the NBA’s annual race for proven talent — free agency — began but for Brooklyn Nets fans, it was a bit of non-starter. The Nets made some moves, all of them already agreed to and not surprising. However, the big move so far this Summer did not materialize: the multi-team trade that will send Nic Claxton to Chicago and bring Julius Randle and an exchange of picks from Minnesota to Brooklyn. The reason why was for the most mundane of reasons, as Keith Smith pointed out late in the day…
Gueye, a 6’9” journeyman, had been added to the trade that already included the Nets, Bulls and Timberwolves. On arrival in Minnesota, Gueye is expected to be waived. Could the trade be expanded further? Sure, but at the moment, there’s nothing rumored. Rui Hachimura, the most recently rumored target of Sean Marks & co. signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Another apparently more serious target, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, remains a restricted free agent. Watson could wind up as the subject of an offer sheet or moved in a sign-and-trade either with the Nets or another team. Again, though, there’s nothing but speculation on that front. Part of that speculation has been driven by PWat’s friendship with Michael Porter Jr. Indeed, Watson was hosted by MPJ on a yacht in the Mediterranean last week.
And while Brooklyn didn’t sign Moe Wagner, they did ink Cleveland 3-and-D guard. That signing like Wagner’;s had previously been reported, but the Nets made Ellis official but not Wagner’s. Marc Stein reported that that may be the result of nothing more than a logjam at league offices where each trade must meet CBA muster from the NBA league department before officially being blessed.
The Nets may also be considering alternative routes to sign the 6’11” 29-year-old. He could be signed for example out of cap space or the Room MLE which is valued at $9.4 million. That’s just about what he will make in the coming year as part of a two year, $18 million contract.
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The Nets also signed both Day’Ron Sharpe and Josh Minott to extensions Monday, Sharpe at two years and $20 million and Minott at two years and $9 million. Sharpe has no option in his deal but Minott has a team option next summer.
Brooklyn also seems to have ended its relationship with both Ziaire Williams and Ochai Agbaji, renouncing their Bird Rights, a sure signal that a return is highly unlikely…
Williams acquired in July 2024 in a trade that was a spin-off of the Mikal Bridges trade. In two seasons, the 24-year-old Stanford product played 119 games, averaging 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals, but was seen by many in the organization as inconssistent and sometimes lacking energy as Fernandez noted when he held Williams out of game in late November. In that same 2024 trade with Memphis Grizzlies, the Nets also acquired and retain the Mavs second round pick in 2030.
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Agbaji came to the Nets at last season’s trade deadline in a three-team salary dump. Brooklyn acquired the 6’5” wing, $3.5 million in cash considerations and the Raptors second rounder in 2032 for the draft rights to a Serbian guard who had blown his achilles tendon 10 days before the trade. Agbaji played 20 games for the Nets averaging 6.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
The move will also clear up cap holds for the two players, a bit of a housekeeping move in free agency. Interestingly, the Nets did not denounce the rights to Jalen Wilson.
The Nets will have 15 guaranteed contracts once all the paperwork is concluded.
