The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2025-26 season knowing a couple of things. One, they were probably going to have a very difficult season on the court, given the construction and age of the roster. And two, the 2026 NBA draft class looked like it could be generational.
With those two things in mind, everyone in the building knew what kind of season they were going to have. Brooklyn’s tank job worked well, as the team finished with the third-worst record in the NBA at 20-62, setting itself up well for the upcoming draft lottery. While the NBA Draft is very important for the franchise, it’s not the only aspect of this offseason that matters.
The Nets are going to have some roster decisions to make. From choosing which player options to pick up to mulling over free agent additions, Sean Marks and the front office are going to have a very busy next few months.
With all that being said, here’s an early offseason guide for the Nets, beginning with the team’s soon-to-be free agents.
Nets 2026 Free Agents
Player
Contract Situation
Ochai Agbaji
Restricted free agent
Ziaire Williams
$6.25 million team option
Day’Ron Sharpe
$6.25 million team option
Josh Minott
$2.58 million team option
Jalen Wilson
Restricted free agent
Malachi Smith
$2.15 million team option
E.J. Liddell
Restricted free agent
Chaney Johnson
Restricted free agent
Tyson Etienne
Restricted free agent
Before the NBA Draft and official free agency start, Brooklyn will need to evaluate what they want to do with their internal free agents. It makes sense to pick up the team options on Williams, Sharpe, and Minott. All three of those guys flashed potential this season and are young enough that another big step next season isn’t out of the picture.
If the Nets pick up all three of those team options, that would put them at 12 players under contract for next season, leaving three open roster spots, assuming no other players are dealt. Brooklyn would have three main roster spots to fill in the draft and free agency, which is very doable.
Nets 2026 Draft Capital
The Nets own their own first-round pick this season, which is why they dropped so many games down the stretch. Because they finished with a bottom-three record in the NBA, they’ll have a 14% chance at landing the number one overall pick. They also have a 66.9% chance of getting a top-five pick, which could change the trajectory of the franchise. Having the rights to their own first-round pick is massive.
Brooklyn is set to have two second-round picks as well. They have the Atlanta Hawks second, which will fall near the middle-to-later portion of the round. They’re also set to receive a second from either the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, or the Miami Heat, depending on how the pick swap plays out.
Nets Cap Space
According to ESPN, if the Nets pick up Sharpe, Williams, and Minott’s team options, along with the first-round pick, they’ll have around $31million in cap space to play with. This gives them the flexibility to take on other teams’ questionable contracts for additional draft picks, or make a splash of their own to elevate into a play-in team next season.
This offseason is set up to be the most pivotal one for this era of Nets basketball. A successful offseason would set this team up well to contend in the not-too-distant future. An unsuccessful one could keep Brooklyn in a never-ending rebuild. The pressure is on for this front office.