Yesterday, the Brooklyn Nets made a decision to further complicate their current roster situation by sending a—virtually useless—second-round pick to the Miami Heat in exchange for veteran wing Haywood Highsmith. Highsmith, 28, appears to be a perfect fit for Head Coach Jordi Fernandez’s desired identity, if he’s able to suit up.
Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press took to X following the trade’s announcement, revealing that Highsmith may not be fully healthy come training camp. He underwent knee surgery on Aug. 8 to repair a meniscal tear, which may hold him out into the regular season.
“Highsmith had knee surgery a few days ago and is likely to need until sometime in October before he is full-go again,” Reynolds wrote.
Given the injury, it’s no surprise the Nets approached the transaction as a “low-risk, high-reward” decision. They sent out a second-rounder, which won’t convey unless they finish as a top-five team in the league, a scenario that’s unlikely to become reality.
It will be interesting to see how Brooklyn handles Highsmith’s situation if the rehab holds him out beyond the start of the regular season. Remember, Highsmith became the Nets’ 18th guaranteed contract (they’re only allowed 15 come the beginning of 2025-26) and 21st player on the roster (the maximum they can carry into training camp).
While Highsmith is the exact archetype of player Fernandez envisions as part of his foundation, he may be on the move again depending on how the training camp evaluations pan out. If Brooklyn is still strapped for a roster spot come late September/early October, Highsmith could theoretically be dealt to a contender where his value will shine brighter.
Of course, the team could keep Highsmith and utilize him as a mentor for the younger members of the roster. Guys like Drake Powell and Ziaire Williams—two already-great defenders—could refine their skills with some guidance from Highsmith. Even if he’s sidelined, he could still make an impact as a Net.
And by the time he’s fully recovered and prepared to play, that’s when the front office can begin working the phones to find Highsmith’s best destination. That would happen under the presumption that Brooklyn manages to solve the roster spot conundrum, which is yet to become reality.
Before Highsmith suits up as a Net, he’ll have to recover. And once he recovers, there still isn’t a clear-cut idea of what his role may be. That’ll fall at the feet of the coaching staff and front office, as the last thing they hope to do is stunt the development of their young players by giving minutes to veterans who deserve to be on winning teams.