The Brooklyn Nets are coming off a disappointing 20-62 record in the 2025-26 NBA season that ultimately gave them the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Brooklyn is likely going to improve the roster as much as possible over the course of this offseason and it seems like they are targeting a former top-10 pick.
“Brooklyn keeps coming up as a likely suitor, too, for the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura, league sources say,” NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported Saturday on The Stein Line. The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to bring back as much as possible of their roster from last season, but forward Rui Hachimura could fall through the salary-cap cracks.
“The Nets and Spurs are two teams we’ve heard have interest in adding Hachimura’s services,” Stein and Fischer continued. “While the Spurs are also faced with resolving Harrison Barnes’ future as the veteran forward heads to unrestricted free agency.”
Hachimura, 28, is coming off a solid season for the Lakers as he averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from behind the three-point line. While the Lakers showed his value as a shooter and scorer, Los Angeles prioritized re-signing Austin Reaves and is likely hoping to re-sign forward LeBron James in free-agency.
In other news, the Nets have also shown interest in Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis as he enters free-agency following an interesting year for the veteran. “Keon Ellis, meanwhile, appears less likely to stay in Cleveland … unless the Cavaliers lose Wade. One anticipated landing spot for Ellis is Brooklyn,” Stein and Fischer reported.
Ellis, 26, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 6.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0% from the field and 35.5% from behind the three-point line. Ellis split the campaign between the Sacramento Kings and Cavaliers, but as Stein and Fischer pointed out, if Dean Wade stays in Cleveland, Ellis could be headed elsewhere in free-agency.
So far this summer, the Nets have added to the roster by acquiring forward Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves and selecting Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. with the No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft. Even with those moves, Brooklyn still has enough cap space to sign free-agents and if Hachimura’s price is too high for the Lakers to pay, the Nets could be there to sign him away.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets show interest in Lakers’ Rui Hachimura, Cavs’ Keon Ellis
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
