The Brooklyn Nets have been trying to add as much talent as they can to the roster this offseason following a 2025-26 NBA season in which they finished with a 20-62 record. Brooklyn made some major additions to the team by taking Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and reportedly trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, but their free-agency plans may have recently taken a hit.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura signed with the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $28 million contract. Prior to the news that Hachimura signed with the Clippers, he was considered one of the best unrestricted free-agents available, unlike free-agents such as Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren and Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson that require an offer sheet due to their restricted status.
As of this writing, the Nets have re-signed center Day’Ron Sharpe and forward Josh Minott, signed guard Keon Ellis, and have reportedly signed center Mo Wagner. After the reports that Brooklyn signed Ellis away from the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan reported on X that the Nets have $24.7 million in cap space that they can use for other purposes.
For the sake of only discussing players that would be realistic targets for the Nets, players like Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin, Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga, and Chicago Bulls center Nick Richards come to mind. Brooklyn’s roster is guard-heavy at this point in time, but someone like Mathurin could bring a scoring punch to a roster that could desperately use it if the goal is to make the play-in tournament next season.
Kuminga has been linked to the Nets ever since he was with the Golden State Warriors and while Brooklyn reportedly did not make an attempt to trade for him, they could have a different stance if he can be had in free-agency for a value. Lastly, the Nets currently have a center rotation of Day’Ron Sharpe and Wagner so if Richards wants a change of scenery, he could be another value signing for a Brooklyn team looking for size.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: What can Nets do in NBA free-agency with Rui Hachimura off the board?
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
