The Brooklyn Nets came into NBA free-agency with some matters to attend to before 6 PM ET on Jun. 30 when teams can negotiate with free-agents from other teams. Prior to the official beginning of free-agency, Brooklyn had to consider which players they were exercising team options on and contract options of that nature, but it looks like the Nets brought back most of the players.
To being, the Nets declined the $6.25 million team option on forward Ziaire Williams’ contract for the 2026-27 season on Sunday, officially making him an unrestricted free-agent before the official start of free-agency. There is still a chance for Brooklyn to re-sign Williams once free-agency opens, but there seems to be other teams interested in his services if he does not return to the Nets.
More to the point, Brooklyn declined to tender qualifying offers to forwards Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson, also making them unrestricted free-agents prior to the beginning of free-agency. Given that the Nets acquired Agbaji from the Toronto Raptors in the middle of last season via trade, there was some interest surrounding his free-agency, but it seems like he and Wilson will be able to test the market before making any decisions.
As far as who the Nets brought back, they plan to re-sign forward Josh Minott to a two-year, $9 million deal and plan to sign center Day’Ron Sharpe to a two-year deal worth around $20 million. Given that free-agency hasn’t officially opened as of this writing, Brooklyn cannot officially re-sign either of them, but it seems that the intention is there to bring both of them back to the Nets.
The Nets have picked up the $2.15 million team option on guard Malachi Smith’s contract for the 2026-27 season so he will be back, though his contract is fully non-guaranteed. Also, forward Chaney Johnson will sign the Two-Way qualifying offer that Brooklyn extended to him so he will be back with the Nets and he will be playing in the summer leagues with the team. The official start of free-agency should be interesting.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: What have the Nets done thus far prior to start of NBA free-agency?
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
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By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
