The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of an important offseason for the franchise as the team looks to improve from a 2025-26 season in which they finished with a lowly 20-62 record. Despite the fact that Brooklyn was tied with the best odds of getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they ended up with the No. 6 pick so could they look elsewhere for talent?
“As for Brooklyn, there is a priority to improve its roster, considering the Houston Rockets have the right to swap first-round picks in 2027,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks wrote when giving his reasoning for why the Nets would go after someone like Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams. ESPN recently gave a proposal that Brooklyn could trade forward Michael Porter Jr. and three first-round picks (2027, 2029, 2031) for Williams.
“In trading Porter for Williams, Brooklyn would still have cap space to add via free agency or another trade,” Marks continued in his explanation. “Instead of their own picks, the Nets should consider including the New York Knicks’ unprotected first-rounders (2027, 2029, 2031) along with an unprotected first from the Denver Nuggets.”
While the Nets have been focused on building through the draft since the team traded guard Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for multiple first-round picks two years ago, they also could have enough cap space to make another move. It should be noted that Williams will begin his 5-year, $239 million ($47.850 million per year) contract starting with the 2026-27 campaign so the Nets will have to take that into account.
The Nets could practically free up around $48 million this offseason with Porter on the roster, but if they trade him for Williams, there is less than $1 million in difference between what each player will make next season. After that, Brooklyn could still have enough money to sign someone like Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who is expected to command around $40 million per year in free-agency so there seems to be good reasons to trade for Williams.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: What’s the reason for the Nets to trade for Thunder’s Jalen Williams?
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
