NBA
Brooklyn is still interested in taking on contracts while adding future assets
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated4 hours ago on September 02, 2025
The 2025 offseason has been productive for the Nets and general manager Sean Marks. Brooklyn had the most cap space of any team. With that, they’ve taken on other teams’ unwanted contracts in exchange for future assets.
As of September 2, the Nets have roughly $16 million in remaining cap space for the 2025-26 season. Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported that Brooklyn is not finished. He believes the Nets will continue to be active on the buy-out market as the 2025-26 season approaches.
Brooklyn will monitor the buyout market
Nets Still Looking To Take On Salary For Future Assets https://t.co/DhzXL549lw
— RealGM (@RealGM) September 2, 2025
In three separate salary-clearing trades, Nets general manager Sean Marks added quality talent to the roster. This offseason, there was a three-team deal between the Nets, Celtics, and Hawks. Brooklyn acquired Terrence Mann and Atlanta’s 2025 first-round pick. The Nets selected Drake Powell out of UNC with that selection. Additionally, the Nets traded with the Denver Nuggets this offseason. The team sent Cam Johnson to the Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 unprotected first-round draft pick.
Porter Jr. was part of Denver’s championship roster in 2023. However, the team wanted to part ways with his contract this offseason. MPJ is set to make $38 million in 2025-26 and $41 million in 2026-27. Denver swapped Porter Jr.’s contract for Cam Johnson’s favorable deal. Johnson is due $21 million and $23 million over the next two seasons. Significantly less than Porter Jr. They had cap space, and Brooklyn was willing to make this deal with Denver.
The Brooklyn Nets are still looking to take on salary in exchange for future assets and have over $16 million in cap space to do so, per @NYPost_Lewis.
The Nets could, in theory, absorb Bogdan Bogdanovic’s salary in exchange for second round picks.
(via https://t.co/KnJQs2jw2c) pic.twitter.com/avHVvRscsA
— APHoops (@APH00PS) September 2, 2025
The final salary-clearing trade the Nets were involved in this offseason was to acquire Haywood Highsmith from the Heat. He’s set to make $5.6 million in 2025-26. Highsmith will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. In total, the Nets acquired two first-round and two second-round picks in three salary-clearing trades. One of those firsts was used to select Drake Powell
Brooklyn is in no rush to make a deal happen. However, general manager Sean Marks will stay active ahead of the 2025-26 season. As the only team with cap space, the Nets have control over salary-clearing trades. As of now, the team has 15 players under contract for 2025-26. That does not include Cam Thomas, who is still a restricted free agent this offseason. The Nets are stocked with young talent on the roster, along with plenty of draft capital for the future.
