3 Players that carved out notable success since leaving Brooklyn

In every instance where a player leaves an NBA franchise, careers take drastically different paths, as some evolve, others wilt, and a rare few carve their own path. The Brooklyn Nets have been no strangers to roster movement in recent years, watching multiple talents move on to unlock potential and solidify solid careers elsewhere. 

Several players have gone on to earn NBA All-Star honors or sign major contracts, with some even rewriting their legacy on a global stage. Their journeys are constant reminders that abrupt departures sometimes reveal themselves as blessings in disguise for a player’s career. 

Jarrett Allen 

Allen, who played for the Nets from 2017 to 2021, was traded to the Cavaliers over four years ago as a part of the infamous James Harden deal. He earned a five-year, $100 million contract extension in August 2021, then a three-year, $90.72 million veteran extension in 2024, and has started 316 games (and counting) with Cleveland.

The 6-foot-11, 240-pound center earned an NBA All-Star selection during his 2021-22 campaign, which he finished with averages of 16.1 points and 10.8 boards per game. 

Cleveland has made him the anchor to one of the best defensive units in the league, leading the NBA this season at 54-10 and recently joining the 1986 Celtics as the only teams in NBA history to win 14 straight games while scoring 110-plus points per contest. 

Kyle Kuzma

Though Kuzma never played for the Nets, drafted by the organization with the No. 27 pick in 2017 and traded to the Lakers in the D’Angelo Russell-Brook Lopez package, he immediately made an impact as an NBA All-Rookie First Team forward and went on to win a championship with Los Angeles in 2020. Kuzma later became the top scoring option in Washington for multiple seasons before ultimately getting traded to the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline last month. 

Kuzma is averaging 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 34 minutes per contest through his first 13 games with Milwaukee.

Dzanan Musa

Musa was unable to carve out a significant role in Brooklyn, averaging 4.3 points per game through two seasons with the Nets (2018-2020) before being traded to Detroit and waived a month later, but that didn't end his basketball story.

Since leaving Brooklyn behind, Musa made a legitmate name for himself overseas as he became a two-time EuroLeague champion (2021, 2023), All-EuroLeague First Team selection (2023), Liga ACB MVP (2022), Liga ACB champion 2024), Liga ACB Finals MVP (2024), Spanish Cup winner (2024) and two-time Spanish Supercup winner (2022, 2023), among other notable accolades.