The Brooklyn Nets decided to tank this season. They traded Mikal Bridges before things started and sent Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder, and Ben Simmons packing midseason. It allowed them to finish with the sixth-worst record in the NBA and gives them a strong shot at landing a difference-maker like Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Nets cannot just focus on the draft. They are loaded with capital over the next seven years, but Brooklyn must reset their roster. Finding building blocks and eliminating veterans who don’t fit their timeline should be Sean Marks' goal.
It will start immediately. These players won’t return to Brooklyn for the 2025-26 season.
5. De’Anthony Melton
Melton never played a second for the Nets. The 6’2 guard signed a one-year contract with the Warriors in July but tore his ACL just six games into the season. Golden State dumped his contract on the Nets in the Dennis Schroder trade. Schroder ended up in Detroit after a 5-team trade on Feb. 6.
Melton is an unrestricted free agent coming off ACL surgery. It is unlikely the 26-year-old will re-sign with the Nets. He will be chasing a role on a contending team. Melton made shots and looked like a key piece in his brief sample in Golden State. Expect some team to give him a shot, but returning to Brooklyn is unlikely.
4. Trendon Watford
The Nets acquired Watford in 2023 after the undrafted forward spent his first two NBA seasons in Portland. He appeared in 63 games last season but averaged just 13.6 minutes per game.
It was a slow start to the year for the 24-year-old. Hamstring injuries cost him significant time, but Watford only played around 15 minutes each night when healthy until the stretch run. Late in the season, the Nets embraced the tank, which gave him more opportunities to shine.
Watford averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 20.7 minutes per game for the full season. The 6’9 forward had a negative-0.3 value over replacement player (VORP) and a well-below league average win shares per 48 minutes.
Trendon Watford becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the 24-year-old has struggled to stand out. It is time for the Nets to move on as they look to create more minutes for key pieces of their next contending roster.
3. Day’Ron Sharpe
The Nets have decisions to make at center. Nic Claxton just finished the first season of a four-year $97 million extension. The 25-year-old is just entering his prime and feels like the long-term option for Brooklyn at the position. Keeping Claxton means playing him over Sharpe.
The 23-year-old played a career-high 18.1 minutes per game this season where he averaged 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 blocks. Sharpe has tons of potential and the restricted free agent likely looks elsewhere to try to find more playing time.
The Nets do not want to be paying two centers significant money moving forward. If Sharpe can find a new home, Brooklyn may just let him walk. They explored the trade market for Sharpe and Claxton before the deadline. Expect the Nets to move on from someone this offseason, and Day’Ron Sharpe seems most likely as he heads into free agency.
2. D’Angelo Russell
D-Lo wants to stay with the Nets. The 29-year-old was acquired in the Dorian Finney-Smith trade, and he did little to impress during his 29 games in Brooklyn. Russell averaged 12.9 points, 5.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 24.7 minutes each night. He shot just 36.7 percent from the field and 29.7 percent on his threes. It was a small sample, but not what any team wants from a score-first veteran guard.
Russell is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He is coming off a two-year deal worth $36 million. The Nets have zero reason to make him their third-highest-paid player moving forward. Brooklyn is investing in young talent and needs room to play them. D-Lo simply does not fit their timeline and will be playing elsewhere next season.
1. Cam Thomas
Nets fans may not want to hear this, but Thomas was extension-eligible before this season. The two sides failed to come to terms and may not again this summer. Thomas is a restricted free agent coming off a season where he averaged 24 points per game. The 23-year-old wants to get paid, but will the Nets be the team?
Thomas rated well below league average by win shares per 48 minutes this season. He struggles to consistently make jumpers and creates problems on the defensive end. Do the Nets want to pay him $20-plus million per year? Thomas wants a massive number, and Brooklyn simply should not give it to him, especially after he managed to play just 25 games because of various injuries.
The Nets should force Thomas to get the significant money from another team. If he can’t Brooklyn can bring him back on a bargain contract. Finding a massive number won’t be easy, but the 6’4 guard has averaged over 20 points per game for two straight years. Some team likely finds a way, and the Nets should let him walk if they do.
The Brooklyn Nets are just starting a total rebuild. They do not need Cam Thomas taking all the shots or to overpay for any veteran. Their focus should be finding young talent and developing those players. That is why these five players will be gone before the start of next season. Changes are the only sure thing for Brooklyn entering a crucial offseason.