If there is one thing that is obvious, it is that the Brooklyn Nets should not treat this summer like the finish line. Not when they are in the middle of a long-term rebuild, and don’t have the proper depth to truly compete. For a team with flexibility, picks, and patience, free agency should not be the place where you find your core, instead it should actually be the place where you find leverage.
Smart teams do that, and they get rewarded for it. In fact, that is exactly what the Washington Wizards understood when they signed Jonas Valanciunas not too long ago. When the Wiz signed him, it raised a lot of eyebrows but the thing is they were not trying to turn him into a foundational piece. They were actually thinking three steps ahead because when the trade deadline came around, they flipped him to Sacramento for two second-round picks and a young player in Sidy Cissoko.
Why Brooklyn should look to do the same:
The Nets are one of the few teams with real cap flexibility. That alone gives them power. They should use it to sign movable veterans players like D’Angelo Russell, or Brook Lopez. Even a move like bringing back Dennis Schroder can go a long way. The list of vets do not end there, because there are a ton of guys with playoff experience, and league-wide value that are available this summer.
The best part of this plan is that none of the players have to be long-term answers. They just have to play well enough to catch the eye of contending teams that always get desperate in February. That is when smart teams start answering phone calls and start collecting assets.
Brooklyn already showed it works.
Schroder arrived on a short-term deal last year and helped stabilize the backcourt. When the deadline came, he was moved for De’Anthony Melton and three second-rounders. It was a quiet win, but still it was a meaningful one.
This plan is not just about flipping contracts. Vets like Schroder or Lopez bring value off the court too. With four first-round picks and a high second in the 2025 Draft, the Nets will likely bring in several young players. Having professionals around to model good habits, keep the locker room sharp, and guide rookies through a long NBA season matters.
Every year, contenders chase experience and depth at the deadline. The Nets should be the team they call. Free agency isn’t where Brooklyn builds its future. It is how they should look to fund it.