Nets offseason primer: Trade possibilities, Cam Johnson free agency, and more

The Brooklyn Nets are in a transitionary phase after moving Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving mid-season. The writing was on the wall when both made respective trade requests last summer and the organization held onto them against all resistance. While a championship or even a deep playoff run seemed unlikely given everything that transpired, that decision ended up working out in the end.

Brooklyn’s 27-13 start prior to Durant’s injury gave them back their leverage in trade negotiations. They now have a surplus of first-round draft picks and several talented young wings in Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith. They have enough trade ammo and flexibility to remain relevant and significantly improve the roster rather quickly.

Here is a preview of the 2023 offseason for the Brooklyn Nets.

State of the roster

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In an ideal world for the Nets, they would still have Durant and Irving and everything would be fine. In the second most ideal world, they would’ve swapped them for another set of All-Stars. Unfortunately, that’s not how star trades work in the NBA since they nowadays involve the team sending out the star receiving a bunch of assets. This would be good for a rebuild, but the Nets aren’t in a position to go into one.

Brooklyn still owes Houston two unprotected first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, as well as two first-round pick swaps in 2025 and 2027. This rules out bottoming out at least for the next three seasons since it wouldn’t reward them. The Nets are more incentivized to build the best team possible and continue competing at a high level. They already have a great supporting cast, they just need the star power.

Mikal Bridges may be an All-Star in the making with the significant improvement he made upon arriving in Brooklyn. He is under team control for the next three seasons on a contract that is looking like a bargain. They also have Nic Claxton, who also improved to one of the better defensive big men in the league, on a team-friendly deal for another season. These are two players the Nets can definitely keep and build around for their next great team.

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The Nets could get in the mix for the next All-Star that becomes available on the trade market. They can parlay a significant portion of their draft picks, veterans, and prospects to acquire such a player.

How the new CBA affects them

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The Nets are about to enter the repeater tax after being taxpayers for three straight seasons but they are in a position to avoid it starting next season. Their biggest piece of business this summer will be re-signing Cam Johnson and they could do that while staying below the luxury tax. It would make sense for them to reset their tax clock over the next few seasons so that when they are ready to be taxpayers again, they won’t pay increased rates.

The new CBA is adding changes that would’ve made improving the roster around Durant and Irving impossible. The soon-to-be-implemented second apron will restrict teams from increasing payroll other than re-signing their own players, signing draft picks, and minimum players. The Nets would’ve been a second apron team these past few seasons which would’ve prevented them from acquiring James Harden the way they did, or signing Patty Mills with the mid-level exception.

Ownership has proven to be willing spenders, which could benefit them considering that tax rates are expected to increase at the highest levels. They could improve the roster, hold an expensive roster, and have depth and future assets to sustain a long competive window.

Free agents: Cam Johnson

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The Nets are going into the offseason with nearly a full roster featuring 13 players, including two first-round picks. Their most notable free agent is Cameron Johnson whose signing could complete their roster. He will be a restricted free agent who many cap space teams could pursue and throw a lucrative offer sheet at him. Brooklyn is projected to be $10 million below next year’s $162 million luxury tax line, so re-signing him will likely take them back over.

Just about all teams projected to have significant cap space this offseason could be a logical suitor for Johnson. He would fit the timeline of young cap space teams like Houston, Orlando, Utah, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio. An offer sheet could start in the four year, $80-90 million range, which would be comparable to recent deals for DeAndre Hunter, Norman Powell, and Keldon Johnson.

Free agent: Seth Curry

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Seth Curry is Brooklyn’s other most significant free agent. He has been extension-eligible all season and will remain so through June 30. It’s unclear where he fits in their long term plans after changing directions, but it’s possible he becomes a tax casualty if they don’t reduce payroll elsewhere on the roster. He seemed like a logical candidate to be salary dumped ahead of this year’s trade deadline since it would’ve helped them duck the tax entirely.

Free agent: Yuta Watanabe

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Yuta Watanabe is another important free agent who became a regular part of Brooklyn’s rotation for most of the season. He could be looking at an above-minimum salary for the first time in his career. The Nets will be limited in what they can offer since they hold his Non Bird rights. They would have to dip into their mid-level exception to offer him a salary higher than the minimum range.

2023-24 SALARY SITUATION

Players rostered: 13

Two-way players: 1 (RaiQuan Gray)

Guaranteed salaries: $143.7 million

Non-guaranteed salaries: $8.7 million

Total salary: $152.4 million

Luxury tax space: $9.6 million

Apron space: $14.5 million

Second apron space: $24.5 million

Spending power:

Non-taxpayer Mid-level: $12.2 million

Bi-Annual: $4.5 million

Kevin Durant trade exception: $18,131,946 (expires February 9, 2024)

Kyrie Irving trade exception: $4,494,702 (expires February 6, 2024)

Markieff Morris trade exception: $1,637,966 (expires February 6, 2024)

Ben Simmons

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2023-24 salary: $37,893,408

Remaining salary guaranteed: $78,231,552 through 2024-25

Additional notes:

Mikal Bridges

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2023-24 salary: $21,700,000

Remaining salary guaranteed: $69,900,000 million through 2025-26

Spencer Dinwiddie

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

2023-24 salary: $20,357,143

Remaining salary guaranteed: $20,357,143

Additional notes:

$1.5 million likely annual incentives, $1,071,429 unlikely annual incentives

Extension-eligible throughout 2023-24 for up to four years, $127.7 million

Joe Harris

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2023-24 salary: $19,928,571

Remaining salary guaranteed: $19,928,571

Additional notes:

$500,000 unlikely annual incentives

Extension-eligible throughout 2023-24 for up to four years, $125 million

Dorian Finney-Smith

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2023-24 salary: $13,932,008

Remaining salary guaranteed: $44,232,280 through 2025-26

Additional notes:

Nicolas Claxton

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

2023-24 salary: $9,625,000

Remaining salary guaranteed: $8,750,000

Additional notes:

$875,000 in likely incentives, $462,500 in unlikely incentives

Royce O’Neal

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2023-24 salary: $9,500,000

Remaining salary guaranteed: $2,500,000

Additional notes:

Patrick Mills

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2023-24 salary: $6,802,950

Remaining salary guaranteed: $6,802,950

Additional notes:

Cam Thomas

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2023-24 salary: $2,240,160

Remaining salary guaranteed: $6,281,409

Edmond Sumner

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2023-24 salary: $2,240,160

Remaining salary guaranteed: $0

Additional notes:

Day’Ron Sharpe

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2023-24 salary: $2,210,040

Remaining salary guaranteed: $6,199,162

Cameron Johnson

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Cap hold: $17,663,697

Type of free agent: Bird (restricted)

Seth Curry

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Cap hold: $16,143,641

Type of free agent: Bird (unrestricted)

Additional notes:

David Duke Jr.

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Cap hold: $2,189,698

Type of free agent: Early Bird (restricted)

Additional notes:

Yuta Watanabe

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Cap hold: $1,989,698

Type of free agent: Non Bird (unrestricted)

Dru Smith

Cap hold: $1,774,999

Type of free agent: Non Bird (restricted)

2023 Pick No. 21

2023-24 salary: $3,043,440

Remaining salary guaranteed: $14,920,644 through 2026-27

Additional notes: HoopsHype and ForTheWin’s draft expert Bryan Kalbrosky has the Nets selecting Colby Jones with the 21st overall selection in his most recent mock draft.

2023 Pick No. 22

2023-24 salary: $2,921,880

Remaining salary guaranteed: $14,172,848 through 2026-27

Additional notes: HoopsHype and ForTheWin’s draft expert Bryan Kalbrosky has the Nets selecting Maxwell Lewis with the 22nd overall selection in his most recent mock draft.

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Story originally appeared on HoopsHype