The Brooklyn Nets have got their training camp roster pretty much set. The Nets recently officially added Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams, and Day’Ron Sharpe. As a result, the Nets will have to make a few moves before opening training camp, though Brian Lewis of The New York Post doesn’t mean any major trade is forthcoming.
“There’s no big move coming,” a source told Lewis.
Nets Training Camp Competition: Arkansas Product Expected To Make 15-Man Roster, While A Favorite Emerges For Final 2-Way Spot
Brooklyn has 18 players on standard contracts, with 14 having fully guaranteed deals. Keon Johnson ($277,614) and Jalen Wilson ($88,075) have partial guarantee deals, while Tyrese Martin and Drew Timme have nonguaranteed pacts.
So, even though Brooklyn is expected to make a “big deal” in which the Nets would add to their first-round draft assets, they still could make another trade. The Nets are on the hook for $138.4 million in 2025-26 salaries, meaning they are about $648,000 below the NBA’s salary floor. However, that number will likely increase to $7 million if they waive three players to reach the league maximum of 15, Lewis noted. Currently, the Nets have $16.1 million in cap space.
“They need to spend about $7 million before the start of the season,” one league source told Lewis. “They’re going to get to the floor and roll over the rest (of their cap room) into the season.”
Why Is Getting to the Salary Floor Important?
Brooklyn still has time to get to at least $139.14 million. Per the CBA rules, the Nets have until opening night. So, what happens if the Nets don’t reach the floor? They will lose money.
“A team whose salary is below the minimum floor at the start of the season won’t receive a share of the end-of-season luxury tax payouts and will have a portion of its cap room (the amount between its team salary and the minimum floor) frozen,” Luke Adams of Hooprumors wrote. “Last season’s end-of-season payout to non-taxpayers was approximately $11.5 million per team. While there’s no guarantee the 2025/26 payout will be quite that high, it’s safe to assume the Nets won’t simply give up that money, so we can count on them making a move to reach the salary floor by the start of the season.”
Brooklyn does have options. The Nets could wait to see how training camp unfolds and whether a trade materializes, or hope that one of the players on a nonguaranteed contract performs like a player with a fully guaranteed contract. It is conceivable that the Nets will use Wilson, Johnson, Timme, and Martin in a trade to absorb a team’s unwanted salary or, if someone gets injured during training camp, as they did with De’Anthony Melton last season.
Brooklyn acquired Melton, who was on an expiring contract, from Golden State on December 15 — obviously, the Nets will have to do something beforehand — along with Reece Beekman, who was on a two-way deal, and three future second-round draft picks for Dennis Schroder. Dariq Whitehead and Haywood Highsmith, Williams and Sharpe are also candidates to be moved for more salary. Williams and Sharpe have recently waived their no-trade clauses.
Ricky Council IV To Make 15-MaRosterer?
In other news, Lewis also said that Ricky Council IV’s contract, which is not yet official, will be partially guaranteed. Furthermore, Lewis believes that Council IV is “highly unlikely” to be waived before the start of the season.
Council, who went undrafted out of Arkansas in 2023, has spent the last two seasons in Philadelphia. Council showed improvement in year two as a scorer and rebounder. The 24-year-old was particularly effective as a starter, compiling 12.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, though he struggled shooting the ball. He shot 38.2/25.8/80.4 from the field.
Council is versatile and has shown he is an NBA-type player. Council can play the two, three, and four. He is at his best when getting to the rim, though he can create his own shot. His athleticism is one of his greatest strengths, and he possesses the tools to be a solid NBA defender; however, his shot selection and ball-handling skills require improvement.
Nets Will Need To Make A Roster Move Before Training Camp
Unless Brooklyn makes a trade or decides to waive someone on a guaranteed contract before training camp, it is hard to believe that Council will make the Nets. Martin is a similar player to Council, though he is a better shooter.
Johnson is entering his fifth season, and while the 6-5 is coming off a career season, he doesn’t shoot it well, and the Nets have a lot of wing depth. Wilson has struggled in his two seasons with the Nets and is not a good rebounder. Meanwhile, Timme is probably the best NBA prospect of the group, but the Nets are plenty deep upfront with the addition of Danny Wolf and Highsmith.
Brooklyn currently has 22 players under contract, heading into training camp. The Nets have two of their two-way spots accounted for — Tyson Etienne and EJ Liddell.
That means the Nets will have to make at least one roster move, either via a trade or by releasing a player. Grant Nelson, under an Exhibit 10 contract, is the most likely player to be waived, as he is likely headed to the Nets’ G-League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, anyway. Nelson went undrafted this past June after spending two seasons at Alabama.
Fanbo Zeng
Let’s say the Nets don’t make a trade before training camp and sign Council to compete for a roster spot; they can do so by waiving Fanbo Zeng. Zeng is on an Exhibit 10 contract. However, Lewis sees Zeng as the favorite to earn the Nets’ final two-way spot.
Zeng went undrafted in 2022 after playing for the G-League Ignite, where he saw sparse action. However, the 22-year-old Chinese national produced a career season this past season with Beijing Shougang, where he spent his last three seasons. He is an athletic shot-blocker who can stretch the floor with his shooting. Additionally, he improved his ball handling.
Zeng is a long-term prospect. However, if the Nets truly valued Zeng, they would have signed him to a two-way deal rather than an Exhibit 10. Council IV, Wilson, and Timme would be better suited for the Nets’ minor league deal. iRoster doesn’t make the 15-maRosterer.
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