The Brooklyn Nets have plenty to think about this offseason as the 2025 NBA Draft is less than one week away with free-agency probably beginning shortly afterwards. Brooklyn has five picks in the upcoming Draft, but they also lead the league in cap space so it’s interesting to ponder how they could navigate this offseason amidst all of the moves.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently said on Get Up that “There’s not going to be a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the short-term future” as he spoke on what could happen this summer with Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brooklyn reportedly has been interested in trading for Antetokounmpo for some time now, but it seems that he is off the table at the moment.
“The league has come to terms with the realization that the Bucks are going to keep him and Giannis is not going to ask for a trade. I can’t speak to what might happen in August,” Windhorst continued. To Windhorst’s point, while Antetokounmpo appeared to be available earlier this offseason after ESPN’s Shams Charania’s reporting, that doesn’t look to be the case now.
For the Nets, they could take the patient approach of waiting to see what happens closer to training camp, but by then, they will have already gone through the Draft and free-agency. With Brooklyn’s league-leading cap space, they can choose to go after restricted free-agents like Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga or Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey.
If the Nets are willing to go after players that could be available for a trade, there are players like Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball as guys whose names have appeared in trade rumors. Either way, with the news that Antetokounmpo is staying in Milwaukee as of now, Brooklyn will have to pivot in some way and there are a myriad of ways to do so.