The Brooklyn Nets’ youth movement has been well documented this year. How could it not? In any conversation involving the team, you can’t get more than a minute or two without someone mentioning it. After
all, Brooklyn made history seven months ago when it picked five players in the NBA draft, which we’ve since dubbed the Flatbush Five.
Indeed, the kids at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush have received more attention than anyone this year. But while Brooklyn’s youth may start with the 2025 Draft class, it certainly doesn’t end there. Like the Flatbush Five, Noah Clowney is also on his rookie deal and that means this coming Summer, he’ll be eligible for an extensive and say sources, he’s likely get multiple offers and not insignificant ones. That of course is evident to Nets fans and the organization after games like Friday night when he had a double-double, 23 points and 11 rebounds, and some clutch moments..
Clowney, drafted by the Nets now two summers ago, entered this season at just 21 years of age. His birthday is in July. Danny Wolf, who the Nets drafted with their last pick this past summer, is also 21, though 70 days older that Clowney with a birthday in May.
But while Wolf may have extra months of life, Clowney has two NBA seasons on him, and it’s shown so far during Brooklyn’s 2025-26 campaign. Through 39 games, Clowney is averaging 13.3 points, 1.9 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. All clock in as career-highs, as do his 4.0 free throw attempts per game. Teams are also scoring less with him on the court for the first time in his career. Brooklyn is +9.3 point per 100 possessions better with him on the floor vs without.
But the “eye test” signals progress as well. For two seasons, he seemed to be nothing more than super-sized sharpshooter at the offensive end, but the Alabama product’s made an extra effort this year to put the ball on the floor, attacking closeouts and set defenders alike.
He also appears to have put on more muscle. By all accounts, the improvement for Clowney has been no joke.
But for all that, there’s been little, if any attention to Clowney’s being eligible for an extension this coming summer. The basics are these: Brooklyn has him under contract until the summer of 2027. He’s eligible to sign a multi-year extension this July, which would kick in during the 2027-28 season. Clowney will be a restricted free agent meaning the Nets can match any offer.
Given his rise, a number of teams are likely to have interest in Clowney. A league source who’s familiar with their thinking has told NetsDaily that the San Antonio Spurs could be a part of that group, with an extension around $50 million over four years, an average of $12.5 million a year, a significant number in the Nets rebuild.
While Clowney has dramatically improved his offensive, some in the league think that his defense could hurt him when talks begin whether with the Nets or another team. That might be less of a concern for San Antonio who have Victor Wembenyama behind him.
While expected to compete in the Western Conference this year, the Spurs could be attractive. They represent one of the NBA’s surprise teams this year. They’re currently tied with the Denver Nuggets for the league’s third best record at 28-13 and are moving quicker toward title contention perhaps sooner than they intended.
If they have a gap anywhere in their rotation, its at the position Clowney plays as well. Harrison Barnes has started every game for San Antonio at the four this year, but is averaging his fewest points per game in over a decade. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton also recently named Jeremy Sochan as a trade deadline “player to watch.”
Historically, the Nets have not waited till to the last minute to negotiate. They signed Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson to extensions well before things got hairy. In both cases, the contract was front-loaded. In the case of Day’ron Sharpe last summer, they were able to use the lack of cap space in the NBA to negotiate a surprisingly team-friendly deal.
Of course, if Michael Porter Jr. stays with Brooklyn after the trade deadline and draft, he too will be eligible for an extension that will also kick in in 2027-28. Would that complicate the Clowney negotiations? Unlikely … at the moment.
