The NBA Draft is still a month away and the Brooklyn Nets participating in two — count ’em — two summer leagues a week after that, it’s easy to forget that NBA free agency is sandwiched in between them. Last year, the Nets had nearly $60 million in cap space, most in the league, Sean Marks & co. used most of it in seven salary dumps, acquiring two first rounders, a net of three seconds and players from Michael Porter Jr. to Terance Mann to Terance Mann to Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji .
This year is different.
Brooklyn still has a huge cache of cap space, as much as $48 million, third in the league, but the priorities have shifted. It’s more about roster-building this time around as Nets have no interest in a high pick. They may have to swap firsts with Houston.
Most importantly, if they can find an immediate contributor at No. 6 in the NBA draft and make wise moves in the veteran market, there’s a pathway, narrow as it is, for the organization to become competitive sooner than fans realize. Spoiler alert: it may be exciting but it will be difficult.
Here is a look at three free agents Brooklyn fans should keep an eye on as free agency approaches. Think young players, defensive-minded, and reasonably priced. We’re not talking about trades for disgruntled stars and superstars just yet. We’ll stick for now on players who are not (yet) franchise-changers, but big additioins.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets (RFA)
Tari Eason was selected with the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, which the Nets sent to Houston in the James Harden blockbuster deal.
In 2025, the 6’8” 25-year-old Eason compiled a solid season with Houston, averaging 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 41.6% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range. With just a little improvement in his deep shooting, he could make for an ideal 3-and-D player.
It will be difficult for the Rockets to bring Eason back if they want to stay under both apron levels. Last summer, they were hard-capped at the first apron thanks to the extensions of Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. This year, they’ll have a lot of questions after last year’s disappointments. What’s their plan?
Due to the Nets’ abundance of cap space, they should have the ability to top any offer for the 24-year-old. While he is far from a franchise-changing player, he would join the Nets’ young core and overall boost the floor of this team. He also has experience as a young piece on a playoff-caliber team, which the Nets value.
Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets (RFA)
Peyton Watson is a headline name that could land with the Nets this summer.
With the Nuggets in 2025, he averaged 14.6 points, 2.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 49.1% from the field and drilling an impressive 41.1% on 3-point attempts.
He only played in 54 of Denver’s games, though, while missing the first round of the playoffs due to recurring right hamstring strains. At one point, he was sidelined for 19 consecutive games.
That is certainly something the Nets will take into account as they build out their free-agent roadmap. The year prior, he played in 68 games; in 2023-24, he played in 80.
Per NBA insider Jake Fischer of “The Stein Line,” the Nets are among the teams linked to Watson. However, the team would need to pay up, as “Executives from around the league believe that Watson could receive a larger deal than Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million contract,” wrote Fischer. Indeed, pundits have noted that the Nuggets may regret choosing Braun over Watson last summer when they had the choice. Braun averaged only 12 points a game and had difficulty creating his own shot. Cam Johnson, acquired from the Nets in what was not the worst trade in a decade has a smaller shorter deal but he may be easier to move.
More to the point, Josh Kroenke, the Nuggets owner said after the Nugs shocking first round exit that “I think everything is on the table outside of trading Nikola (Jokic.)” That even includes Jamal Murray. It will take some real roster manipulation for the Nuggets to get enough cap space to thwart not just the Nets ambitions, but the Lakers as well. The Lakers under new management may feel the need to make a big splash.
At just 23 years old, two years younger than Easton, the 6’9” Watson is another young piece that the Nets could inject into their starting lineup immediately. And they may have a somewhat hidden advantage: He and MPJ are close from their days together in Denver, as both have acknowledged. On the other hand, Watson is an Angeleno, born in Beverly Hills.
C.J. McCollum, UFA
While signing McCollum wouldn’t ignite the fanbase as much as a player like Watson would (rightfully so), it makes sense for the team to bring in someone like the 34-year-old as a veteran ball handler to help steady the offense which is in desparate need of everything.
Entering his 14th NBA season in 2026-27, McCollum remained outstanding in 2025 despite being in his mid-30s, averaging 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
He also shot 35.7% from beyond the arc and 45.6% from the field while helping the Hawks crack the playoffs after being shipped to Atlanta from Washington in the Trae Young trade.
As Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traoré enter their second season, they could certainly benefit from having McCollum by their side, especially when it comes to the veterans’ shot-making ability.
It is a similar situation to when Tyrese Maxey played alongside Kyle Lowry early in his career with the 76ers. However, if as seems likely the Nets take a lead guard in the NBA Draft, whether it’s Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings or Keaton Wagler, would there be enough minutes for McCollum?
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The Nets cash reserves and other roster flexibility — only nine players are under contract for 2026-27 and they don’t have to worry about the dreaded repeater tax for the rest of the current CBA to cite two examples — can be used in a number of ways. They can, as they did four times early in the Marks era, tender an offer sheet to restricted free agents like Watson and Eason then wait 48 hours to see the Nuggets or Rockets match. In the past, the Nets added sweeteners that in the era of luxury taxes and aprons make it difficult for teams to match. For example, they can fine tune their offer so that the first year salary can be paid out all at once, add a no-trade clause, etc. Such offers can also lead to sign-and-trade talks.
How soon should we start thinking about free agency if it’s far-too-early as the headline notes? Free agency negotiations will begin on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. Expect first reports of signings — and offers sheets — at 6:01 p.m. Players can be signed officially after the July moratorium on July 6 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Enjoy.
