The Brooklyn Nets will be one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on this offseason given the sheer amount of salary cap space that they have at their disposal.
What they decide to do with that cap space will be very interesting.
Brooklyn Nets Named Potential Landing Spot for Trae Young
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 16: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards passes the ball in the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Acquiring four-time All-Star Trae Young, either straight up through free agency or via sign-and-trade, is one way that they could use it.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently named the Nets as a potential landing spot for Young, who turned down his player option with the Washington Wizards for next season in favor of free agency. Bailey pointed to the preexisting chemistry between Young and Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. combined with Brooklyn’s cap space as reasons why.
“Years before they entered the NBA, Michael Porter Jr. and Trae Young made up one of the most dominant duos AAU ball has ever seen. Now, with Brooklyn being among that small group of teams that can clear out some cap space, they could be reunited in Brooklyn,” Bailey wrote.
“There’s also a sign-and-trade possibility here, since Young might not be willing to fit cleanly into that cap space with a deal starting under $33 million. And the Nets have more intriguing young players to offer the Wizards than Sacramento does.”
The addition of Young in Brooklyn would potentially force second-year guard Egor Dëmin into more of an off-ball role, but Bailey thinks that could be beneficial for Brooklyn’s offensive attack.
“Of course, the Nets did just take three playmakers in last year’s draft (Egor Dёmin, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf), but Dёmin is big enough to slide over and was a much higher-volume three-point shooter than expected as a rookie,” Bailey wrote.
“Having him as a secondary creator could make the Nets’ offense more dynamic beyond the Young-MPJ two-man game, too.”
If Young signs a new deal with the Wizards, then it would be a moot point, but there’s no guarantee of that happening.
Does Trae Young Fit into Washington’s Timeline?
After trading for him prior to the deadline in February, one would assume that the Wizards would like to hold on to Young for longer than half a season. However, it’s fair to wonder if he fits into the team’s timeline moving forward.
Young will be 28 years old before the season starts. Meanwhile, the Wizards are an exceedingly young team, clearly in the middle of a rebuild and they possess the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. Maybe they’ll decide that they don’t want to dedicate a chunk of cap space to a veteran like Young at this point in time. If that happens, other teams like the Nets, would then have an opportunity to land him.
Brooklyn Nets Named Potential Offseason Landing Spot for All-Star Guard