Former All-Star, NBA Champion Named Offseason Target for Brooklyn Nets

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HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 20: Fred VanVleet #5 of the Houston Rockets dribbles against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Toyota Center on November 20, 2024 in Houston, Texas. 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 Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

The Brooklyn Nets have a lot of salary cap space to work with this offseason and they’ll be looking to upgraded the roster.

Acquiring an All-Star-caliber player with championship experience would be one way to do that.

Fred VanVleet Named Offseason Target for Brooklyn Nets

Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes recently named veteran guard Fred VanVleet as a top offseason target for the Nets. VanVleet has a player option for next season that he could turn down in favor of a new deal in free agency. He’s expected to get a new deal with the Houston Rockets, but if things don’t work out that way, the Nets could be poised to bring him to Brooklyn.

From Hughes:

Brooklyn didn’t find its floor leader in last year’s draft, though not for lack of trying. Given the unlikelihood that rookie Mikel Brown Jr. is ready to take on that role this season, maybe the Nets should try to poach VanVleet, who most expect to stick with the Houston Rockets via player option or a new deal. Brooklyn can offer big money on a shot-term contract like the one FVV inked with the Rockets initially.

VanVleet missed the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season after suffering a torn ACL in September of 2025, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of the ’26-27 season.

Key Contributors for Rockets Could be Available This Summer

While it’s likely that VanVleet will continue his career with the Rockets, there’s certainly no guarantee that will happen. A recent report from Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports suggested that fourth-year guard Amen Thomspon is the only “near untouchable” player on the Rockets’ roster, meaning that every other player, including VanVleet, could potentially be available.

“Rival teams that have contacted the Rockets recently have been informed that 23-year-old Amen Thompson is the only near untouchable on the roster, league sources told Yahoo Sports,” Iko wrote.

“Houston isn’t actively shopping its All-Stars or other key members, sources said, but are merely expressing more of a willingness to listen than at previous junctures,”

It should be an interesting offseason in Houston, and the Rockets’ potential willingness to jettison some of their key contributors could be beneficial to other teams, like the Nets.