Nic Claxton is 25 years, 136 days old, slightly younger than the average age of NBA players at the beginning of last season, which was 26 years, 11 days. Yet on the Brooklyn Nets this season, he’ll be decidedly older than his teammates.
With reliable reports that Jacky Cui will be joining the team as a two-way, there are now at least 13 Nets players — including two ways and camp invites — younger than him. Here’s list as of Labor Day weekend...
- Dariq Whitehead, 20
- Noah Clowney, 20
- Jaylen Martin, 20*
- Mark Armstrong, 20#
- Jacky Cui, 21*
- Day’Ron Sharpe, 22
- Cam Thomas, 22
- Keon Johnson, 22
- Ziaire Williams, 22
- Killian Hayes, 23#
- KJ Jones II, 23#
- Jalen Wilson, 23
- Trendon Watford, 23
- Nic Claxton, 25
# - Exhibit 10; * - Two-way
Rebuilds are not just about draft picks — although the Nets have 16 firsts including a swap, nine of which are either their own or unprotected, and they could have 11 second rounders going forward. (By next June, those numbers will go up by one each with the availablity of the 2032 picks.)
It’s not about just about cap space either — although the Nets could have as much as $70 million and according to Bobby Marks, are currently are the only team with more than $30 million available going into next summer.
It’s not about other things like trade exceptions, nope — although the Nets generated a $23.3 million TPE as an added benefit from the Mikal Bridges trade and the second largest in the league.
It is also about developing young players and while all those nice numbers above will come in handy next summer, development starts now, this week specifically when most if not all the Nets players will be in camp at HSS Training Center for everything from weight training to scrimmages. Of course, a number of them already were on hand but now, personal training sessions and youth basketball camps are over and the official beginning of training camp is now a month away.
Jordi Fernanadez and his nine assistant coaches are development-oriented just as the assistants three years ago were more about win-now. Dutch Gaitley and Deividas Dulkys — were development guys with Fernandez on the Sacramento Kings staff — Gaitley was officially director of player development in Sacto. They have joined the Nets. Holdovers like Ryan Forehan-Kelly and Jay Hernandez already had solid reputations in developing young Nets players, RFK having spent a lot of time with Claxton in particular the last several years.
We saw some evidence of development success in Summer League: Jalen Wilson’s deep shooting was one example, Keon Johnson’s staying under control and playing solid defense being another. There was Noah Clowney showing that his late season audition — which included games of seven blocks and 7-of-9 shooting — was no fluke. He got rave reviews for his defense and shot nearly 40% (39.1%) from deep.
Development shouldn’t be limited to those on the edge of the rotation, either. Cam Thomas has spoken about his desire to “maximize my ability” which includes playmaking and defense as well as scoring efficiency. He has also said he wants to be more of a leader.
“So, it’s really just trying to maximize my ability, see where I can take it and become the best player I can be, this year, and for years to come.”
Claxton who’s already got his big deal hasn’t detailed his priorities this summer but Sean Marks did at the time of his $100 million deal. “He’ll have the ball in his hands more often.” said Marks. As we noted in our Off-Season Report No. 13, that won’t be completely new to him.
Day’ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams will have added incentives. They are playing for extensions (as is Thomas, but that’s just a matter of dollar signs and zeros.) The Nets are likely to wait and see what all three can do this season before deciding on whether to extend them next summer. Williams said he’s primarily working on his body.
“Definitely, first and foremost, my body,” said Williams when asked what his priority has been. “They say availability is the best ability. I had a nasty little back injury last year, so I’ve been really just every day in the weight room, treatment, just really trying to prioritize my body.”
Tredon Watford, re-signed in July, is also on a one-year deal while Wilson and Johnson are on highly leveraged multi-year deals that can be terminated on a number of deadlines.
Then, there’s the two interesting cases of Dariq Whitehead and Killian Hayes. They’re interesting for very different reasons. Whitehead still didn’t look like his old self in Summer League and we’ll need to see what he looks like in training camp and Summer League.
Hayes has a long way to go in returning to the form that won him the No. 7 pick in 2020. As an Exhibit 10, the 6’5” French point guard is only guaranteed a camp invite and a $75,000 bonus if he’s cut and agrees to join the Long Island Nets. (He’s ineligible for a two-way.)
There’s also this: Most of these kids will be competing not just for roster spots this season, but in the future as well. Word we hear is that the Nets intend to hold on to, and use, all four of their first round picks in the June draft ... and why not? The Draft is expected to be deep as well as strong. That could create a logjam with first rounders guaranteed at least two years. As we’ve noted before, under the new CBA, cheap contracts for first round picks and vets minimum deals are needed for team building nowadays with organizations trying to avoid caps, thresholds and aprons,
How soon will we know about who’s getting the last training camp spots — one more Exhibit 10 and two two-ways? We’d think very soon. Has to be. In fact, based on previous experience, the players are already in camp. They just haven’t been announced.
Roster updates
There are none. As our guy Pooch said on our Brooklyn podcast, he’d be surprised if Cam Johnson isn’t in uniform — a Nets uniform — when Brooklyn opens the regular season on October 22. If that’s so, then expect CJ to be a Net through that trade deadline or close to it. Trade season unofficially opens on December 15 when players signed during the off-season can first be traded. Teams are usually in love with their roster now, waiting to see how things work out in the first quarter of the season. And with the new CBA, we don’t expect much to happen early in the season.
On the other hand, with so much parity in the league nowadays — five different championships in the last five years — and everyone feeling they can win it, the deadline should be hot with the Nets as sellers in the cases of CamJ and Dorian Finney-Smith in particular. DFS has a player option next summer and if you’re the Nets you don’t want to lose him for nothing. That could also mean he abs Johnson are going to get minutes early.
More on Lonnie Walker IV
In a surprise move, Lonnie Walker IV signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Celtics. As with Killian Hayes, if he doesn’t make the Boston roster, all he’s guaranteed is a $75,000 signing bonus if he chooses to join Boston’s G League team, the Maine Celtics. Moreover, as Brian Robb of the Springfield News noted this week, his chances of making the NBA grade in Boston are low, in part because of his lackluster defense which is Boston’s trademark. Again, though, it’s more about money. Robb was asked what are Walker’s chances of making the 15-man roster. He too is ineligible for a two-way.
It’s probably not as high as people think and that’s largely a byproduct of the Celtics situation. There are financial incentives not to carry Walker on the roster since he would be costing the team millions more in tax penalties even on a veteran’s minimum deal. There is also the fact that the team could use some roster flexibility when it comes to their big man situation amid Kristaps Porzingis’ recovery. If someone else gets hurt in the preseason/early season, that spot may be needed for some reinforcements.
Robb also noted that the Celtics “showed interest in him at the trade deadline last year.” No further details on what Boston might have offered for Walker IV but in retrospect, the Nets probably should have taken it. We also don’t know what, if anything, the Nets offered Walker IV earlier in the summer and whether it was more than what he got from Boston.
Jimmy Butler to Brooklyn?
Jimmy Butler turns 35 on September 14, two weeks from today. He is likely to be one of the top free agents next summer and as this tutorial has pointed out, the Nets will be swimming in cap space. So is it a match? Brian Lewis wrote this Saturday...
Miami GM Andy Elisburg said the Heat are in no rush to sign Butler to an extension, and Pat Riley wants to challenge the veteran to get more out of him.
Butler reportedly has decided he’ll play out next season and won’t extend in Miami ahead of his opt-out in 2025. The odds of him picking up his player option are slim unless he agrees to a max deal with the Heat beforehand.
The six-time All-Star is the most accomplished standout on that list not named James, and he likes Brooklyn, according to sources close to the player.
NetsDaily has been told the same thing.
Would the Nets be interested in someone like Butler who despite his age, is a legitimate superstar with six All-Star appearances and five All-NBA selections? The 6’7” swingman will make $48.7 million this year with that player option in 2025-26 totaling $52.4 million. No, it’s hard to imagine them, in a rebuild, offering Butler a long-term deal starting at anywhere close to that figure. In addition to his age, Butler hasn’t played more than 65 games in a season since 2016-17 and last year only managed 60.
Still, Lewis’ news is further evidence that despite some fans’ belief Brooklyn remains a premier landing spot for the best free agents ... and disgruntled superstars. Again, as noted at the top of this week’s episode, rebuilds are not just about draft picks or cap space or flexibility. They’re also about the lure of the franchise. There’s a reason why Detroit has had such a hard time rebuilding. Same with Sacramento until recently and Portland now. They’re not attractive locations the way New York, Los Angeles and Miami are.
Final Note
We’d like to invite all Nets fans, particularly those who like to write, to take a look at our FanPosts. It’s a great opportunity to give your opinions on the team a good long run instead of just a tweet or a comment. We’ve found a couple of our staff writers there as well.
