Four Young Free Agents the Brooklyn Nets Could Target

The Nets can bring in talent at a young age, with a sustainable price.

Mar 25, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. (33) dribbles the ball past Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets enter the NBA offseason with a plethora of options regarding free agency. The team is stuck between a rebuild and a fringe playoff contender, with one foot in either door for the past year.

Money to spend in free agency shouldn't be much of an issue for Brooklyn. Nic Claxton is the biggest name that could potentially leave Brooklyn, but the rest of their free agents are replaceable.

The salary cap is projected to be around $141 million this offseason, meaning the Nets look like a small spender on the surface. However, even if Brooklyn does bring him back for around $20 million, they would still just be below the luxury tax, and their salary cap room can expand if players like Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Dennis Schroder are dealt.

A lot of rookie contracts for solid young players are up this summer, and no matter the direction Brooklyn takes regarding their future, four young free agents should be attractive to the Nets, and realistic for them to sign.

Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls

Nov 3, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Royce O'Neale (00) during the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Williams is coming off a $9.8 million season salary, and should be valued in the $14 million to $17 million range for AAV. According to NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, Williams turned down an offer earlier in the season, worth around four years, $64 million. That is realistically the offer he would get from any team that doesn't want to drastically overpay, and the Nets can afford him.

Most recently, it was a down season for Williams, but his time in the league showed that he provides elite defense most nights. In two of his first four years, Williams was considered an above-average defender compared to the NBA's average defensive rating in 2020-21 (113.1, Williams was 111.7) and 2022-23 (115.6, Williams was 112.6).

At 22, the FSU product still has plenty of room to develop on offense, and the defensive potential is evident. Brooklyn could use him and start him at the forward position if they move on from Bridges.

Saddiq Bey, Atlanta Hawks

Mar 2, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (41) drives past Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) in the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Bey does not have as much potential as Williams, but they are both forwards on Play-In Tournament teams, looking for a salary increase. Bey has more of an offensive game to him, averaging 13.7 points in 32.7 minutes. A downside to a team looking at him is that he isn't as young as most of the players on this list. 25 years old means you're young enough to grow as a player, but not by much.

Bey is a restricted free agent coming off of his rookie deal, a four-year, $13 million contract with the Pistons. His defense is not as coveted as Williams', with a defensive rating of 121.5 this past season.

Realistically, Bey's new contract should be a four-year deal in the range of $40-45 million. He just hasn't shown anything particularly elite in his career, but the Nets could take a chance on him hoping he bounces back.

Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers

Feb 8, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) drives past Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Okoro was a big part of Cleveland's playoff run. He started in 42 of his 69 games played, finishing 2023-24 with averages of 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 49.0% shooting and 39.1% from deep.

An elite on-ball defender, Okoro can provide good minutes for a contender, but also has room to grow on offense at 23 years old. His four-year, $29 million rookie contract is up, and he could earn a contract in the $60 million range if teams take his potential into account.

Okoro's scoring has plenty of room for improvement, and the Nets can give him that opportunity. However, he can also make a huge impact in terms of winning, as he's learned how to do that more recently.

Gary Trent Jr., Toronto Raptors

Mar 25, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. (33) dribbles the ball past Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Trent Jr. is different from the rest of these players in that he's far removed from his rookie contract with the Trail Blazers. He's the same age as Bey, but has two more seasons under his belt, meaning that his potential has already been found. His recent scoring average of 13.7 points is not close to his peak of 18.3 in 2022.

Trent Jr.'s three-year, $51.8 million deal will probably be slightly less than the deal he will earn this summer. With the new CBA, players are earning more than they were worth when Trent Jr. signed his contract in 2021. Expect him to sign a deal with an AAV of around $20 million.

What he can provide for a team, playoffs or not, is multiple threes per night on solid efficiency. In seasons in which Trent Jr. played more than 40 games, his three-point percentage has never been below 36%. On top of that, his steals per game have been 1.1 or higher since he joined Toronto.

For Brooklyn, he can be a veteran presence for the younger players given his seasons played in the NBA, but he can also get better on both sides of the ball given his actual age.

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