The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2026 NBA offseason with the goal of improving the roster as much as possible following a 2025-26 season in which they finished with a 20-62 record. Brooklyn's biggest move of the summer was trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle and most of the fanbase believes that the team has improved.
As of this writing, most Nets fans feel that the roster has gotten better since the beginning of the offseason, according to a poll posted on NetsDaily. Out of 41 votes, 56% of the respondents believe that the team has improved somewhat while 37% feel that the roster has improved significantly when considering all of the moves made thus far.
In addition to trading for Randle, the Nets were somewhat active in free-agency as they signed former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis and former Orlando Magic center Mo Wagner. More to that point, Brooklyn also managed to re-sign forward Josh Minott and center Day'Ron Sharpe, who is looking to be a starter for the first time in his career.
As far as who the Nets lost over the course of the summer, the biggest subtraction was starting center Nic Claxton, who was traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the Randle deal. Forward Ziaire Williams, who had arguably the best season of his career this past year, left Brooklyn in free-agency to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after being with the Nets over the past two seasons.
After a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, the Nets ultimately ended up with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which they used to select promising point guard Mikel Brown Jr. out of Louisville. With Randle joining Sharpe and forward Michael Porter Jr., Brown will likely be in the starting backcourt with Egor Demin, who impressed during his time in the summer circuit. There are plenty of reasons for Nets fans to feel better about the team at this point in the offseason.

#roster #improved

The Brooklyn Nets are now moving on with the rest of their offseason with the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League in the rearview mirror following a successful summer circuit. Brooklyn has made various moves over the course of the summer, including trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, and one of the ****** istant coaches approves of where the roster is at right now.
"What we’re excited about is the depth of legitimate NBA rotation players and potential rotation players we have now," a Nets ****** istant coach said of the team, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. As the roster stands as of this writing, the starting lineup could be Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day'Ron Sharpe.
"Not to speak ill of last year’s team, but we were down to rookies and non-NBA-level players by the end of the year. This year, we’ve got depth and the kids are improving too," the ****** istant coach continued, per Smith. Brooklyn finished the 2025-26 season with a lowly 20-62 record, rewarding them with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, allowing them to take Brown.
To the ****** istant coach's point, the Nets have re-signed Sharpe and forward Josh Minott while adding Randle, guard Keon Ellis, and center Mo Wagner (while his deal hasn't been officially announced yet). More to the point, Brooklyn has moved on from center Nic Claxton (who they traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the four-team deal with the Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets) while forward Ziaire Williams signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in free-agency.
The Nets also added forwards Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau in the 2026 draft to go along with the five first-rounders they took in the 2025 class that the team is hoping breaks through at some point. Time will tell how good this current roster will be next season but as it stands now, one of Brooklyn's ****** istant coaches believes that this roster is better than the one from last season.

#assistant #team #forward #year

Raptors trade idea keeps Kawhi Leonard in mind, but lands All-Star who is coming off career years originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Raptors are in one of the stranger situations in the NBA at the moment because of the whole Kawhi Leonard saga.
Unfortunately for the Raptors, until the Leonard situation gets resolved, there will be questions about whether they can realistically trade for him, or whether the deal will even go down as reported.
One way to fix some of these problems would be to go out and land other players. At the very least, the Raptors would know they have some other talent coming in. One trade idea was recently floated to bring back Norman Powell and Nic Claxton, two above-average players from the Chicago Bulls.
"Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million) and Jakob Poeltl ($19.5 million) are both drawing above-value contracts for 2026-27," Alex Kirschenbaum wrote. "To get off Poeltl's money and return Powell to the Raptors, Quickley and Poeltl could be shipped out to Chicago in exchange for Powell and Claxton."

#claxton

The Chicago Bulls made an interesting move on Wednesday, signing 2026 NBA All-Star guard Norman Powell from the conference rival Miami Heat.
This move comes after the Bulls also traded for Nicolas Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets and selected former North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson at No. 4 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. Following these few moves, the Bulls are beginning to develop a new look under first-year executive Bryson Graham.
Powell agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal with the Bulls after averaging more than 21.0 points per game for the second year in a row last season.
Point Guard: Josh Giddey
Shooting Guard: Norman Powell

The Brooklyn Nets did what they could to maximize their picks in the 2026 NBA Draft as they hope to improve significantly after a 20-62 record in the 2025-26 campaign. Brooklyn came away disappointed from the Lottery given that they fell to the No. 6 overall pick, but after selecting Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. with the pick, it seems the Nets did a good job with their draft.
"Brown now becomes the closest thing Brooklyn has to a franchise star after averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 ****** ists as a freshman at Louisville," Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz wrote on Brooklyn's selection of Brown. In all, the Nets received a B from B/R for their entire draft class as they also took Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson with the No. 28 pick and UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau with the No. 43 pick.
"Jefferson is one of the best big-man passers in the entire draft, even if he's more comfortable playing at a slower pace," Swartz continued. "Bilodeau is a 6'9" floor-spacing forward that fits in well after drafting so many playmakers." Ultimately, the Nets will be hoping that Brown can be a crucial part of the rebuild so that the franchise can get back to competing in the playoffs.
Prior to the draft, the Nets made one of the bigger moves this offseason when they acquired forward Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal required Brooklyn to send Minnesota the No. 33 pick and trade center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal that essentially allowed the Timberwolves to free up salary cap ****** e by no longer having Randle on the roster.
Brown could be the starting point guard on opening night, Jefferson will be competing for playing time in the frontcourt, and Bilodeau will potentially spend most of his time in the G League after signing a Two-Way contract. As it stands, the Nets have taken care of the draft before they have to address free-agency and trades, but it looks like they're starting the offseason on the right foot.

The Brooklyn Nets have some decisions to make this offseason as they seek to add to the roster while maximizing cap ****** e for various transactions along the way. Aside from bringing in outside free-agents and making trades, Brooklyn still has to make decisions to Day'Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams and it seems like the Nets are giving themselves more time to figure it out.
Per multiple reports on Saturday, the Nets pushed back the deadline on center Day'Ron Sharpe's $6.25 million team option by one day, seemingly giving both parties time to come to an agreement. As Spotrac's Keith Smith pointed out, Jun. 29 is the final day for decisions to be made on player/team options across the league for contracts that are guaranteed.
With that being said, forward Ziaire Williams also has a $6.25 million team option that has to be decided on Monday and how Brooklyn addresses those options could be an indication of their future plans. As Smith wrote recently, the Nets will probably decline the options on both players, but it would be with the goal of re-signing them while allowing the team the most cap ****** e possible.
Sharpe, 24, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 ****** ists per game while shooting 60.1% from the field and 67.8% from the free-throw line. With Nic Claxton being traded to the Chicago Bulls, Sharpe is in line to begin next season as the starting center, barring Brooklyn acquiring another center before the season starts.
Williams, 24, put forth averages of 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 42.5% from the floor and 34.3% from deep. With Williams coming off arguably the best season of his career and Sharpe having another solid year as the backup center, Brooklyn will likely find ways to re-sign both players even if their options are declined on Monday.

CHICAGO (AP) — Bryson Graham took over the Chicago Bulls when he was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations in May.
At his introductory news conference, he referenced the acronym SLAP — size, length, athleticism, physicality.
That vision is beginning to come into focus.
Chicago selected Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the first round of Graham's first draft with his new team on Tuesday night. It was part of a busy stretch for the Bulls, who reportedly acquired Nic Claxton as part of a three-team trade on Monday night. Tiago Splitter was hired as coach last week.
The 6-foot-9 Wilson and 6-7 Swain are known for their athleticism and finishing ability, and the 6-11 Claxton shot 57% from the field while averaging 11.7 points for Brooklyn last season. The three additions — along with Splitter's arrival — provide the strongest indication yet of how the Bulls might look under Graham.

There were two trades made on Monday night, just hours before the start of the NBA draft. The big one involved Giannis Antetokounmpo finally getting moved by the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis and draft compensation.
In another move, the Minnesota Timberwolves shipped Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets. This deal also involved the Chicago Bulls, who will be receiving center Nic Claxton from Brooklyn. Claxton had been linked to the Lakers for the past couple of years as someone they could pursue in order to upgrade at the 5 spot.
Claxton, 27, seems to fit the mold of the defensive-minded center Los Angeles wants and needs. He is fairly athletic and has always been a good rebounder and capable rim-protector, and he is 6-foot-11 with a wingspan of at least 7-foot-2.
He averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 ****** ists and 1.1 blocks in 27.8 minutes a game this season, and his rebounding and shot-blocking numbers dropped from the peak he reached two or three years ago. He will now be joining a young Bulls squad that includes Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.
Meanwhile, the Lakers will likely be aggressive in looking to add another athletic, rim-running defensive center to their roster in the coming weeks. They have been linked to men such as Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren, Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III in free agency.

A fan gets Jaden McDaniels' instant reaction to the Julius Randle trade to Brooklyn originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The night before the 2026 NBA Draft was quite eventful because it finally saw the end of the year-long Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga. However, that was not the only trade that happened on Monday night because Julius Randle is now on the Brooklyn Nets.
The Minnesota Timberwolves sent Randle and the #28 overall pick to Brooklyn in a three-team trade that saw Nic Claxton go to the Chicago Bulls. It was a surprising trade for most people because many fans were waiting for the Giannis pin to drop.
Randle was the cornerstone piece of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade with the New York Knicks. Donte DiVincenzo also arrived from that deal, but Randle was often the most discussed player for the Timberwolves.
Now, they have essentially salary dumped him two years later. What makes it hurt even more is that Towns won the championship with the Knicks in 2026, which is what the Timberwolves tried to do with him for nearly a decade.

PHOENIX – After re-signing Collin Gillespie to a four-year, $48 million deal, the Phoenix Suns will shift their focus towards starting center Mark Williams. The franchise doesn’t have a lot of money to work with this offseason, as bringing back Gillespie and Williams seemed impossible. However, Phoenix was able to sign the 26-year-old guard to a $12 million annual, when experts believe Gillespie was looking for high-teens in a deal. The discount opens the door for a possible Williams return.
The problem remains is that the only avenue that the Suns would bring back the 24-year-old is on the qualifying offer. His injury history could scare teams from topping that deal, but it cuts the team close to crossing the luxury tax and near the first apron.
Jan 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams (15) shoots the ball against Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
If best case scenario Gillespie has a yearly salary increase for his four-year deal, the 2026-2027 salary would be $10.7 million. Adding that money in, Phoenix would be at $192.78 million for 2026-2027, with the difference of the luxury tax being $8.22 million. If Williams signs to the qualifying offer, the franchise would be over the tax by around $1.5 million.
A small number that owner Mat Ishbia would likely eat. Regardless, the Suns would have just $6.2 million to fill the final three roster spots. One of those spots would be Jordan Goodwin, a player the franchise is desperate in bringing back. But, would Goodwin return on a minimum deal again?

The Brooklyn Nets are hoping to significantly improve the roster following a 2025-26 season in which the team finished with a disappointing 20-62 record that ultimately led to the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Brooklyn is projected to be one of just a few teams in the league to have significant cap **** e so could they pursue someone like Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler?
"Meanwhile, sources tell The Athletic that a player who does want to be there - big man Walker Kessler - is at odds with the front office over his lack of an extension offer last summer and the current handling of his restricted free agency," Sam Amick of The Athletic reported earlier this week on Kessler and the Jazz. While Kessler has largely been expected to go back to Utah, these contract negotiations could make him more available than initially projected.
"A gulf remains between restricted free agent center Walker Kessler and the Jazz after Utah put an offer worth roughly $140 million over five years on the table, sources told ESPN," Tim MacMahon reported for ESPN when describing why Kessler and the Jazz are not seeing eye-to-eye at the moment. If Kessler is looking for more than $28 million per year on his next contract, the onus is then on Utah to decide if he is worth that money to them.
Kessler, 24, is coming off a 2025-26 season that was technically the best of his four-year career as he averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 70.3% from the field and 70.0% from the free-throw line. However, Kessler played in just five games after suffering a season-ending labral tear in his left shoulder that required surgery.
When it comes to the Nets, they already have starter Nic Claxton and backup Day'Ron Sharpe under contract for the 2026-27 season, but Sharpe has a $6.25 million team option that Brooklyn has to make a decision on soon. While the expectation is that the Nets will bring Sharpe back after he is coming off the best season of his career, Brooklyn could opt to use some of its cap **** e to sign a player like Kessler if he could be signed at a value.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of an offseason that they're hoping will bear the fruit of a postseason appearance, but they have to make the right moves to get there. Brooklyn has the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to bring in another talented, young player, but the Nets may also have to consider other avenues to improve the roster.
"Duren is only 22 and coming off an All-Star regular season, and cap-room teams like Brooklyn and Chicago will be circling with offer sheets if the Pistons get cold feet," John Hollinger wrote for The Athletic when discussing Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren. Duren is a restricted free-agent this summer, but after this postseason, he could be looking at less money, which could give a team like Brooklyn the chance to sign him at a value.
"A five-year, $200 million deal would value him at $40 million a year and keep him in Detroit through much of his prime; that feels like a potential endpoint," Hollinger continued on Duren. Hollinger projected for Duren to sign his next deal for a little over $44 million per year, but that will depend on how much the Pistons are willing to pay him to keep him in Detroit.
As Hollinger mentioned, the Nets are projected to be one of just a few teams to have significant cap **** e this summer and that's why they've been linked to big-name free-agents like Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves. Brooklyn can also use their cap **** e to pursue certain players like Duren if their respective teams get "cold feet" and if successful, those moves can speed up the rebuild just a bit.
Duren, 22, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 **** ists per game while shooting 65.0% from the field and 74.7% from the free-throw line. It should be noted that the Nets still have centers Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe in the fold, but if the franchise wants to head in a different direction with either guy, Duren could become an option later in the summer.

CLAXTON, Ga. (WSAV) — Kerosene bought on or after Tuesday from the El Cheapo in Claxton may cause explosions or fires if used, the Georgia Agriculture commissioner said Friday.
The affected kerosene, which is possibly contaminated with gasoline, was sold on or after Jan. 27, 2026, from El Cheapo at 821 W. Main Street.
If used in home heaters or lamps, the kerosene has the potential to cause an explosion or fire, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper said.
The affected product was sold on or after Jan. 27, 2026, from El Cheapo at 821 W. Main Street.
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