Even after officially re-signing Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Ziaire Williams, the Nets are still operating slightly below the minimum salary floor, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
While the exact terms of Williams’ new deal haven’t been confirmed, it sounds like it will be identical to Sharpe’s contract, which includes a cap hit of $6.25MM for 2025/26. That would increase Brooklyn’s team salary to about $138.53MM — this season’s minimum salary floor is $139.18MM, and Marks confirms that the Nets are roughly $649K below the floor.
As we detail in our glossary entry, the minimum salary floor comes in each season at 90% of the salary cap. In the past, a team was required to reach that threshold by the end of the regular season — if it didn’t get there, it was simply required to make up the shortfall by paying the difference to its players.
However, under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams must reach the minimum salary floor by the start of the regular season. A team whose salary is below the minimum floor at the start of the season won’t receive a share of the end-of-season luxury tax payouts and will have a portion of its cap room (the amount between its team salary and the minimum floor) frozen.
Last season’s end-of-season payout to non-taxpayers was approximately $11.5MM per team. While there’s no guarantee the 2025/26 payout will be quite that high, it’s safe to assume the Nets won’t simply give up that money, so we can count on them making a move to reach the salary floor by the start of the season.
However, it won’t necessarily be as simple as signing a player to a minimum-salary contract. Four of the 18 players on Brooklyn’s current roster are either on non-guaranteed deals or have small partial guarantees — the Nets will have to set a 15-man roster for the regular season, and if they end up waiving two or three of those players on non-guaranteed contracts, it would further reduce their overall salary, moving the club further away from the minimum floor.
For instance, if the Nets were to cut Tyrese Martin, Drew Timme, and Keon Johnson, it would remove approximately $6.23MM from their books, moving the team about $6.87MM below the minimum salary floor.
If the Nets opt to waive a player or two with a guaranteed salary and keep more of their non-guaranteed contracts, the gap between their team salary and the minimum floor wouldn’t be as significant, but it still may require a free agent signing above the minimum to reach the floor.
While a free agent signing is a possibility, it’s probably more of a last resort, since it would make more sense for Brooklyn to continue using its leftover cap room on the trade market to take on unwanted salary attached to draft assets. The Nets have already taken that route this offseason in deals for Michael Porter Jr. (who was sent to Brooklyn with an unprotected 2032 first-round pick), Terance Mann (with this year’s No. 22 overall pick), and Haywood Highsmith (with a 2032 second-rounder).
The Nets still have $16.1MM in cap room remaining and could further increase that figure by waiving one or more of their players on non-guaranteed salaries.
Brooklyn is now salary dump city.
BRING OUT YOUR BUSTS
BRING OUT YOUR BUSTS
Obviously trading with 76ers as detailed yesterday
The Sixers are a likely partner but Drummond alone wouldn’t get them to the floor. They would need at least Oubre I would think.
The smartest move for the Nets would be picking up another team’s salary that is over the cap in a trade with a draft pick attached. For example, let’s say Brooklyn acquired Maxi Kleber from the Lakers for Drew Timme or Jalen Wilson and draft pick(s). The Lakers would get a player and salary relief so they could sign a 15th player. The Nets would get a vet on an expiring deal and gain a draft pick. Works for both sides.
The lakers are only parting with their slim picks, and if not their second rounder in 2032, if it’s part of a bigger trade of someone valuable coming back. They don’t do it just to full the 15th spot by time rando.
Miami will probably give a 2nd round pick to take on Rozier, but there will be better options than that…
The situation on Kuminga and Giddey needs to become clear though…
Dunleavy is not giving up picks. So, no Kuminga to the Nets.
Simons to the Heat
Rozier and the pick to Brooklyn
Brooklyn sends Highsmith and something to Boston (Boston should try to get Claxton)
Nets are keeping their room open to mess with the RFA teams. Its the main reason GS can’t do anything until Kuminga is resolved.
Dunleavy has already said he is not giving up picks. So, no Kuminga to the Nets.
lol, Dunleavy doesn’t have to give up picks if he wants to get rid of Kuminga. Any number if teams will offer the Warriors a little over the RFA that Warriors refuse to march.
Plus, they could’ve refused to offer Kuminga the RFA in which case he would’ve been off of their books.
First of all, this about the Nets. They want picks.
Second of all, do teams really want Kuminga that badly? So far, the only offer for him has been Devin Carter and Dario Saric. Not exactly an overwhelming offer. Any team could beat that. But, they haven’t.
The Nets would definitely want Kuminga to be their starting PF over MPJ.
They could create more space ala Myles Turner by simply stretching him and making an offer sheet GS is uncomfortable or CAN’T reasonably match. That’s why GS is in their offseason holding pattern. They lose leverage in potential scenarios if they sign anyone.
Boston on line 1 with Anfernee Simons available.
It’s not likely that the Nets will look to go over the cap now. Oubre and Drummond from the Sixers are much more likely options.
Nets should trade MPJ for Kuz.
MPJ is earning more than Kuz. Why would the Nets get further away from the floor?
MIL wouldn’t do this, Kuzma makes half the money and is about the same level of player.