The Nets were the only NBA team with substantial cap space and absorbed unwanted contracts to acquire players and multiple draft assets. They took on Terrance Mann's remaining three years and $47 million in the Kristaps Porzingis trade and acquired the draft rights to Drake Powell. They exchanged Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick, taking on Porter's remaining two years and $79.6 million. They added Haywood Highsmith and an unprotected 2032 second-round pick from Miami for a protected 2026 second-round pick. Brooklyn projects $131.9 million in 2025-26 salaries with about $16.5 million available, placing the team below both the cap and the minimum floor and leaving room for additional moves, including potential dealings with Dallas involving Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
First, they facilitated the Kristaps Porzingis trade to the Atlanta Hawks, absorbing the final three years and $47 million of Terrance Mann's contract and acquiring the draft rights to Drake Powell, one of Brooklyn's five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Next, they traded Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick, enabling Denver to shed the final two years and $79.6 million of Porter's contract while adding a skilled perimeter scorer to Brooklyn's roster.
Earlier in the month, they acquired Haywood Highsmith and an unprotected 2032 second-round pick from the Miami Heat in exchange for a protected 2026 second-round pick, a deal that helped Miami avoid the luxury tax by shedding Highsmith's $5.6 million salary, while Brooklyn added a veteran 3-and-D wing with NBA Finals experience and a draft pick at minimal cost. And the Nets could be gearing up for more trades as training camp approaches.
After acquiring Mann, Porter and Highsmith, Brooklyn has $131.9 million in total salaries for the 2025-26 season with roughly $16.5 million left to spend. It is $22.5 million below the cap and $19 million below the minimum floor. That means the Nets still have moves to make. The Nets have most recently been linked to the Dallas Mavericks, who have ramped up their efforts to create roster space after signing Dante Exum, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
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