With Roster Cuts Looming, Can Jalen Wilson Secure His Future in Brooklyn?

The Brooklyn Nets roster still needs some trimming before the regular season starts, which means training camp will involve some position battles between players that are on the chopping block.

As the team enters this next phase of their rebuild, the organization is likely looking to identify players that fit into their long-term plan and the style of basketball that best suits them.

One returning player whose future with the team could be in limbo is 24-year-old forward Jalen Wilson. Now entering his third season in the NBA, Wilson's contract is currently partially guaranteed, and he would not receive the full amount until Jan. 10.

While Brooklyn's decision to pick up Wilson's team option this offseason may have seemed like a positive sign about his future with the team, his future with the Nets could still be in jeopardy. After all, the Nets recently waived Keon Johnson, another player on a partially guaranteed contract whose team option was also originally picked up.

Will Wilson Stay in Brooklyn?

Last season, Wilson started 22 games for the Nets as he nearly doubled his scoring average from his rookie year, averaging a career high 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 39.7% from the field and 33.7% from beyond the arc.

Toward the end of the season, Wilson showcased the potential that once helped him become a first-team All-American. During the final four games of the 2024-2025 NBA season, Wilson averaged 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 47.6% from the field.

His best game of the season came against the Atlanta Hawks on April 10, when he scored a season-high 20 points while knocking down six three-pointers, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing three assists.

During the summer of 2024, Wilson was named MVP of the NBA Summer League after averaging 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from three-point range.

While Wilson has proven to be a capable offensive threat when given the opportunity, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez challenged Wilson to improve as a defender earlier in the season.

"He works hard, he plays hard," Fernandez said. "Sometimes you just got to, you know, redirect them a little bit. So, I want to see him be better defensively, because, you know, being smaller and having issues protecting the paint and the rim right now and rebounding, he should have been there and help us a little bit more. He knows, and I have no doubt in my mind that he'll respond."

If Wilson can make a leap as a defender, he could take on a heavier workload for the Nets if he proves that he can be reliable on both ends of the floor. For a team that is still trying to establish its identity, he can serve as a strong example for Brooklyn's rookies by being a willing and high-energy defender.

He may be on the hot seat, but Wilson has flashed enough potential that the Nets will probably give him another year to prove that he should be part of this team’s future.