Brooklyn Nets Should Refrain From Adding Veteran Free Agents

There's plenty of veteran talent left in free agency, but Brooklyn should stay away.

Sep 23, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks speaks at Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets have had an interesting offseason, but they don’t need to go for any big splashes on the free agent market. 

Over the past several weeks, the Nets have begun their transformation from a tanking team to a competitive one. Albeit with their hands tied, as they don’t control their 2027 first-round pick, the Nets have seemingly done a solid job at making that shift.

With guys like Julius Randle, Mikel Brown Jr. and Keon Ellis joining an intriguing young group, the Nets have some potential to be a wild card team in the Eastern Conference. With hopes of making a play-in tournament run or even getting to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Nets to draw some interest from the remaining free agent pool.

While most players deep in their careers would love to go play somewhere they could immediately compete for a championship, those opportunities aren’t always available, and some veterans could see an opportunity for a larger role in Brooklyn than they’d have elsewhere. While all of those things certainly line up, the Nets should refrain from signing anyone in that group, even if it’s quite tempting.

With some of the biggest names remaining, including former All-Stars Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan and Bradley Beal, the Nets would be best-suited to keep the core they have untouched. Development should still be the top priority, and there are already several new faces in Brooklyn for next season.

Also dealing with the uncertain futures of Michael Porter Jr. and Randle, adding another proven player could make things even tougher for the Nets to evaluate. Not adding a veteran would also give some extra flexibility to Brooklyn later in the season.

If things go south for the Nets and they end up in the midst of another season with 20-something wins, they likely wouldn’t be having to work out any potential buyouts or have to worry about shutting down a veteran to get more reps for their young players. While the veteran leadership of someone like Westbrook or DeRozan could certainly be valuable, their inclusion could add another layer of issues later in the year.

Perhaps a few weeks into the season, Brooklyn could have a need addressed by signing a veteran who is still available, but for now, the Nets shouldn’t be spending any of their offseason energy on adding an experienced player.