Brooklyn Nets' Biggest Competition This Summer

The Brooklyn Nets are rumored to be shooting for the stars this summer, either in free agency or the trade market. They've been reported to be in line for stars such as Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young, with a combination of young assets and experienced veterans available to give up.

.@WindhorstESPN on Donovan Mitchell:

"Multiple teams would love to make a huge offer to the Cavs if he doesn't extend... Teams that have their offers ready."

When asked about the Knicks:

"They're trying to win this playoff series, but certainly across the river in Brooklyn." pic.twitter.com/feHD3TAi2V
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) May 15, 2024

In terms of free agency, Brooklyn looks to have little room before going above the luxury tax, however letting Nicolas Claxton go in free agency gives them more money to work with if they feel they can get a big name.

With all these rumors flying around, the Nets will compete with a few other teams in the trade market and free agency. Here is their biggest competition this offseason:

San Antonio Spurs

With the Atlanta Hawks owning the top pick in the NBA Draft, they have the chance to go into rebuild mode after failing to make a deep playoff run the past three seasons. There have been heavy rumors of San Antonio being a suitor for Young, pairing him with Victor Wembanyama.

Trae Young on what player the Spurs should pair up with Wemby:

“The kind of player that can make life easier for him, help him win championships.”

(via @najeeadams_) pic.twitter.com/hc8HpCQrTa
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 17, 2024

If Young becomes available, the Spurs would have a convincing offer, owning the fourth and eighth picks, plus young talent for the Hawks to build around. If the Nets want to get what would undoubtedly be their franchise point guard, they'll need to come up with a better offer than San Antonio's.

Los Angeles Lakers

It seems like the Lakers always compete with every team in any market, however as Brian Windhorst noted on ESPN's Get Up, LA will be one of the teams lined up with an offer for Mitchell. They, along with Brooklyn will be among the top teams ready to make a blockbuster deal for the All-Star.

The Lakers will likely try to do anything to keep co-stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis happy in Los Angeles, especially James as his contract is up unless he takes his player option for next season.

Expect the Lakers to be aggressive in getting whatever star the Nets want, likely to be Spida, Ice Trae, or other players to bolster the roster.

Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a team not many would expect, however, the Thunder should look to be aggressive in getting one thing: a paint presence. Specifically, on the glass. The Thunder lacked in the rebounding department, finishing 27th in rebounds per game in the regular season.

Claxton, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, will surely get multiple teams offering big money for his services. The Nets and Thunder are included.

The OKC Thunder are favorites to acquire Nic Claxton should he depart from Brooklyn, per @BovadaOfficial

Oklahoma City Thunder +225
New Orleans Pelicans +325
Toronto Raptors +800
San Antonio Spurs +950
Washington Wizards +1000

(Via https://t.co/z7GrruW4Ev) pic.twitter.com/2Hi1q9feHh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 25, 2024

If the Nets decide to play it safe and focus their money on the 25-year-old center, they'll have to convince him to choose Brooklyn over OKC's winning environment. Plus, the Thunder have most of their players on rookie or cheap contracts, so they'll have room to overpay Clax if need be.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Nets on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.