Could Ochai Agbaji be a Part of the Brooklyn Nets Future?

The Brooklyn Nets acquired Ochai Agbaji from the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal on Feb. 5. He is still only 25 years old and brings an athletic presence on the wing at a low-risk price.

It's a move that makes sense given the Nets' current rebuild timeline. Agbaji is in the final season of his rookie contract and is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason. Brooklyn could bring back the potential contributor for a cheap and short deal.

Agbaji has played in two games with the Nets, seeing extended minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. He played 28 minutes off the bench in the 112-84 loss, scoring 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range.

While his three-and-D capabilities may be the most intriguing part of Agbaji's game, he does a little bit of everything on the court. He also grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists and had one block against the Cavaliers. Brooklyn was at a 4-point disadvantage in Agbaji's minutes despite the blowout.

The Cleveland game was really his first opportunity to show what he can do as a part of the organization, only playing 16 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 11 before the All-Star break. With the amount of pass-first players on the Nets, it's a good situation for Agbaji to show what he can do as a spark plug scorer.

"It felt good to see the ball go in, get some rhythm with my teammates," Agbaji said postgame. "I'm excited about what we can do, and the style we play is very unselfish."

With the current roster construction, Agbaji is competing with players like Terance Mann, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf for minutes. Powell and Saraf are going to take priority as rookies in need of development, but it's unclear how long Mann will be a part of Brooklyn. This also doesn't account for any wings/guards who will be added to the team through the 2026 NBA Draft and free agency.

Agbaji will have to take advantage of his minutes to stay with the Nets for the foreseeable future. He's a hustle player with more room to grow, but it will be up to the front office's preferences if he gets re-signed.

"Taking advantage of this opportunity, playing the best teams, playing extended minutes against those best teams," Agbaji said. "Whether you're a rookie or a fourth-year guy... just obviously taking advantage of those minutes."

The bottom line is that Brooklyn is trying to figure out which players to build around for its rebuild. If Agbaji can play well down the stretch of this season, there's no reason he shouldn't have a shot at another contract in the offseason.