How Former Nets Have Fared in New Environments This Season

Brooklyn lost a plethora of contributors between last season and now.

Mar 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford (12) drives against Brooklyn Nets forward Josh Minott (00) during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets have been in rebuild mode for the better part of two seasons. Heading into the 2025 offseason, the organization cleared out nearly all of its role players on the wrong side of 25 years old.

Brooklyn fully embraced the youth movement, becoming the youngest team in the NBA in the 2025-26 season, but sacrificed some of its veteran leadership to make room. 18 players that were once on the Nets' 2024-25 roster are no longer on their roster at this point. Let's take a look at how a few former Nets are handling their new situations.

Dorian Finney-Smith

Dec 27, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Finney-Smith left Brooklyn in a midseason trade to the Los Angeles Lakers that brought in D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Nets. His tenure in Brooklyn is the second-longest of any other franchise in his career, at 114 games across three seasons.

In the 2025 offseason, Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets, where he has had the least productive season of his career. He underwent ankle surgery this past offseason that held him out until Dec. 25, 2025. Finney-Smith has played 30 games since then, averaging 3.2 points and 2,7 rebounds per game. His main contributions come through his veteran leadership rather than his on-court production.

Trendon Watford

Mar 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Chaney Johnson (31) drives against Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford (12) during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

After two seasons with the Nets, ending on a career-best 2024-25 season, Watford was not offered a contract extension and hit free agency, where he was quickly picked by the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite a smaller role in the new environment, he has carved out a role off the bench as an inside-out, play-initiating forward.

Watford is averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 57.8% on 2-point attempts. He's lacked on the perimeter on both sides of the ball, but steps up when Philadelphia is undermanned.

Cameron Johnson

Dec 18, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Johnson was moved this past offseason to the Denver Nuggets in a deal that brought in Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick to the Nets. He played in 140 games across three seasons in Brooklyn, capping off his last season with 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game averages.

There are many more mouths to feed in Denver, but Johnson has been the team's primary three-and-D threat. He's averaging 11.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on 41% three-point shooting.

Johnson has started in all 42 games he's played in –– an ankle injury left him out for a 23-game stretch from December to February. His role is different from what it was on the Nets, but their front office has to feel good about how Porter Jr. has stepped up and what the Nuggets' 2032 unprotected first could turn into.