Three-Team Trade Buzz Should Still Involve the Nets This NBA Offseason

Get ready to be included in almost every blockbuster mock trade, Brooklyn fans.

Mar 20, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) holds the ball during the second half against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The debate of whether or not the Brooklyn Nets need to improve this NBA offseason has been shut down with the draft lottery reform. Rebuilding is no longer 'fun,' and tanking has been eliminated with a system that rewards better teams.

The ethical debate of that is a different conversation, but the bottom line is that the Nets should make roster changes this offseason to get better.

They can take this in a variety of directions. Brooklyn can certainly get involved in trade rumors or free agency buzz, whether it be the highest-profiled name in Giannis Antetokounmpo or a budding star in Jalen Duren. But the organization can make other moves to set itself up for success.

For the last year or two, the Nets have consistently been involved in mock trades, but not as the team giving up or receiving the big prize. Instead, they've been tabbed as a third or fourth team in trades that take on salary or give up a veteran in exchange for draft capital, so the others involved can push it through.

The draft lottery reform changes plans for many organizations this offseason, but Brooklyn should still be viewed as one that could get involved.

Through these circumstantial changes, the Nets are still a young team that has immense cap space and a boatload of draft picks. They can still benefit from being that third team, perhaps even more now that tanking has been practically abolished.

Brooklyn could look to garner more picks from other teams, perhaps in the middle of the pack, where the odds would be the best. Remember, it's better to be a fringe Play-In Tournament or playoff team than at the bottom of the barrel now.

The Nets can also play this role while being able to take action and get better. They have so much flexibility with the No. 6 overall pick, 11 first-round selections between 2027 and 2032 and young pieces to develop or trade down the road. On top of this, Brooklyn is now expected to be a major bidder in free agency.

Even though the new anti-tanking rules reduce the chance of low-level teams from getting better, the idea of taking on youth, salary and draft picks can still be beneficial.

The goal is to improve, and even doing that technically puts Brooklyn in a better spot than before. Continue to keep an eye on the Nets as a trade facilitator this summer.