Two Stars the Nets Realistically Can and Should Target This NBA Offseason

As the New York Knicks walk away with their first NBA championship in 53 years, pressure is mounting on the Brooklyn Nets to close the gap.

These teams couldn't be farther apart, but the Nets were actually in a pretty good spot before a terrible 2026 lottery draw, followed by a draft lottery reform altogether. Now, the worst place to be in the NBA is the bottom, with the middle of the pack being a safe hub to continue to improve.

Brooklyn is expected to attempt to take advantage of its current flexibility by improving the roster. The draft could give the organization its next franchise star, but free agency also has a few stars to watch, two of whom could be legitimate targets for the Nets.

Brooklyn already has enough money to bring in a few prominent names, but it can also maneuver cap space to turn the ship around and become a postseason franchise once again. Who are the two names realistic enough for the Nets?

Austin Reaves and Jalen Duren to Brooklyn?

It's not impossible for the Nets to reel in Austin Reaves and Jalen Duren in the same offseason. It would be pricey, but with the new draft lottery rules, Brooklyn has to figure out how to improve immediately to avoid low odds in 2027.

The Nets have been more linked to Reaves because of how much uncertainty lies within the Los Angeles Lakers. Brooklyn is reportedly expected to offer him a four-year, $178.5 million contract with an AAV of about $44.6 million.

As the second option in Los Angeles, Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Imagine his production with the Nets as the go-to scorer in his prime (28 years old).

As for Duren, the Detroit Pistons could certainly give him the max contract he proved he deserved during the regular season, but a disappointing playoff run with averages of 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game may say otherwise.

The Nets could make the Pistons uncomfortable and bid way more than expected for the All-NBA center. Detroit would be extremely limited with flexibility if Duren is offered an AAV of around $40 million to $45 million.

If Brooklyn can manage to land two stars in Reaves and Duren, plus draft a potential franchise player, they would have put together a perfect offseason to get into playoff contention. We know that the Nets can make this work by maneuvering money on top of the cap space they already have, but will they actually get aggressive in improving the roster?

Add us as a preferred source on Google