In 2025-26, the Brooklyn Nets are 6-17 through their first 23 games. The team is 4-6 over its previous 10 and is coming off a 119-101 win vs. the Pelicans.
Brooklyn is in a clear rebuilding stage. They have several young players on the roster and a stockpile of draft assets. Additionally, the Nets are the only team with legitimate cap space. As of now, the Nets have $15 in cap space and can create more. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news. He added that Brooklyn could salary dump at the 2025-26 deadline to acquire future draft assets.
The Nets are prepared to actively salary dump at this year’s deadline
Sounds like the Nets plan is to take on bad $ in exchange for picks at the deadline, and trading CT is locked pic.twitter.com/vB0ol9WVMk
— Suge (@therealsjc_) December 9, 2025
Over the last three to four seasons, the Nets have the franchise in a clear direction. In 2022-23, Brooklyn traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They received win-now players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson from Phoenix, along with plenty of draft capital. Since then, the team has flipped Bridges and Johnson for six future first-round picks. Brooklyn is loaded with draft capital and cap space heading into trade season.
ESPN’s Shama Charania reported that the Nets have the most cap space ($15) of any team in 2025-25. Detroit has a $14.1 million and Utah has a $18.7 million trade exception. The Nets are the only team with real cap space at this time. Charania noted that Brooklyn could add to that number. With plenty of cap space, Shams Charania reported the Nets are having “increased talks” about salary dumping or a possible trade for Cam Thomas.
From Shams:
“Nets have $15 million in cap space and can create more, which has led to increased trade talks about using their room to absorb salary while receiving assets,”
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) December 9, 2025
This past offseason, the Nets were involved in four salary dumps via the trade market. In the Kevin Durant trade, the Nets acquired Cam Johnson. Brooklyn flipped Johnson to Denver to take on Michael Porter Jr.’s contract. Additionally, the team was involved in other salary dumps to acquire Haywood Highsmith, Terrence Mann, and Kobe Bufkin. However, Bufkin was later waived by the team.
Insiders have said to keep an eye out for a trade between Brooklyn and Boston. The Celtics are still $12 million over the luxury tax in 2025-26. Erik Slater suggests the Celtics could salary dump Anfernee Simons to the Nets and acquire a player in their price range. We’ll have to wait and see how active general manager Sean Marks is ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, February 7.
