Brooklyn Nets Only Team With Cap Space to Make Major Offer for Josh Giddey

Despite being more than occupied with an ongoing restricted free agent scenario of their own, the Brooklyn Nets are also the primary suitor for another player in a similar situation—they just may not know it.

As Brooklyn grapples with Cam Thomas' future, Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey awaits his next big development. It's well-documented that Giddey and Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga are each seeking contracts that pay $30-plus million annually, deals of which could only be granted by the Nets. Jake Fischer touched on this reality in an article published to The Stein Line on Sunday.

Fischer writes that Brooklyn is the only franchise that could offer Giddey a "significant" contract, likely alluding to the $30 million mark the 22-year-old is targeting. For context, the Bulls have reportedly been unwilling to eclipse an average annual value (AAV) of $20 million throughout negotiations.

This reality is exactly why the Nets were repeatedly linked to the possibility of going after Kuminga in restricted free agency. Kuminga, like Giddey, is another polarizing young piece with an extremely high ceiling. Brooklyn is currently rebuilding and in need of as much talent as possible, and these young guys need to be paid. The Nets are the only team that can pay them. The connections make sense, no doubt.

However, the basketball fit doesn't. If chasing Giddey was the plan from the start, it's likely Brooklyn would've gone about the 2025 NBA Draft quite differently than in reality—or at least not selected three point guards.

Now with Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf in the fold, spending $30 million per year on a point guard just doesn't make logical sense. Why stunt the development of three young guys, one of whom could eventually surpass Giddey's level of talent?

Plus, if Giddey's situation pans out anything like Thomas', there's a good chance both end up spending the 2025-26 campaign on the qualifying offer—meaning that they'll be headed for unrestricted free agency next season. So, if Brooklyn does hold some level of interest in Giddey but wants to avoid the massive price tag and the threat of Chicago matching, it could theoretically just wait until next summer when he's unrestricted.

But that won't happen. Giddey would be better suited playing elsewhere, the Nets hope that one of their three incoming rookies will develop into the franchise facilitator and Thomas should remain the top free agent priority.