Jan 27, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez coaches against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Guards the Brooklyn Nets Can Add in Free Agency

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Alec Elijah | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 12:30 PM ET

As the Nets prepare for the 2025-26 season, they will look to add a couple of players through free agency to help them in their competitive rebuild.

One position that Brooklyn will be looking to add depth in is their guard room, especially a veteran to help mentor their rising star Cam Thomas. The Nets could certainly reach out to D'Angelo Russell, who finished this past season as the Nets' point guard, for an extension; however, nothing has been agreed upon between the two parties, so it seems the Nets will have to fill that vacancy.

There have been rumors that Brooklyn could attempt to trade up and land Rutgers guard Ace Bailey in the NBA Draft on June 25, but no move has been confirmed yet. If the Nets do wind up still needing a veteran guard for their lineup, the free agency market will certainly offer them some different options to choose from.

Here are a couple guards the Brooklyn Nets could add to next seasons roster:

Tim Hardaway Jr. (Unrestricted Free Agent)

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The 33-year-old Tim Hardaway Jr. is coming off a solid season with the Detroit Pistons, where he logged 77 games, starting in each one, putting together an average of 11 points while shooting 40.6% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range. If the Nets are serious about moving Cam Thomas into a point guard role, having a veteran like Hardaway Jr. would be a solid pairing for the Nets to start their rebuild with.

Gary Payton II (Unrestricted Free Agent)

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Gary Payton II will be heading into his tenth NBA season and will certainly garner some attention from a few different teams this summer. The two-way guard isn't a high-volume scorer, but he can certainly be a great rotational player for Brooklyn and even potentially lead their second unit. Payton will likely come at a team-friendly price, although their budget is certainly wide open as they possess the No. 1 cap space in the NBA.

Russell Westbrook (Unrestricted Free Agent)

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The one-time NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook, still provides a spark to offenses as he gears up for his age-37 season for the 2025-26 season. Despite the bad rep Westbrook receives in the media for his questionable shooting in clutch situations, the 17-year veteran still managed to rank top 20 in assists, logging 6.1 this past season. He started in almost half of the games played this past season, but at this point in his career, Westrbook should have no problem in the first or second unit.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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