The Nets have full control of their future

The Brooklyn Nets are firmly in rebuilding mode. In recent months, GM Sean Marks has gathered tradable assets and positioned the franchise to have considerable cap space ahead of the 2025 free-agency period. As such, Brooklyn's roster could quickly morph into a potential playoff contender ahead of the 2025-2026 season.

According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, Brooklyn could have between $44 million and $65 million in cap space next season, with that number potentially climbing if Marks makes some roster moves. As such, the Nets could be legitimate players in the 2025 free-agent market.

"The Mikal Bridges trade clearly put the Nets in a new phase," Hollinger reported. "That likely involves wielding cap space in the summer of 2025; right now, they’re projected to have between $44 million and $65 million and could easily open up more by making trades involving Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and others after getting back their 2025 and 2026 first-round draft picks from the Houston Rockets this summer."

The 2025 free-agent class projects to be weak, with former Nets point guard D'Angelo Russell among the headlining names. As such, Marks could take on some short-term salary and preserve the team's cap space for a summer where higher-level talents could potentially hit the market.

Brooklyn also has multiple draft picks at its disposal, allowing it to be a threat for draft-day trades to move up and potentially snag a star of the future. Nevertheless, with a significant amount of future cap space, a plethora of draft picks and tradable contracts, the Nets are in the driver's seat for how their immediate future plays out. 

If Marks and the front office can show restraint and patience, Brooklyn could build a contending-level team in the coming years. Of course, that means making intelligent decisions in the draft and free agency. After the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden era debacle, you can only hope the franchise has learned its lesson.