Feb 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (8) dribbles around Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) on the pick by center Nic Claxton (33) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Where the Nets Roster, Salary Cap Situation Stand Right Now

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 12:00 PM ET

As the NBA offseason carries into September, most of the teams are finalizing their rosters for the 2025-26 season, but many still have moves to make. With training camp approaching, some organizations have more roster spots to fill. However, the Brooklyn Nets are a different story.

The Nets have a lot of new faces entering the team this season. Whether it's the five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft or the veterans they traded for, Brooklyn has a different look as the team navigates the early stages of a rebuild. What is the state of the team in early September?

Brooklyn's State of the Roster

The Nets still have plenty to figure out with the season approaching, most notably with their roster spots. NBA rules state that a team can only have 15 players on standard contracts. While two-way players don't count, Brooklyn still has 18 players on standard deals now that Ziaire Williams and Day'Ron Sharpe have officially signed the contracts they agreed upon earlier in the summer.

That leaves Brooklyn with three players it needs to waive. Trades could also be in order, especially if another team needs a veteran or extra player in exchange for draft capital. Either way, the Nets need to get to the limit before the start of the season. Players at major risk of being cut include Tyrese Martin, Drew Timme, Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson.

The Nets' Salary Cap Situation

While the Nets are over the roster limit at the moment, they're actually still under the salary floor, an extreme rarity. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement states that the minimum salary a team can spend is $139.182 million. Right now, Brooklyn is slightly below that, but it still has to make cuts.

So after the Williams signing, Brooklyn Nets are $649K beneath the salary floor BUT they’ll have to waive three players so in reality they’re about $7.3M beneath it. (I think.)
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) September 9, 2025

Any team below the floor won’t receive the end-of-season luxury tax distribution of $11.5 million, while part of that team's cap room will also be frozen. The Nets wouldn't get as severe a punishment as a team over the first or second apron, but it's important for them to have all of their financial assets during the rebuild.

According to NetsDaily, Brooklyn is about $649,000 below the floor. Looking beyond 2026, the Nets will have an immense amount of money to spend, which could be huge if and when a major star hits the market.

Overall, the Nets still have some issues to smooth out before the start of the season, but the team is set up for a bright future with all of its young assets, draft capital and cap space.

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

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