The Brooklyn Nets have been eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
A first-round exit can only be seen as a shortcoming for a team that entered this season with championship aspirations. At the start of the year, the Nets (+230) were overwhelming favorites to win the 2022 NBA championship, per Basketball-Reference.
It was a chaotic season in Brooklyn, between Kyrie Irving only being available as a part-time player until late March and James Harden being delt for Ben Simmons at the trade deadline.
The Nets still overcame that adversity to qualify for the postseason via the Play-In Tournament, but they met their match in the first round against a tenacious Celtics defense that shut down Kevin Durant.
Where do the Nets go from here? Take a look at their upcoming free agents, contracts, draft picks and biggest question heading into the offseason.
All salaries are from Spotrac.
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Nets upcoming free agents
The Nets' No. 1 priority will be signing Kyrie Irving to a contract extension, but they have more than a handful of other key role players set to enter free agency in some capacity.
Bruce Brown was a major factor in the playoffs as a jack-of-all-trades, versatile defender. He is set to hit unrestricted free agency along with a slew of veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic.
The Nets will have to be prepared to match some offers on former second-round pick Nicolas Claxton, who also made his presence felt in the postseason as an athletic rim protector.
Lastly, reserve guard Patty Mills has a player option worth $6 million for next season.
| Unrestricted free agents | Restricted free agents | Player option | Team option |
| Bruce Brown | Nicolas Claxton | Kyrie Irving | None |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | David Duke Jr. | Patty Mills | |
| Blake Griffin | |||
| Andre Drummond | |||
| Goran Dragic |
Nets future salaries, roster
| Players | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| Kevin Durant | $44.1 million | $47.7 million | $51.2 million |
| Kyrie Irving | $36.9 million (PO) | UFA | |
| Ben Simmons | $33 million | $37.9 million | $40.3 million |
| Joe Harris | $17.4 million | $18.6 million | $19.9 million |
| Seth Curry | $8.2 million | $8.5 million | UFA |
| Patty Mills | $5.9 million | $6.2 million | UFA |
| Cameron Thomas | $2 million | $2.1 million | $2.2 million (TO) |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | $2 million | $2.1 million | $2.2 million (TO) |
PO = Player option
TO = Team Option
CH = Cap hold
RFA = Restricted free agency
UFA = Unrestricted free agency
Nets 2022 NBA Draft picks
There is a chance the Nets will not have a pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Their first-round pick will go to the Rockets as a result of the trade to acquire James Harden last season and their second-round pick will go to the Pistons as a result of a salary dump trade that sent DeAndre Jordan to Detroit.
When Brooklyn sent Harden to the 76ers, they were given an option to acquire Philadelphia's first-round pick in 2022 or 2023 – whichever it prefers.
If the Nets elect to wait until 2023 to collect the 76ers' first-round pick, they will have no picks in this year's draft.
One burning question
Will the Nets and Kyrie Irving reach an agreement on a contract extension?
The Nets' biggest priority of the offseason is clear: get Kyrie Irving back in Brooklyn on a new contract.
Irving has a player option worth $36.9 million this offseason that he will almost certainly decline in hopes of signing a new long-term deal. Once he declines that player option, Irving will become an unrestricted free agent.
While that could open the door for other teams to pursue Irving, the All-Star guard made his intentions clear a few weeks back.
"For me, it has always been about being comfortable and loving where I'm at. I love it here. Once that summer time hits, I know we'll have some conversations, but there's no way I could leave my man 7 anywhere," Irving said back in March, referring to Kevin Durant and his jersey number.
"For me, our team sentiment is we want to build a legacy here and have something sustainable," Irving continued. "Not just put this together real quick and then see what happens. But we're going to do our best."
After the Nets fell to the Celtics in Game 4, Irving once again pledged his plan to stay with the Nets.
"When I say I'm here with Kev, I think that really entails us managing this franchise together alongside (owner) Joe (Tsai) and (general manager) Sean (Marks)," Irving stated.
Irving will be eligible for a five-year, $245.6 million deal with the Nets if doesn't pick up his player option for the 2022-23 season, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac.
Another option for Irving is opting out of his contract and signing a four-year, $189.7 million extension with the Nets that would begin in 2022-23. He could also pick up his $36.9 million player option for 2022-23 and sign a three-year extension or four-year extension that would begin in 2023-24, but that would cost him some money next season.
If Irving chooses to leave the Nets, he could join another team on a four-year, $182.1 million contract, per Smith.
