The Brooklyn Nets have made some interesting moves this offseason following a 2024-25 campaign in which the team finished with a disappointing 26-56 record in the first year of the rebuild. One of the moves that Brooklyn made this summer was acquiring forward Haywood Highsmith from the Miami Heat via trade, but there seems to be a chance that Highsmith won’t finish the season with the Nets.
“It’s also almost impossible to see a world where he’s in Brooklyn past the trade deadline, much less next summer…Some contender will surely be looking to add in February. A wing defender on a $5.6 million expiring deal could look pretty good,” Brian Lewis of the New York Post wrote. Highsmith is slated to be one of the wings that sees playing time in Brooklyn at the forward spot, but he could be more useful on a contender.
“It’s no secret that his new team has no plans to be competitive this season,” NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line earlier this summer. “And Brooklyn’s phone certainly figures to ring with interest in Highsmith, who has shown strong 3-and-D potential when healthy and already possesses some valuable postseason experience. The 28-year-old is also crucially scheduled to earn a modest $5.6 million this season, which would make him a comfortable addition for a contender in need of such attributes.”
Highsmith, 28, is coming off a 2024-25 season with the Heat in which he averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 38.2% from three-point land in 74 games played. As Fischer and Lewis noted, Highsmith is under contract for this upcoming season for $5.6 million, meaning that his expiring contract wouldn’t be hard to move at the trade deadline.
As of this writing, the Nets are at the maximum of 21 players that they can bring to training camp that begins next week after trading for Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin and waiving center David Muoka on Tuesday. Just at the small forward position, Highsmith will be competing with Michael Porter Jr., Ziaire Williams, Tyrese Martin, and Drake Powell for playing time this season.