Should the Nets pursue Pistons’ Ausar Thompson via trade this summer?

The Brooklyn Nets head into this offseason with loads of selections to make, particularly because it pertains to the 2026 NBA Draft and the way they construct the roster from there. Brooklyn continues to be in the early phases of its rebuild, however subsequent season may very well be the 12 months for them to attempt to make the postseason. Could a defensive stalwart be what the Nets purchase this summer time?

“Ausar Thompson goes to be extension-eligible and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. That’s not somebody the Detroit Pistons will give [a]means,” Dan Favale wrote for Bleacher Report. Favale’s article proposes three gamers that every NBA staff might pursue this offseason via trade and Thompson is one among the gamers he steered for Brooklyn given the staff’s latest defensive struggles.

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“With that said, he’s sometimes found himself on the outskirts of the closing lineup. If Detroit flames out of the postseason earlier than expected, he could hit the chopping block as it pursues bigger-time offensive upgrades,” Favale continued. As Favale identified, Thompson is eligible for a contract extension after this season ends, however the Pistons have already picked up his $11.1 million membership possibility for the 2026-27 marketing campaign.

Thompson, 23had one among his finest seasons in the NBA this 12 months as he averaged 9.9 factors, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a pair of.0 steals per sport whereas taking pictures 52.5% from the discipline and 25.0% from behind the three-point line. While Thompson’s taking pictures is presently the greatest weak spot in his sport, he can just about do all the pieces else on the ground, much like his twin brother, Amen, with the Houston Rockets.

The Nets might be one among the few groups this summer time to have loads of cash to spend in a wide range of methods and a type of methods may very well be including somebody with the kind of defensive resume that Thompson has. Granted, that can rely upon whether or not Detroit is prepared to trade Thompson after the season the staff had this 12 months, but when they’re prepared to alter their roster, Brooklyn common supervisor Sean Marks might do some exploration on buying Thompson.

This article initially appeared on Nets Wire: Should the Nets pursue Pistons’ Ausar Thompson via trade this summer?