Nets Decline Rookie Extension for Noah Clowney

Overview

• Brooklyn declined to offer Noah Clowney a rookie-scale extension, so he will play this season on a one-year, $5.4 million prove-it deal and enter restricted free agency next summer.
• Head coach Jordi Fernández praised Clowney's consistency and said the forward can help the team if he sustains that play in the regular season.
• Clowney accepts a reduced role with Julius Randle penciled in at power forward and is expected to start fewer games than he did last year.
• A strong preseason showed efficient shooting and a team-best plus/minus but also highlighted a weakness in rebounding that the Nets want him to fix.
• The move fits Brooklyn's recent pattern of short, performance-based contracts and leaves the team able to match any offer Clowney receives in June, making his season a clear audition for a longer deal.