Noah Clowney is among the Brooklyn Nets players with the most at stake this season. The 2023 first-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and hasn't received an extension. To earn a new deal, he'll need to prove his worth after two inconsistent seasons as a full-time rotation member.
While his future with the Nets is up in the air, Clowney isn't concerned about his contract status entering 2026-27.
“Ain't nothing changing,” he said at Media Day about his mindset. “Try to get better and win games. Keep it simple, keep the main thing the main thing. All the other stuff ain't part of my job description. I play basketball.”
Clowney's inconsistency on both ends has raised questions about his long-term viability as a rotation piece. However, the 6-foot-9 forward has shown flashes of capable three-point shooting and defense since the Nets selected him No. 21 in the 2023 draft. He made strides as an interior scorer and foul-drawer last season, areas where he struggled in prior years.
Clowney carried over that improvement to this preseason. He averaged 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 9-of-15 from three (60.0 percent) in 20.8 minutes per game across four appearances.
“[Noah's] just steady. He's been consistent so far, the whole training camp, all these preseason games. I'm very proud of him,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said following Monday's win over the Washington Wizards. “You see him with 15 points. We're challenging him to rebound, but he had four assists and zero turnovers. That's pretty impressive. He's just been very good. Not too high, not too low. He's always ready, and that's the Noah Clowney that we need because we know that he makes a lot of winning plays.”
Clowney started 60 games for the Nets during their tanking 2025-26 campaign.
Noah Clowney attempting to lock down new contract, long-term role with Nets
The Alabama product averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 27.0 minutes. He improved significantly as a two-point scorer, converting 50.6 percent of his attempts after shooting 41.4 percent the year prior. Clowney also got to the free-throw line much more often, attempting 6.2 per 100 possessions compared to 3.8 per 100 in 2024-25.
However, his three-point struggles continued to drag down his efficiency. Clowney attempted 62.1 percent of his shots from three but converted just 32.9 percent. His defense and rebounding also left much to be desired for extended stretches.
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“To be honest, being a better defender,” Clowney said. “You bring in more people who are going to have the ball on the offensive end, things like that. So if you want to get the minutes, [you need to] do what you do better than the others. That's the reality. So guarding, making the shots when they come, not forcing, keeping the offense flowing, simple stuff. I mean, obviously [I worked on my] all-around [game], but roles are going to change. That's a given. I'm probably not going to shoot as many shots as I shot last year. We all know that. But [I want to] shoot better shots and keep the offense going. When your opportunity comes, make the most of it. That type of vibe.”
Clowney appears to have a rotation spot locked in for the start of the year. However, he'll face tight competition for minutes in a crowded Nets frontcourt throughout the season.
Randle and Michael Porter Jr. are penciled in as Brooklyn's starting forwards. Clowney will fill a key role with the Nets' second unit to start the season. However, the Nets also have Chaney Johnson, Danny Wolf, Josh Minott and Joshua Jefferson in the forward room.