Entering the 2025-26 season, there aren’t many expectations at all for the Brooklyn Nets. That comes with the growing pains and struggles of developing talent through a rebuild. However, there is relief in knowing the Nets are fully embracing it.
Brooklyn ushered in its next era of basketball through the 2025 NBA Draft. The team used all five of its first-round picks to bring it a mix of international and collegiate talent, headlined by Egor Demin.
The Nets still have some veterans lingering on the roster, and some exciting players in Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr. However, their futures are viewed with a grain of salt, as anyone could be traded at this point.
Many believe Brooklyn to end up with the worst record in the league. However, Law Murray of The Athletic slotted the Nets at No. 28 in his latest power rankings, rather than dead last.
“Brooklyn went to the NBA draft like LeBron James at a Miami Heat pep rally. How many first-round draft picks did they use? Not one! Not two! Not three! The Nets used all five of their picks, only one of which came in the lottery, and three of those picks were used on point guards,” Murray wrote.
“The lone lottery pick, Egor Demin, is off to a delayed start because of a plantar fascia tear. Now, I’m excited to see how Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr. commit to getting all the buckets they can get this season. But I’ll be shocked if anyone else on this team averages a dozen points per game.”
Brooklyn was predicted to finish 14th in the Eastern Conference. The two teams under the Nets in the power rankings? The Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz.
Regardless of the specific record or seed, the Nets should be in the basement of the league, but it’s for the best. They’re still vying for a franchise player after a summer of negotiations with Cam Thomas resulted in the youngster returning on the $6 million qualifying. Brooklyn clearly doesn’t value him enough to give him big money, which could result in his departure next summer.
Instead, the Nets will focus on the young core and their draft capital for the future. With a 2026 draft class featuring AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson and more, this is the time to rebuild and set yourself up for generational talent in June.