The Brooklyn Nets are still in the early stages of their rebuild as they’re looking to find that franchise player that can bring them back to playoff contention sooner rather than later. Brooklyn selected five players in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft this summer, but it’s fair to wonder how close the Nets are to having long-term success from this point forward.
“With the front office under general manager Sean Marks, the Nets are opting to maximize player development, reshape the roster and position themselves for top lottery odds next year,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote when discussing why the Nets rank second among five teams with the most draft capital. Brooklyn has taken care of maintaining salary-cap flexibility and draft capital, but getting the players is still the most important factor.
“The 2026 draft looms large for Brooklyn for two reasons: the star power atop the class could transform the franchise; however, the Nets owe a 2027 pick swap to the Houston Rockets, presenting an inflection point in the trajectory of this rebuild,” Woo continued. “Because the Nets don’t control their 2027 first-rounder, next offseason — in which they’ll again be heavy on cap space and flexibility — presents an obvious opportunity to accelerate the roster back into playoff contention.”
According to ESPN, the Nets have 13 incoming first-round picks and 19 second-round picks and the 2032 first-round pick they acquired from the Denver Nuggets is considered one of their most valuable draft picks. Aside from the Michael Porter Jr. trade that gave Brooklyn a potential gold mine of a draft pick, ESPN also seems the Nets’ 2026 first-round pick to be their other most valuable pick.
The 2026 NBA Draft class is expected to be headlined by players like Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer, son of former NBA All-Star forward Carlos Boozer. While Brooklyn is hoping that someone from their 2025 class can emerge as a franchise-level player, their long-term success could depend heavily on who they are in position to take in next year’s draft, given the circumstances.