The Brooklyn Nets are drawing a fresh round of attention after an offseason that gave the roster a different look and, in some eyes, a better one.
That’s part of why The Ringer’s Michael Pina slotted Brooklyn at No. 24 in his preseason NBA rankings on Monday. He said he likes what the Nets have done, but also pointed to one move that could change everything.
“...my cautious optimism will disappear if Michael Porter Jr. gets moved before the February trade deadline,” Pina wrote. “Brooklyn’s best player is currently eligible for an extension; if Nets general manager Sean Marks doesn’t want to make an offer both sides can agree upon, this team will lose one of the league’s top off-ball scorers for nothing.
Porter should’ve been an All-Star last season.”
Porter was Brooklyn’s only player to average more than 20 points per game last season, and he took on a bigger load in his first year as the team’s No. 1 option. He has made it clear he wants to remain with the Nets long term, but the two sides still haven’t found common ground.
The offseason addition of Julius Randle gives Brooklyn a new scoring partner for Porter, and the pairing should give the Nets more balance. Randle brings a physical style that can open up cleaner off-ball chances for Porter, especially in catch-and-shoot situations.
“Julius Randle, warts and all, will look like Wilt Chamberlain when he’s compared to last season’s frontcourt rotation,” Pina wrote.
That’s a big swing in language, but the point is hard to miss: Randle raises the floor. He gives Brooklyn another player who can create offense, even if the fit comes with some rough edges.
During his time in Minnesota, Randle’s heavy ball usage sometimes led to poor shots and drives that didn’t make much sense. With more help around him in Brooklyn, some of that pressure should ease.
Randle has sounded upbeat about his new home, saying he believes this year’s team will outplay the expectations attached to it. If he reaches an All-Star level, he’d become only the second player, along with Michael Ray Richardson, to make an All-Star Game with both the Nets and the New York Knicks.
Pina also highlighted Day’Ron Sharpe, who is set for his first season as a full-time starter. With Nic Claxton moved to bring in Randle, Sharpe now takes on the role of Brooklyn’s main interior defender and rebounder.
“The frontcourt seems thin (and is), but lineups that feature MPJ, Randle, and Day’Ron Sharpe shouldn’t have an issue rebounding the ball,” Pina wrote.
Sharpe flashed plenty of production in his bench role last season, posting 17 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists per 36 minutes. Those numbers are not a blueprint for what Brooklyn should expect this year, but they do show what he can bring when given a bigger role.
If the backcourt settles in and Randle and Porter mesh the way Brooklyn hopes, the Nets could end up being more dangerous than their No. 24 ranking suggests.
In Other News...
How An Old Nets Salary Dump Just Paid Off Again
The Nets found another bit of value from a deal that dates back to 2018, when a salary-clearing move involving Jeremy Lin sent out a second-round pick that eventually worked its way back into Brooklyns hands. In the 2026 NBA Draft, that same pick became Tyler Bilodeau, the 6-foot-8 UCLA forward whose game fits the modern profile the organization keeps targeting.
Bilodeau signed a two-way contract, giving Brooklyn a low-cost look at a player expected to help with shooting and positional flexibility. For a team that has leaned on clever roster management for years, it is a reminder that even an old transaction can still shape the next wave of development, especially when the return is a forward who can stretch the floor and add versatility on the margins. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Just Got A Reminder About One Recent Roster Cut
The Raptors latest roster move offered a familiar kind of reminder for Nets fans: a recently cut guard is already finding his next opportunity. Toronto has converted Jaden Bradleys two-way deal into a standard NBA contract, a multi-year agreement that reflects how quickly teams can reshape the back end of a roster when they believe a young player has earned a longer look.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, is seeing a name it just let go pop right back into the league picture. Malachi Smith, who was waived by the Nets recently, is expected to slide into the two-way opening left by Bradley in Toronto, giving him another chance to stick after Brooklyn moved on. For the Nets, it is another small roster note, but the kind that tends to linger when a player leaves one situation and lands in another almost immediately. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Training Camp Will Reveal If This Roster Can Actually Fit
Brooklyns training camp is set to be less about a playoff push and more about figuring out what this roster can become. For the Nets, the real value lies in player development, with Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle both in position to show what they can bring while also setting themselves up for future contract talks.
Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. give the camp a different kind of urgency, since both are trying to sharpen their games and adjust to the speed and physicality of NBA competition. If the Nets are going to make any real progress this season, it will start with how quickly those players build chemistry and how well the pieces begin to fit together. [Read more 🡒]