The Brooklyn Nets have a lot on their plate this offseason, and one of the more intriguing questions is whether D’Angelo Russell deserves another run in Brooklyn.
The Nets are trying to build something fresh around a young group that now includes Julius Randle, Mikel Brown Jr. and others, with an eye on getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2023. That’s the broad mission. But tucked inside that bigger picture is a familiar name, and a familiar debate.
Russell’s first Brooklyn stint still holds a special place for plenty of fans. The 2019 season, when he made his lone All-Star team and helped push the Nets back into the playoffs, remains one of the more well-liked stretches in the team’s recent history.
Since then, Brooklyn’s playoff story has been pretty uneven. The 2021 run ended one Kevin Durant shoe size away from an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, but the other five most recent postseason trips all ended in first-round exits.
Brooklyn already brought Russell back once during the 2024-25 season, acquiring him in a midseason trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. But because the Nets were deep in rebuild mode, he never really got the kind of runway to impact winning the way he once did there. He had some fun moments, but the larger picture was always bigger than him.
Now he’s at another turning point. Russell is currently with the Memphis Grizzlies, though his time there sounds likely to be brief. Reports throughout the summer have pointed toward him not suiting up in Memphis, whether that ends in a trade or a move to free agency.
That’s what makes Brooklyn at least worth considering again. If the Nets are hoping to channel some of the feel of that 2019 season, Russell is one of the few players on the market who can connect directly to that memory.
Bringing back a fan favorite just for nostalgia wouldn’t make much sense. But there is a basketball argument here, too.
Russell is heading into his 12th NBA season, and the fit could help both sides. Brooklyn could lean on his experience to support young guards like Brown and Egor Demin. At the same time, Russell is staring at a moment where his place in the league feels uncertain, and a productive stretch as a veteran presence on a competitive Nets team could be exactly what keeps his career moving.
Whether the interest exists on either side is another question. But a third chapter in Brooklyn is at least possible, and it’s now part of the conversation.
In Other News...
Nets Rebuild Suddenly Looks Stronger Than A Lot Of Fans Realize
The Nets rebuild has quietly put them in an enviable position, even if the roster still looks like a work in progress on the floor. Brooklyn is sitting on a deep stash of future draft capital, with 12 first-round picks between 2027 and 2033 and a possible extra one from Philadelphia, plus a load of second-rounders that gives the front office real flexibility when the time comes to reshape the roster.
That kind of inventory matters because it can be turned into either more young talent or a proven upgrade when the next stage of the build arrives. Brooklyn also has veterans such as Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle in the mix, which gives the Nets more than one path forward if they choose to swing big later rather than stay patient with the long game. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Are About To See Brooklyns First Real Test Map
The Nets have already checked off one of the biggest boxes of their offseason by trading for forward Julius Randle, but the calendar still feels a little unfinished until the league drops the full 2026-27 schedule. Brooklyn knows its preseason slate and can keep building toward camp, yet the real blueprint for the season is still coming into focus as the NBA is expected to release the complete schedule next week, according to insider Marc Stein.
For a team trying to turn offseason moves into something more tangible, the schedule matters almost as much as the roster. It shows when the first heavy stretch arrives, how soon the new-look group gets tested, and where the long road trips and home stands might shape the early rhythm of the year. Until then, the Nets can only prepare in broad strokes while waiting for the matchups that will tell the real story of how this season is likely to unfold. [Read more 🡒]