The Brooklyn Nets may have Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle in the mix, but around the league, they still don’t look like a team ready to crash the NBA’s top tier this season.
That’s why the conversation around Brooklyn keeps circling back to the same place: the Nets still need the kind of star who can change everything. Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. might grow into a strong backcourt, but the roster, as it stands, does not appear to have the one player who can push it into true championship territory.
ESPN’s Ben Golliver laid out the path he expects Brooklyn to take.
"The NBA's lottery reform will expose Brooklyn's lack of top-end talent and cripple its hopes of building primarily through the draft," ESPN's Ben Golliver wrote. "In turn, the Nets will get bored of rebuilding and make an all-in play for a superstar during one of the next two summers. This is just the natural life cycle for Brooklyn, which sold the farm for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013 and landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019."
That idea fits the current landscape well. In the apron era, teams are more careful than ever about committing major money to aging stars or players who don’t look like MVP-level difference-makers. More front offices are choosing depth and flexibility over splashy bets.
Brooklyn, though, has the draft capital to keep dreaming. The Nets are loaded with first-round picks, even after using five of them in one draft in 2025. Still, the source of hope is thin right now: among those selections, only Demin has shown real promise as someone who could become a dependable rotation piece on the next contender.
That is part of the reason the long game through the draft may not be the cleanest answer for Brooklyn.
Most picks never become centerpiece NBA players anyway. Plenty settle into journeyman careers, and plenty more end up finding their best basketball overseas.
And while swinging big for a superstar is never a guarantee, the league keeps reminding everyone that championships are usually built around that kind of player. A role guy can swing a game. A superstar swings the whole season.
Brooklyn’s last run at a title window is a reminder of how quickly things can go the right way - or fall apart before they do.
In Other News...
Nets May Revisit A Familiar Veteran If Their Push Stays Alive
The Nets search for help next season could end up circling back to a very familiar name. Brook Lopez, who remains the franchises all-time leading scorer, is the kind of veteran presence Brooklyn could value if it wants more steadiness and leadership around a roster trying to climb out of recent struggles.
Lopez is still with the Clippers for now, but his situation could make him a candidate to monitor if the season moves toward the middle and the market shifts. A trade or buyout would open the door for Brooklyn, though nothing has been decided, and for the moment the idea is only that the Nets may have reason to revisit a former cornerstone if their push stays alive. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Scorer Sounds Far More Confident About This Season Than Fans Expected
The Nets have spent the offseason trying to shore up both ends of the floor, bringing in Julius Randle for the front court and rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr. to add another option in the backcourt. The moves give Brooklyn a different look around its roster, and they also put more attention on how the teams top pieces fit together as training camp approaches.
Michael Porter Jr. sounds as if he sees a much bigger ceiling than the outside chatter would suggest, saying the group can beat expectations and even push toward 50 wins. His fit with Randle is part of the intrigue, since their games should complement each other, and the same goes for the encouraging early buzz around Egor Dmin and some of the bench depth that could determine whether Brooklyn turns optimism into something more concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rebuild Looks Better On Paper But One Doubt Still Lingers
ESPNs latest futures rankings give the Nets a modest boost, slotting them 24th in the league three years from now after finishing 27th in last years outlook. It is a small step, but it reflects the basic shape of Brooklyns rebuild: plenty of draft capital, flexibility on the salary sheet and a roster that is still being built around recent first-round picks rather than proven win-now pieces.
Julius Randle adds a short-term lift to that picture, but he does not fully answer the bigger questions hanging over the franchise. His arrival helps the Nets look better on paper, yet there is still uncertainty about whether his recent performance fits the timeline Brooklyn is trying to follow, or whether the organization is asking its young core to grow up faster than the standings suggest. [Read more 🡒]