The Brooklyn Nets spent the offseason trying to reset the direction of the franchise, but the moves they made don’t come with any guarantee of smoother sailing.
After a 20-win season, Brooklyn went into the summer with a clear urgency. The Nets do not control their 2027 first-round pick, so the front office has been working to improve the roster now rather than later.
The biggest swing came on draft night, when the team brought in Julius Randle. Brooklyn also used its lottery pick on guard Mikel Brown Jr., and both players are expected to step into the starting lineup.
On paper, that gives the Nets a couple of new faces with a chance to shape what comes next. Randle and Brown are supposed to be the catalysts for Brooklyn’s push back toward competitive basketball, and there is at least some optimism around what that could mean for a team trying to get back to the postseason while developing younger talent.
But the gap between offseason hope and actual results can be brutal, and Brooklyn is still working with much of the same core that went 20-62. If the new pieces take time to mesh, the first few months could get messy fast. Randle and Brown could make the lineup feel awkward instead of improved, and that kind of early clunkiness would leave the Nets digging out of a hole before the season really settles in.
That matters because a bad start could change the whole tone of the year. If Brooklyn falls behind in the standings, the front office could also become more open to selling at the trade deadline.
Michael Porter Jr. is in a contract year, and Randle could be viewed as the kind of player another team might want as a missing piece. If the season starts going sideways, the Nets may decide to cash in on veteran talent.
That’s why a worse season than last year is not some wild long shot. Brooklyn is already expected by most to miss the playoffs, and if the roster takes a real talent hit midseason, the Nets could wind up chasing a number lower than 20 wins. That would be a rough outcome in any year, but especially in one where they don’t control their own pick.
The market is already flashing some skepticism. Brooklyn’s preseason win total is 24.5, which is the second-lowest in the league, behind only the Sacramento Kings. So if oddsmakers are already leaning toward the Nets finishing near the bottom of the East, and if a midseason sell-off becomes part of the story, slipping below last season’s 20 wins is very much on the table.
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Nets Fans Have One Big Reason To Watch Mikel Brown Jr
Brooklyn fans getting ready for the first look at Mikel Brown Jr. have a real reason to keep him on their radar. The rookie guard, taken sixth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, is heading into his first training camp with a reputation that already stretches beyond his age, and part of that comes from the work he has done away from the floor as much as on it. Former NBA point guard Rajon Rondo has been helping guide Brown through film study and the finer points of reading the game, a valuable head start for a young guard stepping into the league.
Brown arrives after one season at Louisville, where he showed he could carry a major offensive load while also running an offense. He also had to fight through a back injury that limited his college season, which makes his camp debut even more worth watching for the Nets as they learn what kind of shape and rhythm he brings to Brooklyn. The talent is obvious, but the bigger question now is how quickly that skill set translates once the pace, pressure and detail of the NBA start piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Egor Dmin Might Be Ready For The Nets Leap Fans Need
Egor Dmins rookie season offered enough glimpses to make Brooklyn pay attention, but his Summer League run added a more compelling layer to the conversation. He looked more assertive there, averaging 21 points per game and playing with a sharper edge than he had before, the kind of growth that usually gets a front office and coaching staff thinking about what comes next.
He has also spent the offseason adding physical strength, a move that should matter when the games get tighter and the contact gets heavier. Summer League success does not promise a regular-season breakout, of course, but Dmin appears to be trending toward the kind of second-year leap the Nets could use if his more aggressive approach carries over. [Read more 🡒]
Julius Randle Already Sounds Invested In The Nets New Direction
Julius Randles arrival in Brooklyn is one of the clearest signs yet that the Nets are trying to reset the tone around the franchise. After moving on from Nicolas Claxton in the 2026 offseason, the team brought in the veteran forward with an eye toward adding experience, stability and a little more edge to a roster that wants to be taken seriously again.
Randle has already sounded comfortable in his new setting, speaking positively about his time with the Nets and the way he has connected with the community. For a team looking to climb back into contention, that kind of buy-in matters almost as much as production, and Brooklyn is hoping Randle can help set the standard as the Nets try to become more competitive with a new cast around him. [Read more 🡒]