The Brooklyn Nets are heading into the 2026-27 season with a full schedule in hand, and the early read from around the league isn’t exactly flattering. Bleacher Report pegged Brooklyn for a 22-60 finish, a slight step up from last season’s 20-62 mark, but still squarely in the mix for one of the NBA’s worst records.
Andy Bailey summed up the mood around the team bluntly: "It might be hard to believe that one of the few teams contending for the league's worst record caused an internal struggle here," Bailey wrote of the Nets for Bleacher Report.
There is at least some offensive intrigue on the roster. Bailey pointed to Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and the young pieces in Egor Demin and Day'Ron Sharpe, but he also made clear that Brooklyn lacks much beyond that core when it comes to proven production.
"Twenty feels low for a team that will have Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and developing younger players Egor Demin and Day'Ron Sharpe, but there isn't much proven talent on the roster beyond that," Bailey continued. "And with the rest of the East beefing up over this summer, it's hard to find many other teams that are going to be shoved to the end of the standings."
Brooklyn’s likely starting five, at least as things stand now, includes rookie Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and Day'Ron Sharpe. The biggest offseason move was landing Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves, a deal that also sent center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls to make the numbers work.
The East may also be a tougher climb this season, with Bailey noting that LeBron James is joining the Philadelphia 76ers and Kawhi Leonard could potentially land with the Toronto Raptors in a trade. Even so, the Nets’ internal bar is simpler: be better than last year. If Brooklyn can get past 20 wins, that alone would count as progress.
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