The Nets are trying to do two things at once, and that’s where the tension lives. Brooklyn wants its young players to grow, but it also brought in Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. to give the roster more punch. Those goals don’t always line up.
Brooklyn’s last playoff team has been stripped down to one holdover: Day’Ron Sharpe. The franchise made the postseason in 2023 with Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, then tore things down a few months later by trading Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Suns.
Bridges and Johnson were the centerpiece returns in those moves, along with a pile of draft capital. Neither is in Brooklyn now, and the Nets are deep into a rebuild.
Bridges later landed the Knicks’ first-round picks, while Johnson was moved for Porter and another first-rounder. Porter gave Brooklyn a jolt before his season ended, showing the kind of high-end scoring that can pop when a player gets more freedom on a young team.
Then came Randle. Minnesota dumped his salary so it could get LaMelo Ball, and Brooklyn wound up with a veteran scorer the front office presumably hoped would stabilize a young group. But one scout didn’t sound sold on the fit.
“Brooklyn has a couple of the young kids that are interesting. Mikel Brown Jr., I'll be interested to see what he can do.
If Egor Dëmin takes a jump, that'll be interesting,” an anonymous scout told Sports Illustrated. “The thing that I don't understand is you bring in Randle and you have Porter, I know you're trying to win some games, but those guys aren't going to help your young guys develop, which is critical for your team.
Those guys are about themselves. So it's not like they're going to be helping those guys along to make them better.
And I don't know. I didn't get the Randle trade at all.”
Brown is one of the big reasons this roster is worth watching. The Louisville guard went No. 6 overall, with Brooklyn choosing him over Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings and Brayden Burries, all of whom went within the next four picks. That decision could matter a lot depending on how the group turns out.
Dëmin was the No. 8 pick in the 2025 draft, and he may be the most intriguing young piece in the building. Brooklyn had five first-round picks last year, including four guards if you count Drake Powell the way the team does. Dëmin was already building momentum before his rookie season ended in early March, and the scout came away encouraged by what he saw.
“I thought Dëmin had a good summer. He played Summer League, which is impressive for a guy that played a ton of games this year,” the scout said.
“His shooting really translates. He can really shoot the ball.
He's got size, can handle and pass. I don't think he's a point guard.
I think he's just a ballhandling wing. And if they use him that way, I think it'll benefit him.
“So he doesn't have the pressure of having to bring the ball up, now having another creator that can create some shots for him could help, but Julius, he throws some crazy ass passes, so I don't know if that'll help. And I'll be interested to see if Brown can do some of that too and they can play off of each other. I just feel like there are a lot of mismatched pieces on that roster.”
Brooklyn is clearly trying to walk a fine line. The new anti-tanking rules make the old bottom-out strategy tougher to pull off, so the Nets are hoping Randle and Porter can lift the floor without derailing the development of Brown, Dëmin and the rest of the young group. That balance will shape the season.
There were other moves, too. Keon Ellis was a useful free-agent addition who should help on the perimeter, and Nic Claxton was sent to the Bulls in the Randle trade.
That deal made Sharpe’s place even more important. The 24-year-old signed a two-year, $20 million contract with a team option for 2027-28, and with Claxton gone, he gets a real chance to establish himself as Brooklyn’s center of the future.
The Nets went 20-62 last season, finishing third-worst in the league ahead of only the Pacers and the Wizards. They should be better with Randle, who averaged 21.1 points per game last season with the Wolves.
Put him next to Porter and Brooklyn’s floor rises. But that still doesn’t make this a team built to contend in a loaded Eastern Conference.
So the question hanging over the Nets is simple: can they get some wins without sacrificing the growth of the players who actually matter long term? Dëmin, Brown and even Nolan Traoré should make this team interesting, but the real test is whether those reps come in a setting that helps, not hurts, their development.
In Other News...
Egor Demin Is Giving The Nets A Reason To Watch Closely
Egor Demin has already given the Nets a little something to monitor as the season takes shape, and it starts with the way he talks about his role. The young guard-forward has made clear he wants to help in whatever way the team needs, whether that means handling the ball or working alongside another creator, and he has framed his approach around winning rather than chasing numbers. For a Brooklyn group still sorting through its long-term pieces, that kind of flexibility is exactly the sort of trait that can make a prospect stand out.
Coach Jordi Fernndez has noticed the progress, too, pointing to how much Demin has improved since last year and how his voice is starting to carry more weight. That matters for a Nets team looking for players who can grow into bigger responsibilities without needing everything scripted for them. Demin is not the only young player around the league drawing attention for versatility, but in Brooklyn, his development has started to feel like one of the more relevant storylines to keep an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Are Still Waiting For The First Real Mikel Brown Jr. Look
Mikel Brown Jr. arrived in Brooklyn with the kind of profile that usually gets a fan base dreaming quickly. The No. 6 pick has already drawn praise inside the organization for his leadership and the way he plays, and the Nets see him as a point guard who can help organize the offense with both scoring and passing. He has also been grinding through a demanding daily routine as he works to add the strength needed for NBA contact, a reminder that even top picks often need time before the league fully reveals them.
For now, though, Nets fans are still waiting for their first real look at him in game action. Brown Jr. has been recovering from a rolled ankle, and his participation in the upcoming preseason game is uncertain, which leaves his debut on hold a little longer than anyone around the team probably hoped. The anticipation is part of the process with a young guard like this, but Brooklyn would like to start seeing the shape of what it drafted, especially with preseason opportunities beginning to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Egor Demin Is Forcing A Real Nets Rotation Conversation
Egor Demin has spent Nets training camp and the early preseason making himself part of the conversation, and that alone is a meaningful step after an uneven rookie season. The young guard has shown more comfort, more versatility and a better feel for how Brooklyn wants to play, enough for the coaching staff to note real progress as he works to carve out a larger role.
For a team still sorting out its rotation, Demins growth adds another layer to the decisions ahead. Brooklyn is experimenting with different lineup combinations in the preseason as it looks for ways to maximize spacing and flexibility, and that kind of tinkering can open doors for players who keep stacking good days. The question now is whether Demins momentum holds once the games start to count and the Nets have to settle on who fits where. [Read more 🡒]