The Brooklyn Nets may not be done stocking the cupboard just yet.
After a 20-62 season in 2025-26, Brooklyn spent the 2026 offseason trying to upgrade the roster, including a trade for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. But there’s still a sense around the league that the Nets are keeping their bigger swing for later.
“As one NBA decision maker recently told me, Nets are still gathering assets and 'at some point, they’ll push all their chips to the middle of the table.' That process will require resolve for ownership and management and patience for fans,” NetsDaily wrote on X on Wednesday.
That idea tracks with the path Brooklyn has taken since trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving after the 2022-23 season. The Nets have spent the last few years piling up draft capital and staying positioned to chase star talent when the chance opens up. Along the way, they’ve also made moves to add established pieces, including Michael Porter Jr. and now Randle.
Right now, Brooklyn is sitting on at least 12 first-round picks between 2027 and 2033. That gives the franchise the kind of trade ammo needed to make a serious bid for difference-makers if and when they become available.
For now, general manager Sean Marks appears to be staying patient and waiting for the right opening. The Nets are also preserving salary cap flexibility, which would leave them room to pursue major free agents if those players decide they want a new home.
And if Brooklyn really does land in the group of teams expected to struggle in 2026-27, that could change the timeline. If that happens, the Nets could decide to go all-in sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Egor Demin Is Already Giving Nets Fans A Real National Debate
Egor Demin has already become one of the more interesting names on the Nets radar after a solid rookie season and a strong summer league showing that hinted at how much his game can keep expanding. He looked comfortable as a scorer and creator in Las Vegas, and for Brooklyn there is obvious appeal in a young guard who can handle the ball, contribute in multiple ways and still project as a shooter.
Still, the wider basketball conversation is not nearly as settled. HoopsHypes projected top-27 shooting guards list for the 2026-27 season left Demin out entirely, slotting him outside the top 30 and inviting the kind of debate that usually follows a young Net when national evaluators and local optimism do not line up. The shooting remains the swing point, especially after his three-point percentage dipped in summer league, and it is the sort of early-career tension that can define how quickly the league buys into him. [Read more 🡒]
Julius Randle Just Became Brooklyns Biggest Rebuild Test
The Nets summer overhaul brought a new centerpiece to Brooklyn, and it comes with both rsum and responsibility. Julius Randle arrived from Minnesota in the deal that sent Nic Claxton to Chicago, giving Jordi Fernandez a proven veteran forward to help shape what comes next. Fernandez has already sounded upbeat about what Randle can bring, and the fit is easy to understand for a team trying to reset its direction without losing sight of competitiveness.
Randle, who posted 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last season with the Timberwolves, has also made it clear he is eager for the change of scenery. He spoke about joining the Nets during Las Vegas Summer League, which only adds to the sense that this is more than a simple roster move. For Brooklyn, the question now is whether Randle becomes the stabilizing force of a rebuild or the player around whom the next hard decisions get made. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Draft Class Enters Camp With Brooklyn Facing Real Pressure
Brooklyns summer was defined as much by opportunity as by uncertainty, with the Nets using the 2025 NBA Draft to add five first-round picks while trying to keep one eye on the present and another on the future. The franchise is heading toward the 2026-27 season with a clear mandate to win and develop younger players, and that balance puts extra weight on this first wave of newcomers as camp approaches.
Egor Demin has drawn the most attention so far, thanks to his summer league showing, but he is hardly the only rookie under scrutiny. Around the league, the early read on Brooklyns draft class has been mixed, and the front offices approach has sparked debate for the same reason: several of these players will have to earn their place quickly if they want real minutes once training camp gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]