The Brooklyn Nets may have landed third on Bleacher Report’s “Worst Futures” list over the next three seasons, but the picture in Brooklyn is a lot more complicated than that ranking suggests.
Yes, the franchise is still digging out from the wreckage of the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden era. That group was once the headliner in Brooklyn, and Durant said it was the best team he ever played on. Injuries and COVID-19 cut that run short, and the aftermath has been ugly: since trading all three stars, the Nets have missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
The rebuild has brought its own kind of pain, too. Brooklyn has tanked for top picks to speed things up, only to watch the lottery turn cruel. In consecutive years, the Nets dropped out of the top four despite favorable odds, then ended up with Egor Dëmin eighth overall last year and Mikel Brown Jr. sixth overall this year.
Still, the idea that Brooklyn’s future belongs near the bottom of the league doesn’t fully line up with the assets Sean Marks has assembled. The general manager has a deep stockpile of first- and second-round picks, built by moving useful role players at the right time instead of overpaying to keep them. That draft chest gives him flexibility, whether he wants to chase another star or keep reworking the roster piece by piece.
Marks has already shown he’s willing to swing big. He tried to get involved when the Boston Celtics were hearing offers for Jaylen Brown, and Boston reportedly wanted at least four first-round picks in any deal. Brooklyn could have matched that price, but according to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, the Nets pulled back from a possible deal.
That same appetite for star talent could matter again if Brooklyn becomes a buyer at next season’s trade deadline.
For now, though, Marks has already added some needed stability this offseason. He traded for Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves and signed Keon Ellis and Moritz Wagner to two-year deals. Those moves give the roster a more seasoned backbone, something Brooklyn badly needs after finishing 20-62 last season.
Randle steps into a leadership role in his return to New York. Ellis fits as a 3-and-D guard. Wagner gives the Nets a backup center after Nicolas Claxton was sent to the Chicago Bulls.
Coach Jordi Fernández is also set up to work with a roster that looks more ready to compete right away. He’s familiar with Ellis from his time as associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings from 2022 to 2024, and he no longer has to spend the season experimenting with young players just to see what sticks.
So while the ranking is a brutal headline, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Brooklyn still has the draft capital, the flexibility and enough veteran help to move fast if the right opportunity opens up. The Nets’ future may not be clean, but it’s far from hopeless.
In Other News...
Long Island Nets Open A Path Brooklyn Fans Should Keep An Eye On
The Long Island Nets are once again giving local hoopers a real avenue into the pro game, with their 2026 local player tryout set for Sept. 13 at Long Island Universitys Post Campus. The event includes two sessions and a registration fee, but for players from the area, it is more than just an open gym. It is a legitimate chance to get noticed and potentially land a spot on the training camp roster.
Brooklyn fans have reasons to watch the process closely, because this program has already produced real opportunities for players like Jordan Minor, Terry Roberts and Craig Randall II. The G League route does not guarantee a breakthrough, but it has become one of the cleaner paths for overlooked talent to get into an organizations orbit, and the Long Island setup keeps that door open for one more group of hopefuls this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rebuild Just Put One Roster Debate Front And Center
The Nets offseason additions have put a familiar rebuilding issue back in focus: how much value Brooklyn wants to place on proven veterans while it tries to shape a longer-term identity. Julius Randle, Keon Ellis and Moe Wagner all bring different kinds of experience, and the front office is clearly leaning into a roster that can help stabilize a young group. For a team still in the middle of sorting out its direction, the question is less about talent than about fit, tone and how quickly the new pieces can mesh.
Coach Jordi Fernndez and Egor Dmin have both stressed character and culture as central parts of the process, which makes the early roster discussion feel bigger than just depth chart maneuvering. Michael Porter Jr. is also expected to stay in place at least until the trade deadline, giving Brooklyn a real shooting threat while the bigger questions around the roster continue to simmer. The Nets have added names that can help now, but the real debate is how they balance those short-term upgrades against the shape of the rebuild itself. [Read more 🡒]
Chaney Johnson Just Raised The Stakes For Brooklyns Young Core
Chaney Johnson is already looking past the usual summer noise and straight toward the 2026-27 season, when he wants to be in the mix for real NBA minutes and a standard contract. For a Nets team that spent the offseason trying to sharpen its offense by bringing in Julius Randle, Johnsons message adds another layer to a young core that has been asked to grow up quickly, and to do so while the outside projections still point toward another rough year.
Johnson didnt sound interested in waiting his turn or lowering the bar for himself. He talked about being ready and determined, and he pointed to the progress he has seen from teammates as Brooklyn tries to win more games, which is exactly the kind of internal push this roster needs if it is going to turn development into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]