The Brooklyn Nets enter this season with a very different kind of expectation hanging over them. After finishing the 2025-26 campaign at 20-62, they’re back in rebuild mode, armed with another high first-round pick and a roster that still has plenty of growing to do.
General manager Sean Marks made it clear Monday at his Media Day press conference that the emphasis is on development, not shortcuts. Brooklyn has spent the rebuild stockpiling young talent, and Marks said the value of last season was giving those players real run in real NBA games.
"I think it's exciting that we've been able to add this youth to this team, watch these guys develop. Last season [was] for them to get real meaningful minutes in real games," Marks said during his Media Day press conference on Monday.
The Nets did bring in a veteran presence in Julius Randle, and Michael Porter Jr. remains the most established scorer on the roster. Even so, the spotlight is still going to fall heavily on the younger group, especially as Brooklyn tries to identify who can carry the franchise into its next phase.
Marks framed last season as a crash course for that young core, one that should stick with them once the games start counting again.
"That's the best motivation you can possibly ask for, right? When they go into the summer, they say, 'Well, okay, this is what it feels like in an NBA game.'
The guys are bigger, stronger, faster, more physical, and so forth," Marks continued. "So, I don't think the particular group of rookies from last year and the year before, need a whole lot more motivation than that."
That youth movement could be front and center right away. Guard Egor Demin, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and guard Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 draft, are expected to be the starting backcourt on opening night.
However the wins shake out, Brooklyn’s priority is simpler than the standings. The organization wants daily progress, with the larger aim of getting back to playoff contention as soon as possible. Marks has repeated that patience is a core part of this reset, and the hope is that steady growth from the younger players will keep that approach intact until the time comes to push for more.
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Julius Randle Just Gave Nets Fans A Reason To Believe
Julius Randle is already giving the Nets a different kind of presence as Brooklyn heads into camp, bringing the sort of experience and production that can steady a team still in the middle of a rebuild. After arriving from Minnesota, he used Media Day to talk about the groups mindset and the work ahead, striking an upbeat tone at a time when the franchise is still trying to define its next step.
For a Brooklyn roster looking for signs of traction, Randles track record matters. He averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season with the Timberwolves, and that blend of scoring and playmaking is exactly the kind of foundation the Nets can lean on if the early days of training camp go the way they hope. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Young Core Just Lost The Easy Part Of This Rebuild
The Nets spent part of the buildup to the new season talking openly about what this phase of the rebuild is supposed to look like. Sean Marks has framed the message around accountability and winning through development, and that has put a clearer edge on the roster competition than Brooklyn has had in recent years. For a young group that includes Noah Clowney and Josh Minott, the message is less about simply getting minutes and more about earning them in a setting where roles can shift quickly.
Brooklyn also brought in Julius Randle, Keon Ellis and Moritz Wagner to give the roster more experience and a little more stability, which only sharpens the fight for playing time and responsibility. The challenge now is not just learning on the fly, but doing it in a roster environment where the veteran additions are meant to set a standard and the youngsters have to match it. For a team still building its identity, the easy part of the rebuild may already be over. [Read more 🡒]
Nets 60th Anniversary Deal Could Change More Than Their Jerseys
A fresh look is coming to the Nets uniforms for the franchises 60th anniversary, but the bigger move may be the one off the court. Brooklyn announced a jersey patch deal with Alibaba, adding the companys name to the teams jerseys as part of the celebration while also tying the brand more closely to the organizations day-to-day business.
Alibaba and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment also unveiled a multi-year strategic partnership that makes Alibaba the Nets Official Technology and Cloud Partner. The aim is to use cloud technology to improve the fan experience at Barclays Center, adding another layer to a relationship that already fits Alibabas track record of working with major sports properties, from the Olympics to NBA China. [Read more 🡒]