The Brooklyn Nets are heading into next season with a clear shift in mindset: no tanking, and maybe, just maybe, a real shot at the postseason.
After a busy stretch to open the offseason, Brooklyn’s roster for next year looks mostly locked in. The Nets still have room to maneuver, but a major shakeup between now and October seems unlikely.
That matters because Brooklyn is trying to win again for the first time since 2023. With the 2027 first-round pick in Houston’s hands through a pick swap from the 2021 James Harden trade, the Nets have reason to push forward instead of slipping into a rebuild.
The Eastern Conference, though, won’t make that easy. Even if the bottom of the bracket still looks weaker than the top, the conference is deep heading into the 2026-27 season. And with the new lottery format hitting teams that finish with one of the three worst records in the league, the old incentive to fully bottom out is gone.
That leaves all 15 teams in the East with some reason to stay in the fight. Teams like the Chicago Bulls or Washington Wizards could still fade from the play-in chase late in the year to improve their odds in the draft, but the conference should still be packed with teams trying to compete and get postseason reps.
For Brooklyn, that means the path is narrow. To get there, the Nets would need to finish ahead of at least five teams in the conference.
The additions of Julius Randle, Mikel Brown Jr. and others help, but the climb is still steep. Brooklyn would have to jump from 20 wins to finish above at least two of last season’s postseason teams and the Tyrese Haliburton-led Indiana Pacers. On top of that, Michael Porter Jr., Randle and the rest of the group would need to outpace other Eastern teams that have also made meaningful moves this offseason.
The Nets do have youth on their side. Brown, Egor Demin and the rest of the 2025 draft class give Brooklyn a roster with plenty of development still ahead of it. Even so, Jordi Fernandez’s first two seasons on the bench have shown enough to suggest the Nets won’t be short on competitiveness.
If Fernandez gets full freedom to chase wins for all 82 games, Brooklyn could turn into the NBA’s surprise team of 2027.
In Other News...
Nets Head Into Vegas Still Waiting For Their Full Rookie Picture
Brooklyns Summer League group heads to Las Vegas with a little momentum and a little mystery. After going 2-1 in Sacramento, the Nets get their NBA 2K26 Summer League slate started against the Knicks, a familiar East Coast opponent that should give the team another useful measuring stick as it keeps sorting out its young roster and building chemistry.
The bigger storyline for Brooklyn is still the rookie picture, which has yet to come fully into focus. Danny Wolf missed all three California Classic games with lower back soreness but is nearing a return, and Joshua Jefferson is also in line to potentially join the mix as the Nets open play in Vegas, giving the team a chance to see more of the pieces it hopes to develop over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Suddenly Have A Different Kind Of Pressure Next Season
Brooklyns next season comes with a different kind of pressure, one that has less to do with the standings in the moment and more to do with how the organization wants to define itself. With the NBAs new lottery system in play, the Nets are staring at a decision point that could shape the way they handle the year from start to finish, especially if the roster spends much of the season on the fringe of the East race.
The real question is whether Brooklyn leans into a push for the play-in tournament or uses the year to prioritize development if the results start to slip. That kind of flexibility can change everything in the back half of the schedule, from how the team handles veterans dealing with nagging injuries to how many chances the younger players get against opponents still fighting for something meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Interest Puts Nets Decision On Former Wing Under Spotlight
The Nets decision to let Ziaire Williams hit unrestricted free agency is suddenly looking more notable with the Lakers circling for another perimeter defender. Los Angeles has already made some offseason moves, including adding Kevon Looney, and is still trying to shore up its wing depth with players who can give it more defensive flexibility on the outside.
According to Lakers insider Khobi Price, Williams is among the names under consideration, which puts Brooklyns call on his team option back in the spotlight. The Lakers are also pursuing Jonathan Kuminga, though cap space may force them to choose one path over the other, leaving Williams as a realistic fallback if the bigger swing becomes too expensive. [Read more 🡒]