The 2025-26 Brooklyn Nets: A Pragmatic Offseason in a Rebuilding Year
It’s easy to assume that the 2025-26 Brooklyn Nets will be nowhere near championship contention. With an uncertain roster and a rebuild still in progress, it’s realistic to expect that they may struggle to stay competitive, likely finishing as one of the lower-tier teams in the Eastern Conference. Playoff aspirations? Probably not. A lottery pick? Very likely. But, that doesn’t mean the Nets’ offseason was a failure.
In fact, Brooklyn’s moves this summer were far from disastrous. Veteran journalist David Aldridge even ranked their offseason as the 22nd-best among NBA teams, ahead of more high-profile organizations like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Phoenix Suns. For a team in the midst of rebuilding, that’s a relative win.
The crown jewel of Brooklyn’s offseason was the bold trade with the Denver Nuggets. The Nets shipped Cam Johnson to the Mile High City in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. While the trade might have seemed like a downgrade for the Nets at first glance—especially considering Johnson’s consistency as a shooter—Porter brings a unique skill set to Brooklyn. A dynamic scorer who can get his shot off in a variety of ways, Porter provides much-needed offensive firepower for a team that will likely need it. His familiarity with head coach Jordi Fernandez also adds another layer of intrigue to the potential fit in Brooklyn.
And then there’s that 2032 first-rounder, which could become a golden ticket for Brooklyn. With the Nuggets’ core—Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon—approaching the tail end of their primes, that pick is shaping up to be incredibly valuable down the line. If Denver’s title window closes sooner than expected, Brooklyn could find itself with a top-tier draft pick in a few years’ time.
However, not all of the offseason’s moves were slam dunks. Aldridge noted that Brooklyn might have sold a bit too low on Johnson, especially given his ability to stretch the floor and play a key role on any team. But it’s hard to argue with the logic behind trying to secure a future asset with the 2032 pick, particularly when you consider the risk of Johnson’s value peaking in a rebuild.
Another point of contention was the Nets’ handling of the 2025 NBA Draft. While the team added several intriguing players—including Demin and Saraf, who each show promise—Aldridge speculates that Brooklyn might have had designs on moving up in the draft to land a potential game-changer. The Nets had the assets to do so, yet failed to make a move into the top five, missing out on highly touted prospects like Tre Johnson or Ace Bailey. If this was indeed part of their plan, it’s a missed opportunity. But given how quickly the draft landscape can change, it’s also possible that Brooklyn was never fully committed to that route, instead opting to maintain flexibility.
Looking ahead, Brooklyn is likely headed for another year of tanking, but as Aldridge points out, they may not be as bad as some expect. The 2024-25 season saw the Nets perform well enough early on to keep their playoff hopes alive, only for their roster to ultimately be dismantled with the departures of Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith. That type of mid-season trajectory could again rear its head in 2025-26, as head coach Jordi Fernandez brings structure and discipline to a young squad, making them less prone to extended losing streaks.
Even if Brooklyn doesn’t land the No. 1 pick in 2026, the team’s focus on development and long-term assets is clear. Their offseason may not have been perfect, but with the future firmly in mind, the Nets are setting themselves up for a more promising rebuild than most might realize. Time will tell if they can flip their assets into a true franchise player, but for now, the groundwork is being laid.