Analyst Calls Nets’ Offseason Rebuild Moves 'Rational, If Not Shrewd'

After facing much scrutiny from fans and media alike, some analysts are starting to come around on the Brooklyn Nets' offseason moves.

The Ringer's Michael Pina falls into this category after including the Nets in his "Eight Takes on the NBA Offseason’s Most Interesting Moves," published on Monday.

"Perhaps I’m in the minority, but every time I look at the moves Brooklyn made this summer—as an organization currently sitting near rock-bottom of a lengthy rebuild with little interest in committing any shortcuts to end it—I think most of them are rational, if not shrewd," Pina wrote.

Brooklyn's notable moves include trading Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr., acquiring Terance Mann and Drake Powell for essentially nothing and drafting Egor Demin with the franchise's first lottery pick in well over a decade.

Still, the Nets track to consider the 2025-26 season another rebuilding year—but that doesn't discourage Pina from seeing the vision.

"Even if the ping-pong balls don’t go their way next year, they still have nine tradeable future first-round picks—which is three more than any other team—including unprotected picks from the Knicks in 2027, 2029, and 2031 from the Mikal Bridges trade," Pina continued. "That’s … phenomenal."

What individuals unlike Pina failed to see is: the Nets weren't trying to become contenders in one summer. Perhaps they had the tools available to do so, but too many people convinced themselves Brooklyn would be star-chasing.

Maybe the lack of an attempt to secure Giannis Antetokounmpo left analysts confused? Maybe Demin was just "too polarizing" of a prospect to draft eighth-overall without backlash? Maybe the Nets were supposed to try and reunite with an aging James Harden prior to him re-upping in LA?

From the start, the critiques of Brooklyn's offseason decisions haven't made all that much sense. Now that the summer league is over, it seems it's okay to praise the Nets for some of their choices.

Will they be contending in a weak Eastern Conference next season? It's almost a guarantee that they won't—but that wasn't this summer's purpose.

Building a foundation was, and Brooklyn has done just that.