Are the 2025 NBA Finals a Blueprint for the Nets Rebuild?

ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania broke down what the league’s decision-makers are thinking about: “Executives all around the NBA are watching these NBA Finals, and these two teams specifically, as a blueprint of roster building. And what does that mean? That means two-way players. That means players with characteristics of competitiveness, youth, two-way ability, and that's a departure from the star-heavy, three-point reliant teams that we may have seen in past years.”  

Brooklyn have similarly valued youth, two-way ability and competitiveness. Head coach Jordi Fernández preached those values during his first season in charge of the Nets.

“As one NBA GM told me this week, Oklahoma City might be the best positioned team in pro sports as of right now and moving forward into the future,” Charania added. “They've got a treasure chest of draft picks to keep this team competitive for years to come. This might be something we're gonna be witnessing as the new normal for the NBA in Oklahoma City.” 

The Nets are currently armed with 31 draft picks — 15 first-rounders, 16 second-rounders — over the next seven years. That should also count as a ‘treasure chest’ for general manager Sean Marks to use. Marks has said Brooklyn’s rebuild will be “opportunistic.” 

A chance exists for Brooklyn to join the NBA’s new normal. The draft assets are there. Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson are interesting trade opportunities. The team’s finances and cap space are in great shape. No one on the roster should be considered untouchable. 

At the same time, unlike the Thunder and the Pacers, the Nets are lacking their star. That’s the toughest part of building an NBA team. Brooklyn lacks a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or a Tyrese Haliburton. The team probably doesn’t have a Jalen Williams or a Pascal Siakam second space on the team either. Claxton, maybe, is the closest thing to a Chet Holmgren or a Myles Turner piece.

But the future is fluid, and there will likely be plenty of roster turnover in Brooklyn when looking back at the 2024-25 season in a few years. The Nets have the means to massively improve their future, but at least a few key decisions will need to be knocked out of the park — and some good luck along the way won’t hurt either.