Brooklyn’s Treasure Chest: How the Nets Are Positioned for a Bright Future

It may not be obvious right now, but the Brooklyn Nets have a case for being the NBA team with the brightest future.

Fresh off selecting an NBA-record five first-round picks, and with eight more first-rounders in the next five NBA Drafts, the Nets could be on a new course to reverse their luck from the past few years.

In a recent article by ESPN that evaluates and ranks NBA teams with the most draft capital, the Nets were viewed as being in the second-best position to build through the draft, just behind the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

"With the front office under general manager Sean Marks, the Nets are opting to maximize player development, reshape the roster and position themselves for top lottery odds next year. That was made clear with Brooklyn casting a wide net with its five first-round selections in this year's draft," said ESPN's Jeremy Woo. "The Nets prioritized versatility and playmaking and will look to turn as many of their rookies into contributors this season as possible. The subtext of what will likely be a losing season is the opportunity to select at or near the top of next year's draft."

As they enter what could be the roughest part of their rebuild due to their lack of experienced veteran talent, the Nets could wind up in position to land a future NBA star with an early pick in next year’s lottery. Unlike last year’s draft, which had a clear-cut No. 1 pick in Cooper Flagg, the 2026 NBA Draft features players like Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer, who are all viewed as potential candidates to be the top pick. If the Nets land any one of these three players, the franchise’s trajectory could skyrocket.

Besides their boatload of future first-round picks, Brooklyn also has 14 second-round picks in the next five years. While second-round picks usually won’t land you a franchise-changing player, the Nets are bound to find a few valuable role players in the later rounds, and these picks could also be used as trade capital to address some of the team’s positional or depth-related needs throughout the rebuilding process. While they aren't nearly as coveted as a first-round pick would be, Brooklyn's sheer amount of second-rounders should eventually work in their favor.

If even one or two of Brooklyn's 2025 first-round picks can grow into All-Star caliber players, the Nets' stash of draft picks indicate that better days are ahead, it will just require some patience.