Contrary to Outside NBA Fans, the Nets Aren't as Doomed as People Think

Admittedly, the last four years of Brooklyn Nets basketball have been nothing short of disappointing. Any fan can recognize that. Not too long ago, the Nets were a championship favorite, or at the very least, a contender. Now, as we enter the 2025-26 season, they're widely expected to have the worst record in the NBA.

Brooklyn opened the decade with legitimate title hopes under the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. After a James Harden rental and a tenure that ended with drama and letdowns, the Nets were sitting in the middle for a short period: mediocrity. They made the playoffs in 2023, but only because of what Durant and Irving did before the trades. In 2024, they went an uneventful 32-50.

The issue was that the Nets didn't have their own first-round pick. However, after trading Mikal Bridges last June, Brooklyn's future was revived. The team had a clear direction, and it was to rebuild and draft talent for the future. Last season was a step toward the right path: 26-56.

The Nets managed to stock up on a league-record five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, but as August carries on, it seems like most outsiders are still laughing at Brooklyn. Why?

Maybe it's because the Durant-Irving was a disappointment, or maybe it's because there are a lot of concerns with each draft pick. Either way, the idea that the Nets are 'doomed' is false. In fact, they have a better situation than most rebuilding teams around the league.

It's better to be in the basement of the league, controlling your draft picks, than a 'middle of the pack' team failing to get a real shot at a franchise cornerstone. Brooklyn was in that second scenario in 2023 and 2024, but now the organization has put itself in a better position. Fans are already making edits of top prospects like AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson in Nets jerseys.

On top of this, Brooklyn has significant cap space. Trading Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. slightly hurt that sector, but it still got a future first-round pick out of the move. The Nets could end up with 12 first-round selections from 2026 to 2032. Not to mention, any of their rookies in the 2025 class could pan out, creating an extremely exciting young core.

Brooklyn still has to navigate its situation with restricted free agent Cam Thomas, but even if that piece of the puzzle gets lost, the team is in a position to rebuild the right way. It's almost Oklahoma City Thunder-esque with how much cap space and draft picks the Nets have, and that certainly isn't something to scoff at.