ESPN Projects Nets’ Starting Five Featuring Egor Dëmin and Cam Thomas

With summer league play now over, the Brooklyn Nets will shift focus to difficult personnel decisions.

ESPN has released its projection of Brooklyn's depth chart for the 2025-26 season, which includes the Nets' recent draft additions, re-signees and new faces acquired via trade. The lineup is listed as follows:

Point Guard: Egor Demin (S), Nolan Traore, Keon Johnson, Ben Saraf, Terance Mann

Shooting Guard: Cam Thomas (S), Terance Mann, Tyrese Martin, Drake Powell, Keon Johnson

Small Forward: Ziaire Williams (S), Jalen Wilson, Terance Mann, Drake Powell, Michael Porter Jr.

Power Forward: Michael Porter Jr. (S), Noah Clowney, Danny Wolf, Tosan Evbuomwan, Ziaire Williams

Center: Nic Claxton (S), Day'Ron Sharpe, Danny Wolf, Drew Timme, Noah Clowney

(S) = denotes starter

There's much to unpack here. ESPN got some things right, but others don't make much sense. First, they predict that Brooklyn will eventually work something out with Cam Thomas, either via an extension or acceptance of the qualifying offer. Regardless of how it happens, they believe he'll start at the two next season. Fair assumption.

However, what isn't fair is the burying of Keon Johnson. Johnson was called upon many times last season and is a perfect fit for Jordi Fernandez's style of play. It's hard to imagine him being a third-stringer at best, especially given his production in 2024-25. He likely won't start as much as he did in Fernandez's first season at the helm due to the influx of young guards, but sixth man isn't out of the question.

Finally, there's reason to believe Michael Porter Jr. may not be a lock for the starting four, and that's due to Drew Timme. Fernandez could opt to slide Porter to the three, creating room for Timme to potentially start at the four after a monstrous summer league performance. The Gonzaga product may have to show a bit more before being given a starting role, but having a frontcourt that includes Porter, Timme and Nic Claxton creates a sizeable mismatch thanks to some lengthy frames.

Most of ESPN's projection is entirely understandable, but Fernandez is too creative a coach to make some of the decisions listed. Anticipate the opening day lineup to be similar, but not a one-to-one recreation of ESPN's thoughts.