NBA Power Rankings: Where Are Nets in Eastern Conference?

The Brooklyn Nets have trickled to the bottom of the NBA in terms of expectations for the upcoming season.

NBA.com writer John Schuhmann ranked every team in the Eastern Conference and he placed the Nets at No. 14, with only the Washington Wizards behind them.

"The Nets could have gone in either direction this summer, but backward was certainly the simpler path, and the retrieval of their own 2025 draft pick makes it a worthwhile endeavor. They’re probably not done dealing and it seems unlikely that Dorian Finney-Smith (player option for 2025-26) will remain on this roster beyond the trade deadline. They can probably be more patient with Cam Johnson, who’s got three more years left on his deal," Schuhmann writes . "The top of next year’s draft is the focus, but the Nets do have three second-year guys with some intrigue. Noah Clowney had a couple of big games down the stretch of last season, Jalen Wilson had a terrific Summer League (21.8 points in 29.4 minutes per game), and Dariq Whitehead (who played in just two games last season) was the No. 2 player in his class coming out of high school. All three should see major minutes in ’24-25."

The Nets are moving towards a youth movement, and that should give them a chance to find the players that will help usher in the next era of competitive basketball in Brooklyn.