Nets Could Have Path to Getting 2027 First-Round Pick Back

The Brooklyn Nets have control of all but one of their future first-round picks, but it might be worth paying a steep price to regain it. 

The Nets showed how much they believe in the power of the NBA Draft when they used five first-round picks in June. While they didn’t take any players projected to be the NBA’s next superstar, they certainly have some time to figure out who might stick in the league over the next few years and perhaps even turn into an All-Star.

Still, for a team in Brooklyn’s position, finding some superstar talent at the top of the draft is of the utmost importance going into next season. There’s no guarantee that a perfect tank will result in the lottery luck needed to secure a top pick in 2026. 

Entering next season, however, the Nets are desperate to have the ping pong balls go their way next summer. Of course, every rebuilding team is looking to secure a top pick in the lottery, but Brooklyn doesn’t have control of its 2027 first-round pick, making next season even more important.

Thanks to the James Harden trade in 2021, the Nets’ first-round pick in 2027 belongs to the Houston Rockets via a pick swap. While Brooklyn would still bring in Houston’s pick, the Rockets should be among the league’s top teams, potentially making it a 20-pick or greater difference in the first round.

Given that possibility, Brooklyn has a clear incentive to get that pick back from Houston in some way. They also have the leverage in the negotiations.

While the Nets are unlikely to be a contender in 2027, one year of tanking to add a young star could be enough to help Brooklyn take another step going into the 2026-27 season. If Brooklyn had its pick, it could simply go into that season looking to develop and potentially tank again. 

However, it won’t be hard to make some win-now moves in the Eastern Conference. Without any incentive to tank if Houston has that pick, the Nets could trade for or sign some veterans to at least get into the play-in picture and turn their pick into a late lottery selection at best.

While the Rockets might want to call the Nets’ bluff on that, getting solid return for a pick that could change drastically based on Brooklyn’s decisions might be a smart decision. However, if Houston is perfectly fine with that pick turning into a mid-first-round selection, there might not be a path forward for Brooklyn to get it back.