Nets Find Themselves in Similar Position to Last Season

The art of 'tanking' has disrupted the competition of the league for as long as we can remember. Emphasizing young talent and accumulating high draft picks has become the meta for rebuilding teams in the NBA, and it has come to the forefront of the league over the last decade or so. The Nets have repeatedly refused to cater to such practices.

While it's admirable that the Nets have been relatively competitive despite having low expectations coming into the season, they find themselves in a similar position to last season. Brooklyn finished 32-50 in 2024 as the 11th seed in the East. While their pick ended up skyrocketing in the lottery to the third overall pick, it ended up going to the Houston Rockets.

The Nets are still somewhere in between an early lottery finish and a Play-In team, and it's hurting them for the long term. Brooklyn refused to trade veterans such as Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, and Day'Ron Sharpe before the deadline despite having lucrative offers and interest from around the league.

The head-scratching decision from general manager Sean Marks worries fans who want the Nets to end up with a high draft pick. Brooklyn doesn't have a great shot to end up with generational prospect Cooper Flagg compared to the five teams under it in the standings.

If the Nets end up hitting a stride and make the Play-In Tournament, the odds of them actually making the playoffs are extremely low. Many would bank on Brooklyn ending up in the lottery anyway, so why go for the postseason when you have a stronger team next season?

It sounds immoral, but the reality is that losing in the short term drastically improves teams for the long term. Aside from the Nets, the prime example over the last few has been the Chicago Bulls. They have tried to compete year after year with a mediocre core, and finally decided to invest in youth at this year's trade deadline.

It's clear that the Nets aren't a playoff team but rather a fading postseason contender. The organization should focus on moving out its veterans and investing in the young core.