Nets' Front Court has Potential to run the Atlantic Division in the Future

Among a harsh Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets have the potential to have one of the best frontcourt rotations in the coming seasons.

Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe have held down the center position for the past few seasons, but the options at power forward are new. Last season, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Trendon Watford made up the primary rotation. Now, those duties will be taken over by Michael Porter Jr., Danny Wolf and possibly Noah Clowney.

Although the Atlantic Division is a tough grouping, the Nets' combination of young talent and draft capital could lead to tenacity in the front court. Looking at their division counterparts, there is no shortage of top-tier big men, but how does the depth stack up?

Starting with the 2025 NBA Playoffs, teams from the Atlantic Division, the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks each have superstars at the forward positions. Jayson Tatum and Karl Anthony-Towns outshine any of the star power that Brooklyn's roster can provide.

Looking deeper, the Nets may actually have better depth than Boston. Losing Kristaps Porzingis hurts, and they have Neemias Queta and Luka Garza to fill his role. Brooklyn's center rotation of Claxton and Sharpe is far more proven, and both are still young enough to project further growth.

The Knicks' frontcourt rotation has the Nets beat. Mitchell Robinson is backing up Towns and OG Anunoby had a career-high in points per game last season. Additionally, the signing of Guerschon Yabusele is an underrated move, as he could potentially be in the running for Sixth Man of the Year.

The Philadelphia 76ers are top-heavy with Joel Embiid at center, but there is uncertainty about who will fulfill other roles in the unit. Kelly Oubre Jr. is reliable, but he is getting old. Andre Drummond has been rumored in trades, heavily to Brooklyn, in recent weeks. The Nets have a more balanced rotation of scorers and defenders with age on their side.

It has gone under the radar, but the Toronto Raptors have an exciting group of forwards in the rotation. Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles are all players who could start in the league due to their abilities to play both sides of the ball.

The development of the Nets' front court will rely on whether Porter Jr. and Claxton demonstrate noticeable growth and stay with the team in the near future. Wolf has a legitimate shot to contend for an All-Rookie-esque year due to his unique play style at 7-feet tall.

The 2026 NBA Draft class outlook also bodes well for Brooklyn's future of the forward positions. Assuming the Nets grab a top-3 pick next draft cycle, players like AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer can change a franchise.