Nets Ranked Among NBA’s Least Promising Futures, But Financial Edge Could Change That

For a team loaded with inexperienced talent and on pace to be one of the youngest in NBA history, it isn’t easy to look at the Brooklyn Nets’ future with much optimism.

Not all rebuilds lack enticing promise though. But instead of chasing flashy, high-profile names through the draft or free agency, Brooklyn’s front office has taken a more methodical approach, building around players who fit the identity they are trying to form.

It might be difficult to feel optimistic before any of Brooklyn’s young players actually prove themselves, but a closer look at the roster shows plenty of versatile role players, along with a handful of veterans who could either use their experience to guide the team or serve as valuable trade pieces.

In a recent NBA Future Power Rankings article by ESPN, NBA reporter Tim Bontemps ranked the Brooklyn Nets among the teams with the least promising futures.

"The Nets struck gold last summer when they hired coach Jordi Fernandez, who immediately proved himself to be an asset. But the Nets, who clearly targeted last season and this season to bottom out after reacquiring their draft picks from the Houston Rockets last summer, were one of several teams to have bad luck in the lottery by falling to eighth," Bontemps said. "The Nets, who have the league's worst roster, are in the bottom 10 for a third straight year."

Are The Nets Ranked Too Low?

The Nets' overall ranking was determined by averaging out five different categories: players, draft, money, market, and management. According to the rankings, Brooklyn is considered to have the league’s least impressive roster, but also the strongest financial situation in the NBA. Currently, the Nets have the second-most cap space in the NBA but could end up as the team with the most money available once they trim their roster down to the league's required size of 15 players.

That financial flexibility should be seen as the most important variable among those categories. If the Nets’ rookies show promise over the next year or two, the franchise could quickly become an attractive landing spot for a star either through free agency or the trade market.

The future may not seem so bright at the moment, but after drafting an NBA record five first-round picks and acquiring some proven veterans through the trade market, Brooklyn's rebuild appears to be heading in the right direction.