Nets' Veteran Leadership Labeled as Team's Biggest Concern

The 2025-26 NBA season will be one filled with development, patience and, let's face it, losing for the Brooklyn Nets. They are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league, but it's expected as they continue to navigate the rebuild.

Right now, the Nets are trying to construct their future in an organic fashion: through the draft. 2025 saw Brooklyn take on a league record five first-round picks without trading any away, bringing a new era of basketball to the organization. Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf will carry most of the weight of the franchise.

There are a few other notable pieces on the roster, including Cam Thomas, Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton. With the amount of youth the Nets have targeted, there hasn't been much room for true veteran leadership. The only player of note has been Haywood Highsmith, whose locker room presence benefited the roster through preseason.

Even still, Brooklyn's veteran leadership is its biggest concern this season, at least according to ESPN's Vincent Goodwill. While the Nets' biggest strength is the freedom to take plenty of shots, they lack tenured players who can mentor the rookies.

"Who will provide the veteran leadership on a team with so many players having four years or fewer of NBA experience?" Goodwill wrote. "With so many first-round picks vying for playing time, surely someone will emerge with opportunity, but is it the best environment for player evaluation? Marks has done it before with limited resources, but can lightning strike twice?"

While the rookies fight for minutes, so do the projected starters. Thomas, Porter and Claxton are all early trade candidates this season, so their performances will dictate their futures in Brooklyn or with another team. The Nets can't lean too far to one side because it could either take away development or trade value.

However, the ultimate prize for Brooklyn is its 2026 first-round pick. The team controls its destiny for the second season in a row, and next year's draft class features some high-end talent such as AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and Cam Boozer (Duke).

Last season, the Nets slightly hindered their odds at Cooper Flagg with some wins to avoid the very bottom of the Eastern Conference. While the lottery is more unpredictable than ever, Brooklyn can't afford to stay in the middle of the order again. It will set the franchise back more than pushing it forward.