The Brooklyn Nets don't enter the 2025-26 NBA season with playoff expectations. After reacquiring their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks and entering a rebuild, the team is mired in another tanking campaign. However, with an NBA-record five rookie first-round picks and several veteran trade acquisitions entering the mix, numerous questions surround the rebuilding squad.

The Nets open their regular season on Wednesday vs. the Charlotte Hornets. With that, here are three bold predictions for Brooklyn's 2025-26 campaign.

Nets finish bottom three in NBA standings

Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks addresses the media prior to the game against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center.
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

If the Nets' selection of five rookies wasn't a clear enough signal that they are tanking, Joe Tsai all but confirmed it during a recent podcast appearance.

“Well, I have to say that we’re in a rebuilding year,” Tsai said on the All-In podcast. “We spent all of our [2025] picks — we had five first-round draft picks this past summer… We have one pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season. But we have a very young team.”

It should come as no surprise that the Nets are motivated to finish higher in the draft than they did last season. General Manager Sean Marks dealt four first-round picks to the Houston Rockets during the 2024 offseason to reacquire Brooklyn's 2025 and 2026 first-rounders. One of those four picks was the Phoenix Suns' 2025 first-rounder, which the Nets finished just two spots ahead of in June's draft.

With Brooklyn owing Houston an unprotected 2027 first-round pick swap, this year's draft could present its last chance to land a top-three pick for the foreseeable future. Many draft analysts view the 2026 class, which features prospects such as Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybansta and Cam Boozer, more favorably than the highly-touted 2025 class.

The Nets have taken measures to ensure a more efficient tank this year. After Dennis Schroder fueled a surprise 9-10 start last season, Brooklyn opens 2025-26 with exclusively rookie point guards. The team's lack of experienced ball-handling should hinder its offense from day one. Further, the Nets are likely to field trade calls for their veterans ahead of the deadline as they attempt to open up minutes for their rookies.

Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton are traded in-season

My last prediction leads me to my next. With the Nets aiming to bolster their lottery odds and find playing time for rookies, several veterans will be involved in trade rumors. Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton are among those who could be on the move.

After failing to agree to a contract extension and accepting his qualifying offer, Thomas' Nets days may be numbered. The 24-year-old was reportedly seeking a deal approaching $30 million annually. Meanwhile, Brooklyn's best offer was a two-year, $30 million contract with a team option in year two.

Restricted free agents who accept their qualifying offer almost always depart the following offseason. Spencer Hawes (2012) is the only player to re-sign a long-term deal with his team after playing a full season on the QO. If Thomas is not a part of Brooklyn's long-term plans, the team will have little incentive to feature him as the year progresses.

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A midseason trade makes sense for both parties. Removing Thomas' shot-creation would help Brooklyn's tank while opening ball-handling opportunities for its rookies. The Nets would have to work with Thomas' representatives to find a deal, as he has a no-trade clause after signing his QO.

Meanwhile, Claxton likely has the most trade value of Brooklyn's veterans. The Nets' longest-tenured player will be 27 this season and is on a descending contract that will pay him 11 percent of the salary cap in its final year. With Day'Ron Sharpe ascending and rookie Danny Wolf entering the mix, trading Claxton to a center-needy team could fetch Brooklyn an asset while aiding its draft and developmental goals.

Egor Demin makes an All-Rookie team

Brooklyn's decision to select Egor Demin with their first lottery pick in 15 years was much-maligned. Criticism of the pick centered on Demin's limitations as a three-point shooter and self-creator last season at BYU. However, those within the Nets organization have been adamant that the Russian floor general will be a high-level shooter in the NBA.

Demin has backed up that assessment thus far, shooting 43.5 percent on 7.7 threes per game at Summer League. He shot 2-of-3 from distance during his NBA debut on Friday in Toronto. Further, the 19-year-old looked comfortable initiating offense while being hounded by Scottie Barnes and other Raptors defenders. He was also impactful defensively, using his 6-foot-10 wingspan to force several turnovers and missed shots.

 

Demin still has a ways to go as a ball-handler if he is to reach his potential. He'll need to add strength and tighten his handle in order to get downhill and let his elite playmaking shine. However, he'll have no shortage of opportunities to gain comfort on the ball this season.

If the No. 8 pick can shoot respectably, play adequate defense and create for his teammates in a high-usage role, he'll have a case for a spot on one of the All-Rookie teams.