The Brooklyn Nets enter the 2025–26 season at a crossroads. After finishing last year with a 26-56 record, tied for the second-worst mark in the NBA, Brooklyn is no longer pretending to chase playoff glory. Instead, they are leaning fully into a long-term rebuild built around their unprecedented five rookie first-round picks: Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf.

The newly released NBA schedule shines a spotlight on Brooklyn’s youth movement, its potential in a loaded Eastern Conference, and the likelihood of another year spent more in the lottery race than the playoff hunt.

Still, there are plenty of storylines to follow, and if things break right, the Nets could surprise with their development trajectory. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of how the 2025-26 season might unfold for Brooklyn.

A historic rookie class debuts

The biggest headline heading into opening night at Spectrum Center against the Charlotte Hornets is whether all five of Brooklyn’s rookies make their debut in the same game. If they do, it would be the first time in NBA history that five first-round picks from one draft class appear in the same game for the same team.

Among them, the spotlight shines brightest on Egor Demin, the Russian guard projected to start at point guard from day one. Standing 6-foot-8, Demin’s combination of size, playmaking, and versatility makes him the centerpiece of Brooklyn’s rebuild. How head coach Jordi Fernandez balances Demin’s workload while developing other rookies like Powell and Saraf will define the early part of the season.

Expect inconsistency, but also moments of brilliance that remind fans what the future could look like.

The tank race remains real

Realistically, the Nets will not contend for the playoffs this year. In fact, they may be closer to contending for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Brooklyn projects to win in the low 20s again, with sportsbooks currently setting their over/under at around 20.5 wins, tied with the Washington Wizards for the second-worst projection in the league. Only the Utah Jazz (18.5 projected wins) are expected to have worse results.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With no incentive to tank artificially, the Nets can finally own their future draft picks again, allowing the team to focus on development while still reaping the benefits of another lottery appearance.

Key schedule storylines

Crosstown Rivalry vs. Knicks

The Nets have lost 10 straight games to the New York Knicks, and the Garden crowd will be merciless when Brooklyn’s rookie squad visits on Nov. 9. Facing Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and former Net Mikal Bridges, the matchup will serve as a litmus test for just how far Brooklyn is from its crosstown rivals.

Tank watch games vs. Wizards 

Brooklyn’s four matchups with the Wizards may end up being the most consequential in the standings, not for playoff seeding, but for lottery position. Washington boasts young talent like Alexandre Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, and Bilal Coulibaly, plus veterans CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. If the Wizards gel faster, Brooklyn may slide below them in the standings.

Nuggets revenge games 

The Nets made waves trading Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick. Johnson’s return to Barclays Center on Jan. 4 will be emotional, while Porter’s return to Denver later that month could serve as a reality check for what Brooklyn gained or lost in the deal.

Utah matchups

Brooklyn and Utah are expected to battle for the league’s worst record. These games might fly under the national radar, but will be crucial in the “tank race” narrative.

Projected record: 24-58

The Nets should improve slightly from last season’s 26-56 mark, but only marginally. While the infusion of rookie talent adds excitement, it rarely translates to immediate wins. Young teams struggle with defensive discipline, late-game execution, and handling the grind of an 82-game season.

Brooklyn’s lack of established star power means they will likely finish with one of the bottom three records in the NBA.

I expect them to finish ahead of only the Jazz league-wide, and likely in a dead heat with the Wizards for the East’s bottom two spots. That would place them at 14th in the East, above Washington if things break right, or below if the Wizards’ veterans stay healthy.

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Playoff outlook

Simply put: no playoffs this year.

Even the Play-In Tournament feels out of reach. In a competitive Eastern Conference featuring contenders like Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, New York, and Cleveland, Brooklyn’s young squad doesn’t have the firepower to keep up.

The goal isn’t the postseason, it’s development and positioning for another high lottery pick.

Other predictions

Egor Demin finishes top 3 in rookie of the year voting

Despite Brooklyn’s record, Demin’s unique combination of size, passing, and creativity should make him one of the more watchable rookies in the league. Expect him to average something like 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game on modest efficiency, putting him firmly in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

Michael Porter Jr. gets traded again

The Nets’ decision to swap Cam Johnson for Porter Jr. already raised eyebrows. If Porter struggles with health or fails to mesh with the youth movement, Brooklyn could look to flip him before the trade deadline for draft compensation or younger players.

Jordi Fernandez stays put (for now)

While coaching a rebuilding team can often lead to short leashes, Fernandez was hired precisely for this developmental phase. Unless things spiral into off-court drama, expect him to survive the year as the organization prioritizes stability.

What this means for the Nets

Given their projected record and the lottery odds structure, the Nets will almost certainly enter the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with top-3 odds.

The 2025-26 Brooklyn Nets season will not be judged by wins and losses. Instead, it will be remembered as the year the rebuild truly began in earnest. With five rookies, a young coach, and a fan base eager for a vision of the future, every game will provide a glimpse of what’s to come.

Expect a final record around 24-58, a 14th-place finish in the East, and no playoff berth. But if Egor Demin blossoms into a star, if Michael Porter Jr. becomes a real trade asset, and if at least two of the other rookies show long-term promise, then this season will be a success.

In Brooklyn, the short-term pain is real, but so is the long-term potential.