Two and a half years removed from the end of the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era, the Brooklyn Nets are in the early stages of a rebuild. While the Nets are tanking for a top draft pick this season, they'll look to take a step forward next year with their first-round pick going to the Houston Rockets. ESPN isn't bullish about the team's ability to turn its situation around quickly.
The outlet recently released its future power rankings, assessing every team's three-year outlook. Brooklyn came in at No. 27
“The Nets struck gold last summer when they hired coach Jordi Fernandez, who immediately proved himself to be an asset,” wrote Tim Bontemps. “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. The Nets, who have the league's worst roster, are in the bottom 10 for a third straight year.”
To determine the rankings, analysts Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks and Bontemps rated each team in five categories relative to the rest of the league: current players, cap situation, future draft picks, market desirability and management.
Can Nets set themselves up for future success as they move forward in rebuild?
It should come as no surprise that Brooklyn ranked towards the top of the league in its cap situation (1st), future draft picks (2nd) and market (7th). The Nets were the NBA's only team with significant cap space this summer and maintained much of that flexibility. They also have an NBA-high 12 first-round picks over the next seven years.
However, Brooklyn ranked towards the bottom of the league in players (30th) and management (25th). One year after trading Mikal Bridges and reacquiring their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from the Houston Rockets, the Nets made an NBA-record five first-round picks in June's draft. The team's draft drew widespread criticism, with many questioning the decision to keep all five picks and select international point guards.
Outside of their draft picks, the Nets have few, if any, foundational pieces on their roster. Veterans Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, Ternace Mann and Haywood Highsmith have had respectable starts to their careers. However, it's unclear whether they can fit into Brooklyn's rebuilding timeline.
Meanwhile, younger prospects such as Cam Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe have shown promise but still have questions surrounding their skill sets.
The 2026 draft will play a significant role in shaping Brooklyn's future. The team appears destined for top lottery odds amid a 0-5 start. If the Nets can secure a top-three pick and one of the class' top prospects —Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybansta or Cam Boozer — they will land significantly higher on ESPN's rankings next year.
