Following a busy offseason, the Brooklyn Nets boast a revamped roster entering year two of their rebuild. Like last year, the Nets' main focuses will remain player development and landing a top draft pick. Bleacher Report recently released win-loss projections for each NBA team.
The outlet predicted the Nets to go 16-66, which would be the second-worst record in the franchise's 58-year history.
“The Brooklyn Nets weren't as bad as they should have been last year, as head coach Jordi Fernandez presided over a young, frequently overmatched team that played hard enough to start 9-10 and ultimately win 26 games. We should expect Fernandez to coax similarly strong effort out of his team again this year, but offseason moves seemingly designed to produce losses will ensure the record winds up where it should,” wrote Grant Hughes. “Brooklyn used multiple first-round picks on ball-handlers, which suggests the offense will be in the hands of inexperienced decision-makers almost all the time. That's the best possible way to ensure failure, and Brooklyn can accept that if it ultimately reveals a long-term option at the point. Growing pains will be plentiful, and points will be very hard to come by.
“Cam Thomas may not be at his happiest playing on a $6 million qualifying offer, Michael Porter Jr. isn't going to be nearly as dangerous without Nikola Jokić setting him up and Nic Claxton probably feels like a trade out of Brooklyn is two years overdue. The Nets are still very early in their rebuild, and they're going to look like it.”
The Nets did not manage their tank optimally last season.
Will Nets be significantly worse with revamped roster during 2025-26 campaign?
After holding onto talented veterans such as Cam Johnson, Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, they opened the year 10-11. Despite much maneuvering, they were unable to catch up in the tank race, finishing with the league's sixth-worst record and falling to the eighth pick in the draft.
General Manager Sean Marks appears determined to finish higher in the lottery standings this season. The Nets enter the year with exclusively rookies at point guard after letting D'Angelo Russell walk in free agency. This inexperienced ball-handler rotation should ensure Brooklyn wins fewer than the 26 games it did last season.
However, the team still has several proven veterans, including Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, Terance Mann and Haywood Highsmith. While Cam Thomas may not finish the season on the roster, he'll open the year with a featured role during a contract season. Brooklyn also has promising young frontcourt pieces in Day'Ron Sharpe and Noah Clowney.
Further, first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez was able to get Brooklyn to consistently punch above its weight last season.
Given this, 16 wins feels like an aggressively low projection, even during a tanking year. Most sportsbooks have the Nets over/under win total set at 20.5. However, Marks is undoubtedly feeling pressure to justify trading four first-round picks to the Houston Rockets for Brooklyn's 2025 and 2026 first-rounders.
One of the picks traded to Houston was the Phoenix Suns' 2025 first-rounder, which the Nets finished just two spots ahead of in June's draft. If Brooklyn once again exceeds expectations early, expect the GM to turn up the heat on the team's tank as he angles for a top selection in a loaded 2026 draft.
