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 aim to take a step forward next year, despite their first-round pick going to the Houston Rockets.
ESPN recently released its future power rankings, evaluating every NBA team’s three-year outlook. Brooklyn ranked No. 27 overall. “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 these rankings, analysts Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Tim Bontemps assessed each team across five categories relative to the rest of the league: current players, cap situation, future draft picks, market desirability, and management.
### Can the Nets Set Themselves Up for Future Success?
It should come as no surprise that Brooklyn ranked near the top in several areas. The Nets placed 1st in cap situation, 2nd in future draft picks, and 7th in market desirability. They were the NBA’s only team with significant cap space this summer and have maintained much of that financial flexibility. Moreover, Brooklyn holds an NBA-high 12 first-round picks over the next seven years, positioning them well for long-term growth.
However, the team’s rankings dropped significantly in other areas. Brooklyn finished 30th in current players and 25th in management. One year after trading Mikal Bridges and reacquiring their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from Houston, the Nets made an NBA-record five first-round selections in June’s draft.
### Draft Decisions and Roster Challenges
The Nets’ draft approach sparked widespread criticism, particularly their decision to keep all five picks and select international point guards. Outside of their draft assets, Brooklyn has few foundational pieces on their roster. Veterans such as Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, Ternace Mann, and Haywood Highsmith have shown respectable starts to their careers, but it remains uncertain how well they fit into Brooklyn’s rebuilding timeline.
Meanwhile, younger prospects like Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe have displayed promise but still face questions regarding their long-term potential and skill sets.
### Looking Ahead
While the Nets are positioned well in terms of cap space, draft capital, and market appeal, challenges remain in building a competitive roster and establishing strong management. As Brooklyn moves forward in its rebuild, the key question is whether these assets can translate into sustained success in the coming years.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-brooklyn-ranked-27th-future-power-rankings
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