Summary
The 2025-26 season is Year Two of the Brooklyn Nets rebuild — a development year defined by five rookie first-round picks learning to play NBA basketball alongside veteran scorer Michael Porter Jr. The Nets finished 20-62, eliminated from playoff contention by mid-March, closing out the regular season with a 136-101 blowout loss at Toronto on April 13, 2026. The season's purpose was never winning. It was answering two questions: which of these rookies can play, and where does the Nets' own pick land in the lottery? Both were answered — with a #3 lottery position locked in and Josh Minott emerging as a potential surprise core piece. The 2026 NBA draft lottery draw occurred on May 10, 2026 (ABC); the Nets held the #3 seed and did not win the lottery. Washington Wizards claimed #1, Indiana Pacers #2, confirming Brooklyn at #3.
Key Insights
- Final record: 20-62 (.244), 13th in the Eastern Conference, 3rd in the NBA lottery (confirmed as of 2026-05-04)
- Five 2025 first-round picks (Demin, Traore, Powell, Saraf, Wolf) all got significant minutes
- Michael Porter Jr. led the team with a career-high 24.2 PPG after being acquired for Cameron Johnson
- Cam Thomas was waived mid-season (February 2026) — the "Cam Thomas question" was answered: he's not part of the future
- Nic Claxton provided interior stability (rebounding, defense) alongside the youth movement
- Josh Minott emerged as a dark horse — NY Post (4/14/26) called him potentially "the best player of the lot" among Brooklyn's young core
- Best stretch: 3-game win streak in early December (Charlotte, Chicago, New Orleans)
- Coaching: Jordi Fernandez in his second year, with Juwan Howard as assistant coach
- Season finale: L 136-101 at Toronto (4/13/26) — Scottie Barnes triple-double (18 pts/12 reb/12 ast); RJ Barrett 26 pts
Details
The Cam Thomas Resolution
The biggest roster question entering the season was whether Cam Thomas was a building block. The answer came quickly: Thomas signed a 1-year, $6M qualifying offer, averaged 15.6 PPG in 24 games, and was waived on February 5, 2026, to clear roster space for Josh Minott. He briefly joined Milwaukee before being waived again. The volume-scoring, low-efficiency guard was not part of the rebuild's future.
Rookie Development Report
Egor Demin (10.3 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3.2 RPG) — The most NBA-ready of the rookies. His 6'8" frame at point guard creates mismatches everywhere. Showed flashes of elite court vision and pull-up shooting. Needs to improve consistency and handle defensive pressure.
Nolan Traore (8.5 PPG, 3.7 APG) — The most explosive athlete in the rookie class. Electric in transition, improving as a half-court creator. His speed creates advantages but he needs to develop a reliable jumper.
Danny Wolf (8.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG) — The most immediately impactful big. His 6'11" frame with passing and shooting ability gave the Nets a modern frontcourt option. Paired well with Claxton.
Noah Clowney (12.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG) — Year two leap. Clowney showed significant improvement as a switchable forward who can score inside and out.
Drake Powell (6.0 PPG) — Defensive specialist from day one. His scoring will come, but his ability to guard 1-3 made him a rotation fixture.
Ben Saraf (6.3 PPG, 3.1 APG) — The youngest player on the roster at 19. Crafty scorer who needs to add muscle but shows NBA-level skill.
Key Trades During Season
- February 5, 2026: Acquired Ochai Agbaji from Toronto, Hunter Tyson from Denver, Josh Minott from Boston. Waived Cam Thomas and Haywood Highsmith. Continued accumulating young players and clearing veterans.
Season Finale
The Nets closed out in Toronto on April 13, 2026 with a 136-101 blowout loss. Scottie Barnes posted his ninth career triple-double (18 pts, 12 reb, 12 ast) as the Raptors clinched their first playoff berth in four seasons. The Nets had little to play for — their lottery position was already set. Final record: 20-62, landing the #3 lottery slot.
The Josh Minott Emergence
Acquired from Boston in the February trade, forward Josh Minott (age 23, $2.4M) quietly put together a case for inclusion in the young core conversation. A NY Post feature on April 14, 2026 asked directly: "Is it time to think about Josh Minott as part of the Nets' young core?" — calling him potentially "the best player of the lot" among Brooklyn's record haul of first-round rookies. While all eyes were on Demin, Traore, and Clowney, Minott's performance warranted attention heading into the offseason.
The MPJ Effect
Michael Porter Jr. at 24.2 PPG gave the Nets a legitimate offensive engine. His presence meant the rookies weren't asked to carry the load offensively — they could develop at their own pace while learning from a proven scorer. His 30+ point games kept some entertainment value on a 20-win team.
Related
- 2025 NBA Draft
- Michael Porter Jr.
- Cameron Johnson
- Kevin Durant Trade Tree
- Sean Marks
- Nets Pick Inventory
- Josh Minott
- 2026 Draft Positioning
- MPJ Trade Buzz
Open Questions
- Which rookies make the leap in Year 3 (2026-27)? Can Demin take the next step?
- Is Josh Minott part of the long-term core, or just a solid rotation piece?
- Does MPJ get traded to a contender in the 2026 offseason, and what does Brooklyn get back?
- Will the Nets tank again in 2026-27, or start competing for the play-in? Sean Marks is deliberately noncommittal on the timeline.