Brooklyn Nets Among Toughest Teams to Predict in 2026-27 Season

The Nets made some moves this offseason, and it's made them one of the biggest wild cards in the association.

Apr 7, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) looks on in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets are set for another season, and there are many different directions it could go.

Over the offseason, the Nets made some intriguing moves as they look to compete for a play-in spot next season. Getting to the postseason hasn’t been in the cards for the Nets over the past few years, but Brooklyn could be ready to get back into the mix as Julius Randle, Mikel Brown Jr. and others look to make an impact in their first season with the franchise. 

In a recent Bleacher Report article predicting whether each team will be better or worse next season, Greg Swartz projected the Nets to improve from their 2025-26 campaign. While that better or worse pick was quite easy, as noted by Swartz, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team.

“The Brooklyn Nets have no incentive to lose this season, as the Houston Rockets own the right to swap their 2027 first-round pick for Brooklyn's,” Swartz wrote. “Plugging in Julius Randle at power forward gives the Nets a pair of big-time scorers along with Michael Porter Jr., and the five first-round picks from 2025 will have an offseason of development.

“Brown should start right away and is the best prospect this team has had to build around in years. There's actually some depth here with the signings of Wagner and Ellis as well. 

This isn't a playoff team by any means, but the Nets should easily cruise past 20 wins.”

The Nets’ outlook going into next season is simple, but the possibilities for next season are quite complicated. The Nets have been one of the worst teams in the league over the past few years, and the 2026-27 season should end that, but the real question is to what extent.

As Swartz mentioned, surpassing last season’s 20-win threshold should be easy, and Brooklyn may even be able to hit that mark as early as January if things go well. While the depth of the East and the Nets’ recent history have made Swartz's assumption that Brooklyn won’t be a playoff team a popular one, there should be plenty of optimism that the Nets could be a surprise team in the postseason mix.

In any case, getting past the 20-win mark from 2026 should be no issue, but getting into the 40-win range and making some real noise in the standings could be where things get difficult.