Brooklyn Nets Shouldn't Hesitate to Tank if Team Has Slow Start in 2026-27

The Nets don't control their pick in 2027, but they may still have incentive to tank.

Mar 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez looks on in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brooklyn is hoping to have a resurgent season, but it shouldn’t be afraid to blow it up quickly if it has a poor start.

Next season, the Nets will be looking to get themselves in the mix for a postseason spot in one of the deepest Eastern Conferences in recent memory. With the Nets making several moves this offseason to put themselves in a position to compete in the East, they may have a real shot at being a surprise team in 2027.

While the Nets may not have been ready to go all-in on competing just yet, they were forced into it by way of Houston controlling their 2027 first-round pick via swap. Without control of their first-round pick next year, the Nets seemingly have no incentive to tank.

However, that’s only partially true.

Obviously, the Nets’ primary goal next season should be to compete for a postseason spot with Julius Randle, Mikel Brown Jr. and others joining an intriguing young core. Balancing development with wanting to win could end up leaving Brooklyn on the outside of the postseason picture anyway, but if the Nets can stay within range all season, they should still be giving it their all for some postseason reps.

Of course, in the NBA, things don’t always go according to plan. The new additions could have a rocky time adjusting early, and the Nets could show they effectively have the same core from a team that won 20 games last season. 

If that ends up being the case and Brooklyn comes out of the gate like that and wins only around five of its first 20 games, it should be ready to bottom out. It might seem like the Nets wouldn’t benefit from tanking because of Houston controlling their pick, but the new lottery system gives a team in Brooklyn’s situation some potential incentive to tank.

In the new lottery system, the teams with the three worst records receive only two lottery balls, while the other seven teams that miss the postseason receive three. If Brooklyn starts quite slow and appears clearly out of the play-in race early, it would have some incentive to give itself only two lottery balls.

While the pick will go to Houston in 2027, the Nets will still control their picks moving forward, and they may be wise to try to avoid some of the penalties that could come from handing Houston a top pick. Under the new system, teams can’t land in the top three in three straight years or land the No. 1 pick in consecutive years. 

So, if Brooklyn starts slow and clearly isn’t ready to succeed, it may be wise to control the potential damage next season could have on future picks and land in the relegation zone.