Brooklyn Nets Shouldn't Get Caught Up in Next Season's Implications on 2027 Pick

The Nets could end up sending a top pick to Houston, but they shouldn't let that control their season.

Sep 26, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks talks to the media during media day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn is set for another season, and it can’t waste any time worrying about a pick situation it has little to no control over.

As the Nets look to return to playing competitive basketball and hope to make a push for a spot in the postseason, it’s important to remember exactly why the franchise is opting to take that route this season. Still relatively early in the rebuild given the young talent on the team, the Nets have effectively been thrust into playing competitive hoops next season, thanks to the team’s 2021 trade for James Harden.

In 2027, the Nets’ first-round pick will likely be headed to Houston, as the Rockets own the rights to swap picks. Given the NBA’s new lottery format, that could certainly sting the Nets.

Under the new format, the seven non-postseason squads that finish above the bottom three in the league will have the best odds at the No. 1 pick. Considering the moves Brooklyn has made this offseason, that range seems like a likely landing spot for the Nets.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, that would mean giving Houston a tie for the best odds at No. 1 and potentially losing out on a top pick. Under the new lottery format, teams also have restrictions on where they can land.

Teams can’t pick No. 1 in consecutive drafts or pick in the top three in three consecutive drafts. Given those restrictions and the new odds, it could open a door for Brooklyn to be incentivized to tank if it’s near the relegation zone and could fall into the bottom three records. 

However, that should be an absolute last-case scenario for the Nets, especially if they’re playing competitive basketball. Sure, if the Nets open the year 5-20, they should aim for the bottom three. But if Brooklyn ends up hovering around .500 and can stay in the play-in race through the midpoint of the season, it shouldn’t consider tanking at any point, even if the wheels eventually begin to fall off.

The Nets can’t worry about where their pick might fall and overthink things. Getting into the relegation zone would lower Brooklyn’s odds of being restricted when it controls its picks again in 2028 and beyond, but it also doesn’t guarantee any safety.

The Nets have been burned in the draft lottery over the past few seasons, and it could happen again next year, so staying competitive all season should be a priority for the Nets, even if there’s some case to be made to tank.