How Brooklyn Nets' 2027 Pick Situation Could be a Positive

The Nets don't own their pick next year, but it may not be a bad thing.

Sep 23, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks speaks at Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets may not be in an ideal situation going into next season, but their position could help save them from making a mistake.

Throughout the Nets’ tenure in Brooklyn, the franchise has been best known for its willingness to go all-in any time it believes championship contention is within reach. Unfortunately for the Nets, they’re also well known for their colossal failures when swinging for the fences.

Of course, their first big swing was the infamous deal to bring Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn in 2013. The picks that the Nets dealt to Boston in that deal eventually led to the Celtics landing Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, a duo that would lead their team to an NBA title in 2024.

However, that didn’t stop the Nets from making a similar mistake in 2021 after already having Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the squad. Instead of remaining content with that duo, the Nets opted to trade for James Harden, sending out a plethora of draft capital in the process.

While it’s been nearly half a decade since that era failed, the Nets are still paying for it, as their 2027 first-round pick is in Houston’s control via swap rights. Still facing the consequences from their big swing for Harden, who never played a full season in Brooklyn, the Nets may actually have learned from their mistakes this time around.

While Brooklyn has and likely will continue to come up in rumors every time a big-name star requests a trade or has tension with their current franchise, the Nets seem much more interested in seeing out their rebuild than they had in the past. Considering the Nets are still looking at the consequences of their actions from 2021, it’s much easier to understand how a shortsighted decision can cost a franchise for many years.

Not to say that Brooklyn would necessarily be wrong for making a big swing at some point in the next year or two, but its situation should make the Nets much more calculated in any big move. Having a constant reminder of what can happen if things go poorly is beneficial for the Nets, even if the actual reminder could be a crushing blow next summer.

Due to their past failures, any misfires Brooklyn has in big moves will be scrutinized heavily, and that alone could make the Nets more cautious in those situations. However, having an internal reminder of just how crushing a situation can be for a decision made over five years ago might be the best way to keep Brooklyn from making any bad moves.