How the Knicks’ Blueprint Could Help the Brooklyn Nets Build a Winner

The Brooklyn Nets could take a page from their crosstown rivals' playbook.

May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks pose with the 2026 Eastern Conference trophy after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

In case you haven't heard, the New York Knicks are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.

It was just seven years ago when the Brooklyn Nets were the toast of the Big Apple, landing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency before pushing more chips to the table to bring in James Harden.

However, the Knicks didn't completely fade to irrelevance, as the team brought in Julius Randle, who developed into an All-NBA player that same offseason.

The Knicks eventually capitalized on the opportunity to sign Jalen Brunson, who has defied many odds to become one of the best players in the league.

The Knicks slowly brought in Brunson's Villanova buddies, such as Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges. DiVincenzo was packaged with Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns in a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Bridges trade could still help accelerate the Nets' rebuild after acquiring five first-round picks, but at this point, it's hard to argue that the Knicks lost the deal.

The Knicks also loaded up their wing depth, especially defensively, with their trade for OG Anunoby, sacrificing RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

Though the Knicks benefited from Brunson taking a $113 million pay cut and managing to team him up with some of his best teammates from two championship-winning teams at the collegiate level, the team still managed to execute several opportune moves and navigate the highs and lows of a season in the world's most hostile sports media market.

Trading Randle, Barrett, Quickley, and especially DiVincenzo was not popular among many Knicks fans. Heck, many of them weren't even sold on Brunson becoming the top dog of a team.

However, the ends justified the means, and the Nets could find themselves in a similar position in the coming years.

There may be a time when the Nets need to overpay and move on from one of their young players, multiple draft picks, and fan favorites to bring in a role player.

The Nets may also need to get creative on the free agency market and explore a young player, such as Ajay Mitchell, who could seek more money in his next contract and break out in a bigger role.

The bottom line is that the Knicks largely built their team on opportune moves rather than through the draft, and that's a blueprint the Nets may need to follow.