Nets Might Have Serious Competition in Race for Top Lottery Odds

Brooklyn could be one of many looking to land the top pick in 2026.

Nov 14, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez motions to the court during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the worst teams in the league thus far, but that might not be enough to accomplish their goals for the season.

Coming into 2025-26, the Nets understood that this is one of the most important seasons the franchise has had in recent memory. With the future of the franchise effectively on the line, the Nets knew they couldn’t afford to do a half-tank like they tried last season.

Instead, Brooklyn went all in on tanking. Drafting five players in the first round and making some big deals throughout the offseason, such as the one that brought in Michael Porter Jr., the Nets set themselves up to be at the bottom of the East.

So far, that’s worked out well for the Nets. It’s hard to get much worse than two wins in 14 games, but clearly it’s not impossible. Before Indiana’s second win on Wednesday night, it was 1-13, and Washington still sits at 1-13. While that isn’t a huge issue this early in the season, the Nets’ two wins have come against those two teams, effectively showing that the Nets might be the best of the worst in the East.

With Brooklyn not controlling its 2027 first-round pick, this season’s tank is vital for the short-term outlook of the team as well. While all of the buzz for the race for No. 1 has come from the East, there could also be some real competition in the West.

While the Utah Jazz, the West’s only projected tanking team coming into the season, are playing solid basketball to start the year, some other squads might be better off abandoning their postseason hopes and going all-in on the tank. The Sacramento Kings are 3-12 and the New Orleans Pelicans (whose pick belongs to Atlanta) are 2-13. Meanwhile, the LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies all sit at four wins alongside Charlotte and could be one more wrong move away from truly entering this tanking race.

Considering the Western Conference slate will be more difficult, the teams in the East might have to be ready to go for a nasty tank toward the end of the year. While it’s frowned upon by the league and fans typically don’t enjoy it, the Nets can’t afford to lose out on great odds in a stacked draft because they won five more games.

It won’t be easy for the Nets to take control of the lottery race this season, but they need to do everything they can.

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