The Nets Are Going to Have Some Competition At the Bottom of the Standings

Many teams around the league are seeing the early stages of a lost season, which means Brooklyn will have plenty of franchises competing for a top draft pick.

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Tyrese Martin (13) and Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Not much needs to be said about the Brooklyn Nets' 1-10 start to the 2025-26 NBA season. Almost everyone knew how poorly they were going to perform considering the talent pool on the roster, and they're direction is more clear than any other team in the league.

As the Nets rebuild, though, one thing to note is that despite having one loss, they're still tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, and would technically be third in the lottery standings. The Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards share the same record.

It seems that while Brooklyn believed it would be way below the rest of the league, the team actually has some competition in the race to the No. 1 overall pick.

The Dallas Mavericks, who just fired general manager Nico Harrison, are an abysmal 3-8. According to The Athletic, there is league-wide speculation that the Mavericks could trade Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving very soon. Both are injured, and Dallas could move into a hard reset with the addition of Cooper Flagg.

Along with the Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and other West teams are realizing how much better the rest of the conference is than they are. By the trade deadline, there's a good chance we'll know of at least seven or eight teams gunning for a top pick in June, which means the Nets will have some hefty competition.

Of course, there are the organizations that are royally screwed, like the LA Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans, because they don't have their 2026 first-round pick. However, just because they want to win doesn't mean they won't lose.

Brooklyn has a leg up with the lack of established talent on the roster. With Egor Demin, Drake Powell and the rest of the rookies starting to get more minutes under Jordi Fernandez, the Nets are playing into the opportunity of development. Naturally, losing comes with that.

Still, we've seen the lottery go completely haywire and favor a team toward the back of the order. Sure, you'd want the best odds possible, but nothing is guaranteed. The Nets are not only expected to finish with a league-high 14% chance of the No. 1 pick, but they also deserve it considering what they need right now (a franchise player).

While the top of the standings is getting interesting as the early season carries along, the bottom could get just as hectic later on. The NBA is already getting polarizing in terms of records, and the Nets are in a race to finish last.