What to Make of the Brooklyn Nets at the NBA All-Star Break

With NBA All-Star Weekend officially here, the Brooklyn Nets will have a lengthy break before returning to the court next week. More than halfway through the 2025-26 regular season, they're exactly where fans expected them to be.

At 15-38, Brooklyn is the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference, but just 1.5 games behind, landing the best odds at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Ethics of tanking aside (because at this point it would be silly not to take advantage of league rules), the Nets are in a good spot for a multitude of reasons.

For one, Brooklyn is seeing impressive development from many of its rookies. The organization drafted five players in the first round of last year's draft, and most have shown promise with big-time performances.

Egor Dёmin, the No. 8 overall pick, has been in contention for an All-Rookie team, putting up 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on nearly 40% shooting from three. He has been one of the league's better shooters in year one.

Nolan Traoré, who took a little bit of time to find his footing in the G League at the start of the season, has become a major name to watch as of late. The French point guard has had breakout performances over his last four games, averaging 17.3 points, three rebounds and eight assists in that stretch.

Drake Powell and Danny Wolf have become regular rotation pieces, while Ben Saraf has been mostly underwhelming. However, the future is bright when looking at the pieces the Nets already have. When you look down the road, things only get more promising.

Michael Porter Jr. has been a fantastic star in Brooklyn, which could result in his departure this offseason via trade. The 27-year-old has been an elite scorer (25 points per game on 47-39-85 shooting splits), and while he was nearly moved at the Feb. 5 trade deadline, there's now a chance he ends becomes a part of the organization's future.

The Nets have 12 first-round picks between 2026 and 2032, but this year's could be the most important by far. With such a generational class ready to enter the NBA, Brooklyn could get its next franchise superstar as late as the backend of the first round.

This group is expected to lose games, but that should only benefit them later on. The Nets are showing great development regarding their young talent, with the chance to stack up on that even more. The league's race to the bottom has already begun, but Brooklyn is in a good spot.