What Would Disappointing 2026-27 Season Look Like for Brooklyn Nets?

The Nets are in an interesting spot going into next season, and a disappointing year could be on the table.

Feb 5, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez talks to guard Egor Demin (8) during the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets don’t have much pressure going into next season, but a disappointing season is still a possibility.

The Nets have been one of the league’s most overlooked teams throughout the offseason, but their activity has set them up for an intriguing 2026-27 campaign. With Julius Randle coming over in a trade, Mikel Brown Jr. being selected at No. 6 and Keon Ellis and Moe Wagner signing as free agents, the Nets have quietly revamped and built a team that could compete in the Eastern Conference next season.

After tanking the last few seasons, the Nets will be looking to compete for a play-in spot next season, albeit not by choice. The Nets’ 2027 first-round pick is set to go to Houston via pick swap from the 2021 James Harden trade. 

That means that Brooklyn will have no incentive to tank next season, but it also sets up one of a couple of scenarios where the Nets’ season could be considered disappointing. Obviously, if the Nets’ internal development goes according to plan and the team is competitive throughout all 82 games, the season can’t exactly be a disappointment from what Brooklyn can control.

However, with the new lottery odds in place, there’s a real chance that the Nets will hand the Rockets a pick with the best odds at the No. 1 pick. While it may not necessarily be a true disappointment if the Rockets end up with a top pick, it would certainly hurt for Brooklyn to see its pick finish near the top after its poor lottery luck in recent years.

The other end of the spectrum of disappointment wouldn’t be measured in wins and losses, but by the development of the young core. Perhaps Michael Porter Jr. and Randle leading the Nets to 40-ish wins would make it tough for the season to be a disappointment, but if guys like Egor Demin, Brown and Day’Ron Sharpe don’t show encouraging signs, it could be a lost season.

The Nets’ young core having poor seasons would be a true disappointment in any season, but it also ties back into the first reason, as not having a pick would mean no payoff for their struggles. There’s no pressure on the Nets to make the postseason or tank next season, but if they get stuck in the middle without any promising performances from their recent picks or their 2027 pick lands at the top of the lottery, 2026-27 will go down as a disaster.