Rookie emergence and MPJ's scoring offer glimmers, but Brooklyn eyes lottery positioning over near-term wins. Draft lottery focus intensifies.
The Brooklyn Nets have had little to look forward to throughout their 2025-26 campaign, though the development of rookie talents and Michael Porter Jr.'s All-Star level emergence continue to add a tinge of excitement.
Sitting at 15-38 on the season, Brooklyn's had little to compete for since coming down from a wonderful performance in the month of December (7-4 rec., No. 1 ranked 105.4 defensive rating). All focus has shifted to the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.
Tanking-related headlines and conversations began to dominate the NBA in the days and weeks prior to the 2026 All-Star Break, and the Nets are certainly a team to monitor as a group wishing to land a favorable spot in the lottery.
In other words -- Do not expect plenty more victories through the Nets' remaining 29 games.
Losing (in an ethical fashion) will be the name of the game for Brooklyn, and Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes evidently shared the same opinion while predicting the final records for all 30 NBA teams. From Hughes' perspective, Porter Jr.'s involvement down the stretch could be the only factor that changes the Nets' final win total.
"Michael Porter Jr. somehow stayed on the Brooklyn Nets' roster through the trade deadline, and his continued presence means there'll be at least one game-ready veteran scorer on the floor whenever he plays," Hughes wrote Monday.
"The Nets' ability to crack 20 wins may depend on how often he plays down the stretch," Hughes continued.
"Odds are, Brooklyn will prioritize draft position and take it easy with MPJ's minutes. He'll be a hugely valuable trade chip this offseason -- or a potential keeper since the Nets don't control their 2027 first-rounder -- but only if he stays healthy."
The Nets' focus will return to stacking wins and fighting for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture in 2026-27, with Porter Jr. (25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds) likely remaining a part of that effort. For now, Hughes' prediction of a 19-63 record for the franchise reflects their goals of landing a franchise-altering prospect in the draft.
Whether it be University of Kansas standout Darryn Peterson, BYU's AJ Dybantsa or Duke University's Cam Boozer, Brooklyn would view landing one of the three as a massive success.
Their ability to actually come away with one of the top choices in a stacked draft class has not been determined, but there is still a clear goal despite the possibility of winning just four more games for the rest of the season.
There's a greater purpose to the 2025-26 campaign, but it will also be remembered as one that allowed to Nets to really get a vision for Egor Dëmin's potential, and one that gave Nola Traoré a chance to show why he was once a potential top-five pick.
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