As the year comes to a close, here are the moments that shaped up the year Brooklyn had.
The Brooklyn Nets won't take the court again until 2026. They'll kickoff the new year hosting the Houston Rockets -- but attempt to stretch their December roll into '26.
We've reached the conclusion of 2025. The year delivered multiple twists and turns on Brooklyn's side -- including fans wondering if trades would occur.
Luckily we're not writing a postmortem here even with the still dismal record. But we can trace back and think about the five moments in 2025 that helped define Brooklyn's year. Here we go in no particular order.
Nets load via NBA Draft
Holding five total draft selections in the first round sounds more like a stunt a desperate NFL contender would do.
Except the Nets held that many picks this past June...all of them in round one.
The history making moment allowed Sean Marks and Jordi Fernandez to build a brand new youth movement inside Barclays. Along came Egor Demin at No. 8, Nolan Traore at 19, Drake Powell landing 22nd overall, Ben Saraf at the 26th spot and finally, Danny Wolf going No. 27.
Michael Porter Jr. Arrives Next
The GM and head coach duo of Marks and Fernandez still chose a veteran to lead the new crop of Nets. So they turned to a past NBA title winner.
Michael Porter Jr. arrived nearly one month later via trade. Cam Johnson and a future first rounder in the 2032 draft became sacrificed in return on Brooklyn's side.
But Porter became a "dynamic shooting talent" added by Marks who was also set to increase the floor spacing.
Trade Talks Hover Above During Slow Start
Brooklyn entered the 2025-26 season either filled with promise or witnessing a youth movement that was going to take time.
The Nets started 3-16...sparking theories of a roster blow up. Even the newly added Porter Jr. rose as a trade idea. Same with Nic Claxton during the rigid beginning.
But along came this switch.
Nets Hit New Gear in Final Month
Porter launched his December delivering four consecutive 30-point evenings. Claxton stepped up as a rebounding machine. Even the Nets discovered a new sharpshooter in Demin.
The result was Brooklyn going 7-4 to close out December.
Claxton and Noah Clowney sparked the defensive charge. Porter and Demin handled the scoring load. Even Cam Thomas eventually returned to add to the point totals.
Porter, Demin Fuel 2026 Optimism
The NBA champ and prized draft find have grown their chemistry on the floor.
The collaboration of Clowney and Claxton have handed the Nets a defensive identity.
Heck, Marks may need to put his phone down after all and keep the roster he has in tact. Even Rashad McCants believes it'll be a hard move for Brooklyn to make trades. The Nets have a long way to go to get out of the Atlantic cellar, but this December roll has them thinking about a potential late playoff push.