The Brooklyn Nets had one of the more disappointing seasons in franchise history last season when they finished with a lowly 20-62 record that earned them the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Not only did Brooklyn use that pick to select guard Mikel Brown Jr., but they also traded for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. One of the front-office executives explained the state of the roster.
“It’s a work in progress. Unless you are the Thunder or the Spurs or the Knicks, I don’t know how you feel like you roster is ‘done’,” a Nets front office executive said, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. Brown and Randle were the major additions to the roster with players like forward Michael Porter Jr., guard Egor Demin, and center Day’Ron Sharpe looking to take a step forward as a unit next season.
“We probably still lean a little too young, to be honest. The good news is that adding guys like Julius (Randle), Keon (Ellis) and Moe (Wagner) will help these guys grow up a lot,” the Brooklyn front-office continued, per Smith. “Those are real, physical, sometimes nasty, NBA guys. I can’t wait to watch them help our young guys grow.”
As the front-office executive alluded to, the Nets will likely once again be one of the youngest teams in the NBA next season, especially after adding forwards Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau. Not only that, but even with Brooklyn adding guard Keon Ellis and reportedly bringing in center Mo Wagner, most of the rotation will include Brooklyn’s first-round picks over the past few seasons.
Youth doesn’t necessarily always equal losing in the NBA, but as general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernandez have said in the past, experience is one of the best ways for younger players to improve. The odds seem stacked against the Nets given how competitive the Eastern Conference looks at this point in the offseason, but it seems like the front-office still understands that the main goal is the success of this rebuild for the long-term.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets front-office exec speaks on state of the roster amidst rebuild
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
