Do the Brooklyn Nets Have the Best Future Among Rebuilding Teams?

A spike in draft capital is a sign for better days in Brooklyn.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

After Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti essentially ran circles around the league during the opening stages of their post-Russell Westbrook/Paul George era, a new blueprint was established.

It was no longer abnormal to leverage your entire existing roster for multiple first-round picks, and now the Thunder find themselves fresh off being the top seed in the Western Conference while still owning nine guaranteed first-rounders with the potential for that number to climb to 15.

Now, the Brooklyn Nets have Presti's blueprint. Their rebuild likely will not become the overnight success OKC's did, but given general manager Sean Marks' history, it's still possible. The five first rounders and one pick swap obtained in the Mikal Bridges trade is the perfect start, and mirrors Presti's decision to send George to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019.

Brooklyn has their foundation of future draft capital, now they must continue to build on it.

There is not another currently rebuilding team outside of potentially the Washington Wizards (Brooklyn gets the edge here due to location reasons) with better draft capital over the second half of the present decade. By summer's end, the Nets are projected to collect even more picks through trades, as Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith could each garner a first rounder on their own.

The trade market is in a strange position in this modern NBA, much like the massive contracts being handed to players who aren't considered "elite." Referencing Washington again, they just received two first rounders, two second rounders and Malcolm Brogdon for Deni Avdija, who is a great player, but commanded a hefty price tag.

If Marks can work his magic in discussions surrounding Johnson and Finney-Smith, the Nets will continue to challenge the Thunder for top-dog in the draft capital department.

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