Why the Brooklyn Nets Have Rare Rebuild Opportunity

Brooklyn has the chance to set itself up for success in the near future.

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; The Brooklyn Nets team bench celebrate during the second half of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Most NBA teams entering rebuilds haven't had the unique opportunity that the Brooklyn Nets have right in front of them. Many franchises center the rebuild around one draft pick and then go from there, generally in an orderly fashion. The Nets are doing things differently at the moment.

It stems from Brooklyn having three generational stars all at the same time. Once the organization decided to move on from James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, it stockpiled young players and draft picks with each move made over the last few years.

Perhaps the grand prize didn't even stem from those three trades. The Nets eventually traded Mikal Bridges -- who was acquired in the original Durant trade -- for a war chest of first-round picks that set them up until the end of the decade. Not to mention, Cam Johnson, another piece from the Phoenix Suns, is expected to be moved this summer for a solid package.

But it isn't just the draft picks that give the Nets a bright future. They already have plenty of young pieces in place, including Cam Thomas (23), Jalen Wilson (24), Noah Clowney (20), and Day'Ron Sharpe (23). Only two players on the roster are over 26 years old: Johnson and D'Angelo Russell (both 29).

Additionally, if the Nets want to move some of their current pieces, they'd have enough cap space to make a splash in free agency. There are plenty of players set to hit the market this summer that fit Brooklyn's timeline, including Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Giddey. The organization can even more young assets by spending some money and locking in players for the future.

Brooklyn has all the tools to build a sustainable core for the next decade and will add some of the most important pieces in the 2025 NBA Draft with four first-round picks. It makes it even more perplexing why they'd want to target a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo, who doesn't fit the timeline.

The Nets may not be competitive right now, but there is a plan in place, and it's an extremely sustainable one. Brooklyn can afford to miss on some draft picks and signing and still have an immense amount of collateral to build something special.

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