The Nets haven’t taken a straight path the past few years, but as 2026 approaches, there’s a clearer sense of where they’re headed. The results aren’t always there yet, but the growth, the youth and the direction all feel real. With a new year here, it’s a good time to look at what Nets fans can be grateful for right now.
1. THE FOUNDATION OF YOUNG TALENT
It’s clear that Brooklyn didn’t just draft a bunch of randoms in June. They drafted a direction. Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf have each had their own moments already, some in spurts with the big club and others in extended G League runs. You can see their confidence growing. You can see the outlines of what they might become. And that’s not even getting into Noah Clowney’s third-year leap.
For a franchise that’s spent years chasing stars, there’s something refreshing about watching a young core learn, fail, respond and slowly figure out what they can be. Yes, they’re raw. Yes, they’re inconsistent. But they’re also the clearest sign of long-term hope the Nets have had in quite some time.
2. MICHAEL PORTER’S SURGE
Brooklyn traded for Porter to give the offense structure and scoring. What they didn’t know was that he’d show up ready to carry the team most nights, rediscovering the blend of size, touch and shot-making that once made him one of the league’s most promising young wings.
Porter has been everything the Nets needed and more, and someone the rookies can lean on. With the ball back in his hands, he’s showing just how good he can be.
3. JORDI FERNANDEZ’S LEADERSHIP
Fernández walked into a chaotic situation and gave the group something it desperately needed: clarity. And while the record won’t tell the whole story, the structure is there. Roles are defined. Expectations are firm. And the messaging doesn’t shift with every small winning streak or lengthy losing skid.
Fernández pushes the rookies without suffocating them, lets veterans lead without letting them dominate the process and sets standards that actually stick. Brooklyn hasn’t played perfect basketball, but it has played purposeful basketball under Fernández. That alone is a win.
4. A FRONT OFFICE THINKING LONG TERM
It’s not easy for a franchise to come out of a superstar era and show any kind of patience, but Brooklyn has at least taken some early steps in that direction. They’ve stayed flexible, added draft capital and avoided the kind of quick fixes that usually backfire.
The Nets currently hold 13 future first-round picks and 19 seconds, and with trade season just getting started, they’re reportedly open to adding even more. What they do with that flexibility still has to be proven, but it gives them options, whether that means continuing to develop the Flatbush Five or being ready if the right star becomes available.
For now, they’re not sprinting. They’re trying to build something sustainable.
5. A FAN BASE THAT’S STILL SHOWING UP
The Nets have been through just about every phase a franchise can cycle through, and the fan base has taken the ride with them. Barclays Center still responds when the youth movement checks in. The debates are still loud, the interest is still real and the sense of possibility hasn’t disappeared.
For a team trying to build something, maybe for the first time in a long time, that kind of steady engagement matters.
