Published for Nets fans — October 2026
By Toxlay Sports Editorial Team · Last updated October 19, 2026
The Club
The Brooklyn Nets are New York’s other team — and they like it that way. Founded in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans in the ABA, the franchise won ABA championships in 1974 and 1976 behind Julius Erving before joining the NBA. They reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 as the New Jersey Nets, then moved to Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2012, bringing their iconic black and white to the borough. The one thing still missing: an NBA championship. That’s the mountain this rebuild is climbing.
Last Season (2025-26): The Tank Year
20-62 — 13th in the East, third-worst record in the league. But last season wasn’t about wins; it was about exposure. The Nets made history as the first team in NBA history to make five first-round picks in a single draft (Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf), then led the entire league in rookie minutes — those five logged a combined 5,974 minutes. The average age was 23.8, tied for the youngest roster in the NBA. The bright spot: Michael Porter Jr., acquired from Denver the previous summer, broke out as a No. 1 option with a career-high 24.2 points per game — before a hamstring injury ended his season in March. It ended where the new one will pick back up: a 136-101 loss in Toronto.
Best Players Right Now (2026-27 Roster)
Michael Porter Jr., 28, Forward (#17) — The star. Career-high 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season in a 52-game breakout. In the final year of his deal ($40.8M) and extension-eligible — the most important storyline on the roster.
Julius Randle, 31, Forward/Center (#30) — The big offseason get. A three-time All-Star who has averaged 21.7 points and 8.9 rebounds over the past eight years; Brooklyn’s only current All-Star and the veteran co-leader of the rebuild.
Egor Demin, 20, Guard (#8) — The No. 8 pick of the 2025 draft. The 6’8″ Russian showed the most promise of last year’s rookie class (10.3 points, 3.3 assists) and projects as the starting point guard.
Mikel Brown Jr., 20, Guard (#0) — The No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft out of Louisville, where he averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists. Brooklyn’s highest draft pick in 16 years, penciled in as the starting backcourt partner next to Demin.
Day’Ron Sharpe, 24, Center (#20) — Finally the starter. Re-signed for two years and $20 million after years backing up Nic Claxton; an elite offensive rebounder getting his first real shot at the starting five.
Keon Ellis, 26, Guard (#1) — Signed for two years and $18 million from Sacramento. A point-of-attack defensive stopper who played under coach Jordi Fernández before.
Moritz Wagner, 29, Forward/Center (#13) — Signed for two years and $19 million. Veteran energy, physicality and second-unit scoring.
Nolan Traoré, 20, Guard (#10) — The young Frenchman brings speed and rim pressure; another piece of the 2025 five-pick class.
Danny Wolf, 22, Forward/Center (#2) — The “point center”: a 6’11” playmaker from Michigan who gives Fernández a unique weapon off the bench.
Drake Powell, 21, Guard/Forward (#4) — A plus athlete and gifted defender still honing his jumper.
Ben Saraf, 20, Guard — The fifth first-rounder. The Israeli playmaker is developing with the rookie group after the record draft.
Head coach: Jordi Fernández — Third season. Respected league-wide, he’s the developmental hand steering the youngest rotation in basketball.
Star Spotlight: Stories You Should Know
The 50-win prophecy. Michael Porter Jr. became the most entertaining Net on the internet this offseason when he went on N3on’s stream and declared Brooklyn would win 50 games in 2026-27 — a year after going 20-62. Social media ruthlessly mocked him. Instead of backing down, Porter doubled down weeks later: “Why not shoot for the stars? I think that the reason a lot of NBA players are where they are is from having delusional confidence.” Win total or not, that swagger is exactly what a young locker room needs.
Randle’s homecoming. The night before the 2026 NBA Draft, Brooklyn pulled the trigger on its biggest veteran move in years: acquiring three-time All-Star Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a four-team deal that sent Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls. Randle — a perennial 20-and-10 threat — is the co-headliner next to Porter, and whether the two forwards can share the ball will decide how real this rebuild is.
The Flatbush future. No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) is Brooklyn’s highest draft selection in 16 years, and he’ll start in the backcourt next to 20-year-old Egor Demin — a 2025 lottery pick with real star flashes. Add the record five first-rounders from 2025, 12 or more future first-round picks over the next seven years, and the Nets’ timeline is unmistakable: this season is about finding out which of these kids can be the guy.
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This Season (2026-27): Climb Out of the Basement
The tank is officially over — even if the odds are still long. Vegas set the win total at 24.5 (only Sacramento is lower), and Bleacher Report projects 22-60. But GM Sean Marks didn’t trade for Julius Randle and re-sign Sharpe to lose 62 again: with a veteran duo, a young starting backcourt, and coach Fernández’s development machine, the Nets are built to win more than 20 games. The preseason gave a taste: wins over Charlotte (124-90), Philadelphia (114-108) and Washington (131-122). And there’s an extra edge — Brooklyn must swap its first-round pick with Houston, so there’s no reward for losing. Time to compete.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Games to Watch
Wondering when the Nets play next? Circle these early-season dates — the rivalries get heated fast:
- October 21 — vs Charlotte Hornets (Barclays Center): Season opener at home — first look at the Randle-Porter-Demin-Brown Jr. era. Grab your Nets tickets and be there.
- October 27 — at Boston Celtics (TD Garden): The first real test, against a perennial East contender on their floor.
- November 2 — at New York Knicks (Madison Square Garden): The Battle of the Boroughs — defending champs, their building, all the city bragging rights.
- November 16 — vs Philadelphia 76ers (Barclays Center): LeBron James and Joel Embiid come to Brooklyn. The Nets already beat them 114-108 in preseason — can they do it when it counts?
- November 28 — at Toronto Raptors (Scotiabank Arena): Revenge trip to the building where last season’s nightmare ended 136-101.
Biggest Rivalries — The Wars
1. New York Knicks — THE battle of the boroughs. Same city, same media market, one championship drought apiece — except the Knicks just ended theirs in 2026. Beating the champs at the Garden on November 2 would be the win of Brooklyn’s season.
2. Philadelphia 76ers — Division foes with star power; LeBron’s Sixers visit Barclays on November 16 in a game the whole league will watch.
3. Toronto Raptors — East rivals going opposite directions; last season ended in Toronto, and this one runs back through it.
4. Boston Celtics — The benchmark. Every young East team measures itself against Banner-hunters in green — Brooklyn gets its first measuring stick on October 27.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Michael Porter Jr. really predict 50 wins for the Nets?
Yes — he declared on N3on's stream that Brooklyn would win 50 games after a 20-62 season, then doubled down weeks later: "Why not shoot for the stars?"
When the Nets play the Knicks in 2026-27?
November 2 at Madison Square Garden — the Battle of the Boroughs against the defending champions.
Who are the best Nets players right now?
Michael Porter Jr. (career-high 24.2 points per game last season), three-time All-Star Julius Randle and No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr.
What NBA draft record did the Nets set?
Brooklyn became the first team in NBA history to make five first-round picks in a single draft (2025), then led the league in rookie minutes.
Show Your Colors
Heading to Barclays Center or watching from home? True fans wear it. Gear up with quality fan sportswear — jerseys, tees and athletic wear built for real supporters:
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Sources & official links: Brooklyn Nets official site · Brooklyn Nets tickets
Brooklyn basketball — always forward. The rebuild is on.
