The Brooklyn Nets are going to look very completely different come the Fall.
The final 24 hours have utterly modified the complexity of the Nets’ roster. They traded longtime heart Nic Claxton in a three-team deal, acquiring forward Julius Randle in the course of. And then on Tuesday, Brooklyn selected Mikel Brown Jr. with the sixth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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With Randle and Brown now in the fold, the Nets are able to take a step ahead subsequent season. How will these two guys match with the present roster? Here’s a have a look at the Nets’ projected beginning lineup on opening evening.
PG: Mikel Brown Jr.
Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) was unfazed after he scored 45 factors with 10-for-16 3-point capturing as the Cards roll previous NC State 118-77 at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville February 9, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK through Imagn Images
Previous season stats: 18.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 34.4% 3P (at Louisville)
The Nets chosen Brown with the sixth total decide on Tuesday evening, and so they’ll ask their rookie guard to contribute immediately. The 6-foot-5 Louisville product was a dynamo scorer with the Cardinals final season. He confirmed a capability to attain at will, together with nice manufacturing from behind the arc.
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He has some upside defensively, however his predominant worth in the NBA will likely be on the offensive facet of the ball. Brown has primary choice upside at the subsequent stage, which the Nets will attempt to get out of him. He ought to begin immediately, assuming well being, and can get some open seems with the different choices on the roster.
Previous season stats: 10.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 38.5% 3P
Joining Brown in the backcourt will likely be Demin, the Nets’ 2025 lottery decide. The former BYU Cougar had some ups and downs as a rookie, however in the end confirmed a number of promise in Brooklyn. The most fun a part of his recreation was his three-point capturing, which was significantly better than many anticipated it might be.
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Standing at 6-foot-8, he has a ton of defensive upside. He’ll must work to show that the other way up into manufacturing. If the whole lot goes to plan, the Nets have their backcourt duo for the subsequent decade plus. Brown and Demin might be a franchise-changing backcourt if Brooklyn dietary supplements them with the proper items. The future is shiny at the guard place.
Previous season stats: 24.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 46.3% FG
Porter was impressive in his first season as a Net, almost being named an All-Star. He grew to become the number-one choice and delivered evening in and evening out with massive scoring outputs. He contributed in different areas of the recreation, too, getting on the glass and even meting out some assists. There are flaws to his recreation, however his scoring punch is one thing the Nets do not have elsewhere on the roster.
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The massive query with Porter is how lengthy he’ll keep in Brooklyn. The 27-year-old is getting into the ultimate season of his contract and will likely be a free agent subsequent Summer if he isn’t prolonged. The Nets might commerce him later this offseason or at the commerce deadline. Or they may lengthen him if issues go properly in the Fall. Porter’s future in Brooklyn is a large domino that can fall sooner or later.
PF: Julius Randle
Previous season stats: 21.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 48.1% FG (with Minnesota)
The Nets surprised the basketball world on Monday evening, buying Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Randle’s NBA inventory is low at the second following extra postseason struggles. If you transcend these struggles, there is a good participant in there. Randle is a floor-raiser, which is precisely what the Nets want subsequent season.
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Randle actively hunts for his shot offensively and may rating in any respect three ranges when he is at his finest. He’ll assist open up photographs for the younger backcourt starters and will fetch some extra belongings subsequent offseason if he performs properly. The Nets wish to win video games in the common season subsequent yr. Randle will assist them just do that.
C: Day’Ron Sharpe
Dec 23, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets heart Day’Ron Sharpe (20) controls the ball in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers throughout the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Previous season stats: 8.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 60.1% FG
With longtime Net Nic Claxton shipped off to Chicago in the Randle commerce, Brooklyn has a gap to fill at heart. Sharpe might be a seamless match there. He has a participant choice that the Nets will more than likely decide up, bringing him again to the group. He was wonderful off the bench final yr, at all times making hustle performs and giving most effort.
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Making the transfer from the bench to the beginning lineup might be troublesome, however it’s clear that Sharpe has the psychological make-up to succeed. The Nets do not want him to attain twenty factors an evening. They want him to play nice protection at the rim, seize boards, and play good basketball. If his 2025-26 season is any indication, he can present that for Brooklyn as a starter.
This article was initially printed on www.si.com/nba/nets/onsi as Predicting the Nets 2026-27 Opening Night Starting Lineup.