Brooklyn was ranked No. 27 in ESPN’s Future NBA Power Rankings

Two and a half years removed from the end of the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era, The Brooklyn Nets are in the early stages of a rebuild. As the Nets try to land a top draft pick this season, they will look to take a step up next year with their first round pick going to the Houston Rockets. ESPN isn’t bullish on the team’s ability to turn things around quickly.

Power outlet recently released its future power rankingsassessing each team’s three-year outlook. Brooklyn came in at 27th

“The Nets struck gold last summer when they hired coach Jordi Fernandez, who immediately proved to be an asset,” Tim Bontemps wrote. “But the Nets, who were clearly aiming for the bottom last season after returning their draft picks from the Houston Rockets last summer, were one of several teams that had bad lottery luck falling to eighth. The Nets, who have the league’s worst roster, are in the bottom 10 for the third year in a row.”

To determine the rankings, analysts Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks and Bontemps rated each team against the rest of the league in five categories: current players, league situation, future draft picks, market desirability and management.

Can the Nets set themselves up for future success as they move forward in their rebuild?

It should come as no surprise that Brooklyn ranks at the very top of the league in cap space (1st), future draft picks (2nd) and market (7th). The Nets were the only NBA team with significant cap space this summer, and they retained much of that flexibility. They also have the top 12 first-round picks in the NBA over the next seven years.

However, Brooklyn finished at the bottom of the league in players (30th) and management (25th). A year after trading Mikal Bridges and reacquiring their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from the Houston Rockets, The Nets made an NBA record five picks in the first round in the June draft. The team’s draft drew widespread criticism, with many questioning the decision to keep all five picks and select international point guards.

Aside from draft picks, the Nets have few, if any, foundational pieces on their roster. Veterans Michael Porter Jr., Nick Claxton, Terrence Mann and Haywood Highsmith have had respectable starts to their careers. However, it is unclear whether they can fit into Brooklyn’s rebuilding timeline.

Meanwhile, younger prospects like Cam Thomas and Dai’Ron Sharpe show promise but still have questions about their skills.

The 2026 draft will play a significant role in shaping Brooklyn’s future. The team seems destined for top lottery odds amid an 0-5 start. If the Nets can secure the top three picks and one of the top prospects in the class — Derrin Peterson, AJ Dibanst or Cam Boozer — they’ll rank significantly higher in ESPN’s rankings next year.