The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2025-26 NBA season with a 20-62 record, potentially earning them a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They are also considering extending Michael Porter Jr.'s contract as they prepare for the upcoming training camp.
The Brooklyn Nets have wrapped up their 2025-26 NBA season in which they finished with a disappointing 20-62 record that could award them with the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. For Brooklyn to have the privilege of choosing between BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, or Duke forward Cameron Boozer, however, they will have to get lucky in the Lottery.
Be that as it may, there are other matters for general manager Sean Marks and the Nets to address prior to September's training camp and one of those could be whether they extend forward Michael Porter Jr. Porter expressed during his exit interview on Monday that he would like to sign a long-term deal with Brooklyn given his experience with the team this season while Marks indicated that extension talks with Porter is on their list, so to speak.
The Nets ended the regular season with the third-worst record in the league, meaning that their pick in the upcoming Draft could be as high as No. 1 or as low as No. 7. Where Brooklyn lands in the Draft could determine what they do for the rest of the summer, but it's interesting to ponder if they are done acquiring first-round picks as Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley explores one hypothetical scenario between the Nets and Golden State Warriors:
Nets receive: No. 11 pick, Kristaps Porzingis (sign-and-trade) and Brandin Podziemski
Warriors receive: Michael Porter Jr.
The Nets still have to decide what they're going to do with Porter, but they may have to make that decision this offseason given that he is eligible for a contract extension. ESPN's Bobby Marks noted recently that Porter is eligible to sign a four-year, $234 million ($58.5 million per year) extension this summer, but time will tell if Marks and the front office want to sign him to that much money.
Porzingis, 30, is having a down season this year compared to the past few seasons, but he's still averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 33.8% from behind the three-point line for the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. Porzingis is currently playing on the last year of his current contract so the Nets would have to engage in a sign-and-trade scenario to acquire him, as Buckley noted.
Podziemski, 23, is having the best season of his career since being drafted with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft as he's averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the floor and 37.1% from deep. Podziemski has a team option for the 2026-27 season worth $5.6 million and he could be another guard option for head coach Jordi Fernandez to work with.
Ultimately, Porter did plenty to address Brooklyn's need for scoring and rebounding and given that the Nets do not want to undergo another long rebuild, he could stay just for the sake of the franchise needing to make it to the postseason. The Nets do not have control of their 2027 first-round pick as the Houston Rockets own swap rights so Brooklyn has no incentive to continue rebuilding so that could be one more reason to hold onto Porter.
Prediction: No, the Nets should not do this trade.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could the Nets acquire the 11th pick in 2026 NBA Draft from Warriors?
The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2025-26 NBA season with a record of 20-62.
The top prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft that the Nets might consider include BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
The Nets' third-worst record means their draft pick could range from No. 1 to No. 7, significantly impacting their strategy for the summer.
Yes, the Nets are considering extending Michael Porter Jr.'s contract, as he expressed interest in signing a long-term deal with the team.
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