Joe Tsai Says Nets 'Hope to Get a Good Pick' in 2026 NBA Draft, Talks Team's Strategy

With expectations low for the Brooklyn Nets heading into the 2025-26 season, team governor Joe Tsai has an eye on the 2026 NBA draft.

"We have one (first-round) pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick," Tsai said during an appearance on the All-In podcast (h/t RealGM). "So, you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season. But we have a very young team."

The Nets posted a 26-56 finish during their 2024-25 campaign, marking their worst record since the 2016-17 season.

A silver lining was the 2025 draft, as the Nets entered with five first-round picks. They used their draft capital to select guard Egor Dëmin, guard Nolan Traore, guard Ben Saraf, center Danny Wolf and forward Drake Powell.

While the incoming rookies could develop into key building blocks for Brooklyn moving forward, their impact on the court may not translate to wins right away.

The Nets also didn't make many blockbuster additions during the offseason, trading sharpshooter Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for forward Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick on June 30.

It'll be interesting to see how Porter fares without playing alongside Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić, as Jokić's average of 10.3 passes per game to Porter last season was more than twice as much as any other connection between Porter and his former teammates (via NBA.com).

Cam Thomas will also be back in Brooklyn after signing his one-year qualifying offer worth $6 million on Sept. 4.

If the Nets find themselves back in the lottery in 2026, they'll have a chance to select one of several intriguing prospects. In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, Brooklyn chose BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 3 overall pick.

The Nets will open the regular season against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 22.