The Brooklyn Nets have an intriguing 2024-25 NBA season ahead of them. The Nets are heading in a different direction than they were a season prior. Trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks during the 2024 offseason is reaping the crucial benefit of allowing the team to focus on talent development. But how likely is it that Brooklyn's rising stars lead them to an improved finish in the Eastern Conference?
The answer to the previous question depends on how much the Nets value their 2025 NBA Draft pick. In June of 2024, Brooklyn received their 2025 pick swap back from the Houston Rockets and a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for draft assets mostly stemming from their Kevin Durant-Phoenix Suns trade.
If the Nets play their cards right, they could be in line to select a generational talent in the 2025 draft. Duke Basketball forward Cooper Flagg is seen as the consensus No. 1 overall pick for the draft, and his two-way talent could massively benefit the Nets' rebuild. To have a shot at Flagg or another top prospect, Brooklyn would need to "tank" or lose a substantial amount of games to increase their odds of getting a top pick in the draft lottery. With this in mind, Brooklyn's chances of improving upon their 2023 showing in the East are slim.
Brooklyn Nets 2024-25 record, Eastern Conference prediction
The Nets finished the 2023-24 season with a 32-50 record, which placed them 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. Their finish was underwhelming, considering the abundance of two-way players and Defensive Player of the Year-caliber players they possessed. Trading Mikal Bridges and regaining their 2025 first-round pick has dampened Brooklyn's 2024-25 expectations.
Thus, it is reasonable to expect the Nets to finish with lower than 30 wins during the 2024-25 NBA season.
Final regular season record prediction: 22-60, 13th place in the Eastern Conference.
The last time Brooklyn won less than 30 games was during the 2017-18 season when they went 28-54 and finished 12th in the East. The year was tough, but fans got the ride of a lifetime one season later when the group's chemistry and talent began to bloom. The Nets went 42-40 in 2018-19 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Could Brooklyn's 2024-25 rebuilding efforts take a similar turn? It will be exciting to watch the Nets' young players develop and build greater connections with each other during this exciting franchise period.