The Brooklyn Nets’ 2025-26 season was built around losing on purpose, and on the court it worked: the team finished 20-62, the third-worst record in the NBA. But the rebuild’s payoff stalled in May, when the Nets fell to the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery despite holding one of the best sets of odds in the room.

A season of losing by design

After back-to-back rebuilding years — 32-50 in 2023-24 and 26-56 in 2024-25 — Brooklyn leaned fully into a teardown in 2025-26. The 20-62 finish was the franchise’s lowest win total in years and reflected a roster stripped of veterans and stocked with developmental pieces.

The headline of the season was supposed to be Brooklyn’s haul of draft capital. The Nets had used five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, an NBA record, headlined by guard Egor Dёmin at No. 8 out of BYU. The class was the long-term thesis of the rebuild: accumulate young talent now, contend later.

Dёmin’s promising, shortened rookie year

Dёmin delivered the most encouraging individual story. The guard appeared in 52 games with 45 starts, averaging 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 25.2 minutes per night. His shooting stood out: his 124 three-pointers ranked second among all NBA rookies and second-most by a rookie in franchise history, and his 38.5% mark from deep was the best by a qualified rookie in Nets history.

The season ended early for him, though. Brooklyn announced Dёmin would miss the remainder of the year with plantar fasciitis in his left foot — a setback, but one that did not dim optimism about his long-term fit.

The lottery letdown

The math favored Brooklyn going into the May 2026 lottery. The Nets carried a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance at a top-four selection — better than even odds to land a franchise-altering prospect. Instead, the ping-pong balls broke against them, dropping Brooklyn to the No. 6 pick.

The Washington Wizards won the lottery and the No. 1 overall pick. The top of the 2026 class is regarded as deep, headlined by BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer — the kind of prospects a 20-win team had hoped to be drafting. At No. 6, the Nets will still add a meaningful piece, but not the top-tier name the season’s record had positioned them to chase.

What comes next

The lottery slip does not end Brooklyn’s rebuild, but it complicates the timeline. The Nets entered the offseason with the sixth pick, a young core anchored by Dёmin, and the salary-cap flexibility that comes from shedding veteran contracts. The question is whether ownership and the front office stay patient with a slow build or use their assets to accelerate.

For a borough that has not had a deep playoff run in years, the 2025-26 season was always about the future rather than the present. The 20-62 record was the cost of admission; the No. 6 pick was a reminder that even a well-executed tank carries no guarantees.

Verification

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Brooklyn's 2025-26 record?
20-62, the third-worst record in the NBA, after a deliberate rebuilding season.
Where did the Nets pick in the 2026 draft?
No. 6. They entered the lottery with a 14% chance at the top pick and a 52.1% chance at a top-four selection, but fell to sixth.
Who won the 2026 draft lottery?
The Washington Wizards secured the No. 1 overall pick in a class headlined by BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
How did Egor Dёmin's rookie season go?
The No. 8 pick averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists over 52 games (45 starts) before plantar fasciitis in his left foot ended his season. His 124 three-pointers ranked second among NBA rookies.