Could the Nets turn into buyers at some point during next NBA season?

The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2026 NBA offseason with the goal of improving the roster as much as possible while maintaining salary cap flexibility in the early stages of its rebuild. Brooklyn made various moves over the course of the summer, including trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, but there are some who are wondering if the Nets could become buyers at some point next season.

“The Brooklyn Nets are in a weird position. Interest among New York fans could be at an all-time low with the Knicks winning the 2026 title,” Greg Swartz wrote for Bleacher Report when discussing the biggest question regarding Brooklyn at the moment. At the moment, the Nets are considered to be a rebuilding team that will likely remain sellers until further notice, but that could change if they play better than expected next season.

“There’s not enough sure-fire young talent on this roster to bring new fans on board and veterans like Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. were salary-dumped onto this rebuilding Nets roster,” Swartz continued. “Brooklyn has to be competitive, however, as the Houston Rockets have the right to swap 2027 first-round picks as the last remaining piece of the 2021 James Harden trade.”

As Swartz noted, the Nets are in a position where they will have some stiff competition in the Eastern Conference, especially with players like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard (potentially) leaving the West. By all accounts, the broader NBA community expects Brooklyn to once again be one of the worst teams in the league next season and they still owe their 2027 first-round pick to the Houston Rockets.

Pairing Randle with forward Michael Porter Jr. should improve the Nets’ offense compared to last season, but how many games the team wins will depend on how well center Day’Ron Sharpe and guards Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. perform next to those veterans. If Brooklyn gets out to a fast start or is more competitive than initially projected, it’s fair to wonder if general manager Sean Marks would change his mind about remaining patient.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could the Nets turn into buyers at some point during next NBA season?