The season ends Sunday in Toronto vs the Raptors. The Nets are hoping for the best which is really the worst possible regular season record. Right now, barring some surprises, the Nets should finish top three with a 52.1% chance of a top four pick and a 14.0% chance at the overall No. 1.
The Draft Lottery will be held on May 10, a month from Friday, but in the meantime, there will be activity. Sean Marks and Jordi Fernandez will talk to the media and prospects will start to arrive at HSS Training
Center for workouts and interviews. With the Nets likely to be picking high, it’s hard to imagine anyone turning down a chance to show their wares to the Brooklyn brass. Indeed, it’s entirely possible that process could begin as early as Monday.
Bottom line: the next couple of months will be as consequential as the Summer of 2019 when they signed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan and drafted Nic Claxton (in the second round, it should be noted, with the Knicks pick.)
So, here…we… go!
—April 12: NBA regular season ends. The Nets lottery position will finally be known. Watch out for ties. If there is a three-way tie for 3rd, 4th and 5th spots, the Nets could drop to as low as 9th. The Nets two second round slots will also be known. Their own second will be determined by regular season records. The Nets also have the Clippers pick which is hovering at No. 42 but could move down.
—April 13: Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3:00 p.m. ET)
—April 13: The Nets annual end-of-season review which will feature Sean Marks, Jordi Fernandez and select players. Whether the early morning session — think 10:00 a.m. ET — will be fed live on the Nets official site is TBA.
—April 13: First prospects arrive at HSS Training Center for workouts and interviews. Expect upwards of 75 prospects to get the call.
—April 13: WNBA Draft. Liberty have only one pick at No. 41 in the third round, having previously traded away their first and second round picks. Draft is also big for trades.
—April 15-17: The Portsmouth Invitational, the first of the draft combines, will be held in Virginia. It’s basically an opportunity for college seniors to attract attention not just for the NBA Draft, but the for the G League Draft and ultimately Summer League and training camp invitations.
—April 14-17: NBA Play-In Tournament
—April 18: NBA Playoffs begin
—April 19: WNBA training camps open. Chris DeMarco, the Liberty’s new coach, gets started.
—April 25: New York Liberty first preseason game at Barclays Center vs. the Indiana Pacers and Caitlin Clark. Game time: 3:00 p.m. ET. It’ll be Clark’s first action since an injured groin ended her season on January 25.
—May 3: New York Liberty’s second preseason game, this one vs. the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville. Another afternoon start at 3:00 p.m. ET.
—May 8-10: NBA G League Combine in Chicago. NBA and G League executives and scouts will be on hand.
—May 8: WNBA Regular Season Tip-Off. New York Liberty hosts the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center. All WNBA dates of course assume that the league and players union have a deal on a new CBA by this date.
—May 10: NBA Draft Lottery. Biggest day in franchise history since … the Clean Sweep back in 2019, KD’s departure in 2023? Breathe in, breathe out. The actual selection will take place at halftime of a playoff game. Details TBA.
—May 10-17: NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Teams will be watching prospects get measured, participate in skills competitions, etc. and talking to them as well.
—June 1-17: WNBA Commissioner’s Cup tournament.
—June 5-7: Adidas Camp in Treviso, Italy, not far from Venice. The overseas equivalent of the NBA combine.
—June 24-25: Likely dates for the first and second round of the NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Sean Marks has made moves within 48 hours of the Draft nine times in his 10-year tenure as GM. No reason to think he won’t be active again this year.
—June 30: WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship
—July 1: Teams can approach free agents at 12:00 p.m. ET. Rumors of deals start to get reported at 12:01 p.m. Nets are currently projected to have as much as $50 million in cap space entering free agency, likely in top two or three.
—July 6: Free agent contracts can be signed, starting at 12:oo p.m. ET.
—July 6: Michael Porter Jr. eligible for a four-year $234 million extension starting in 2027-28. The final agreement is likely to be a bit smaller, but bigger than the $40.8 million he will make in 2026-27. One suggestion posed by Yossi Gozlan of capsheets.com is a contract starting at round $49 million then decreasing over the course of four years, offering the Nets more flexibility with cap space going forward.
—July 9-19: NBA Summer League, Las Vegas. Big outing for whoever the Nets take at the Draft, assuming he is healthy. Also expect
—July 24-25: WNBA All-Star Weekend (Chicago)
—August 31 – September 16: FIBA World Cup break for WNBA players, coaches.
—September 24: Last day of WNBA regular season.
