The Brooklyn Nets are heading into the 2026-27 NBA season with the goal of improving on the 20-62 record that they finished with last season, ultimately granting them the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Brooklyn made a major addition to the rotation by trading for former Minnesota Timberwolves
forward Julius Randle, but there are some who believe the projected starting five will still struggle mightily."There might be disconnected timelines and competitions for touches here, but there could also be a (relatively) good amount of talent," Zach Buckley wrote of the Nets for Bleacher Report. The outlet put together its rankings of each NBA team with regards to its projected starting five and Brooklyn seems to be slightly better than the worse,
even after adding Randle.
"Randle has previously booked multiple All-Star trips, Porter posted All-Star numbers last season and the Brown-Demin backcourt looked as electric as any on this year's summer circuit," Buckley continued. "Sharpe's per-minute production suggests he could factor into the Most Improved Player race with a big spike in floor time after Nic Claxton's exit."
While head coach Jordi Fernandez has no indicated what the starting lineup will be, it's safe to assume that it will be Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Randle, and Day'Ron Sharpe. Porter and Randle will be the standouts in the starting five with Brown, Demin, and Sharpe having to show that they can be productive members within a formidable NBA rotation.
Porter is coming off the best season of his career, Randle has made the All-Star Game multiple times, and Demin and Sharpe have shown what they're capable of when they find their groove. Brown, whom the Nets selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft, will have to adjust to playing point guard in the NBA while developing on the fly. However, there's a chance that this starting five could surprise some people around the league depending on how training camo goes.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' projected starting five ranked 26th in the NBA this season
