Joe Tsai Says Securing Strong 2026 First-Round Pick Is Nets’ Top Objective
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Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai said on October 11, during a panel hosted by the All-In Podcast, that the franchise is focused on landing a high first-round selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.
“We’re in a rebuilding year,” Tsai told the audience. “We have one first-round pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So, you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season.”
The remark follows an offseason in which Brooklyn, the only NBA team with significant cap space, absorbed unwanted contracts instead of adding veteran talent. General manager Sean Marks used that flexibility to collect future assets, leaving the roster anchored by five 2025 first-round selections: Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traore (No. 19), Drake Powell (No. 22), Ben Saraf (No. 26) and Danny Wolf (No. 27).
With those additions, Brooklyn is projected to field the NBA’s youngest team in 2025/26. Oddsmakers have set the club’s over/under at 20.5 wins after consecutive seasons of 32 and 26 victories. Marks has already moved on from veterans Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson, signaling a commitment to player development over immediate results.
The NBA generally discourages public comments suggesting an intent to lose games, and Tsai’s statement about “predicting” the team’s strategy could draw scrutiny from the league office.
Source: Hoops Rumors
