The Brooklyn Nets are coming off their worst season in nearly a decade. It wasn’t a shock to anyone, as they were in the first true season of their rebuild under head coach Jordi Fernández.
Even with low expectations on the team and players, there’s always going to be some who leave fans wanting more. It’s slightly unfair to call some of the players on the youngest roster in the NBA disappointing, but these conversations need to start when the Nets could look to be competitive again as soon as next season.
1. Cam Thomas
From an outside perspective, Thomas’ numbers don’t tell the story of why he was a disappointing player this season. He averaged 15.6 points and 3.1 assists per game in 24 appearances for Brooklyn.
Thomas was waived by the Nets when a deal couldn’t be made at the trade deadline, was picked up by the Milwaukee Bucks for 18 games and was then waived again. It all came down to his regression and injury issues after a career year in the 2024-25 season.
The problem is that Thomas has been the same player his whole basketball career. He’s an elite scorer –– although terribly inefficient –– a ball stopper and a liability on the defensive end. This was a prove-it season for him, and he didn’t show enough evolution to warrant giving him as much freedom as he desired –– even on a team with few offensive initiators.
2. Terance Mann
Mann had a disappointing first season in Brooklyn solely in terms of on-court production. By all accounts, he was the best veteran presence on the team, so he definitely served a purpose and should continue to do so going forward.
His numbers through 63 games were 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and three assists per game. Those numbers aren’t that different from other seasons in his career, although it was his best season from a playmaking standpoint. Perhaps the disappointment stems from the fact that Mann called his own number before the season began, saying he would break out from just being a role player.
A 45.7% field goal and 36.4% three-point clip didn’t help his case to receive more touches. Mann helped contribute to an infrequently pleasing defense, but saw his role decrease in favor of younger options as the season dragged on.
3. Drake Powell
Powell was taken with the 22nd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Nets’ third pick of the night. His numbers never jumped off the page in his one season at North Carolina, but he brought defensive impact and insane athleticism every night. After his rookie season, it’s clear that it’s going to take more time to hone that skill set.
He averaged 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game through 63 games. Powell shot 40.2% from the field and 28% from deep, making it hard to keep him on the floor when he was having off nights. The 20-year-old did shoot just shy of 90% from the free-throw line, but only took 1.2 attempts per game.
At Powell’s peak, he could be a high-level three-and-D player. Based on his premier season, he’s yet to show signs of being a winning player. Powell had a net rating of -16.1, the worst mark in the league among players who played at least 60 games.
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