With the Brooklyn Nets fairy tale of a season coming to an end some weeks ago, the team are now facing the stark reality of a summer that will undoubtedly prove to be pivotal for the franchise moving forward. The Nets will be a victim of their own success, and by setting the bar quite high, much will be expected of them in the upcoming season.
This belief is primarily why this offseason will be an important one for the Nets. Will they be able to build on the success they achieved in the previous year by finally thrusting themselves into the conversation of Eastern Conference contenders? Or will they fall back to earth and revert to their former image of being a perpetual lottery-bound team?
In this respect, the Nets will need to make their moves count in the offseason. This definitely includes their approach to the upcoming draft, wherein they will be given an opportunity to select two draft picks in the first round.
Aside from their No. 17 pick — a selection that will of course have a significant impact on their draft tactics moving forward — Brooklyn will also have the No. 27 pick which they previously acquired from the Denver Nuggets. This is the pick we will be focusing on today as we present three prospects that the Nets should consider for the 27th pick.
KZ Okpala
Okpala is a 6-foot-8 swingman whose athleticism has caught the eye of more than a few scouts. The 20-year-old sophomore coming out of Stanford put up 16.8 points (on 46.3 percent shooting), 1.1 three-pointers, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks in his sophomore year.
What makes Okpala stand out is his quickness and explosiveness, making him an exciting prospect for the Nets. At 210 pounds, he will have a size advantage in his position, which is something Brooklyn might also look to exploit. Okpala does need a bit of work on his defense, but with his length, this is definitely something he can develop.
Rondae-Hollis Jefferson regressed last season and will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer, so if the Nets end up parting ways with RHJ, Okpala can slot in as a backup wing behind Caris LeVert.
Carsen Edwards
The Nets currently have a very talented backcourt in D'Angelo Russell, Joe Harris, and Spencer Dinwiddie. However, Russell will be entering free agency in the summer as well, and the All-Star point guard will definitely require a hefty paycheck. Brooklyn will not think twice about giving him the contract he desires/deserves, but just in case the former Laker somehow slips out of their grip, Carsen Edwards might have the potential to eventually fill the void left by Russell.
A 6-foot-1, Edwards specializes in scoring from the guard position. In his third and final year for Purdue last season, he notched 24.3 points (on a undesirable 39.4 percent shooting, though), 3.8 three-pointers, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in 35.4 minutes per contest. It is highly unlikely that Edwards is able to put up anything close to these remarkable numbers in his rookie campaign, but the potential is absolutely there.
In the likely scenario that Russell signs an extension with the team, Edwards can still be useful for the Nets. Russell could take the youngster under his wing and aid in the development of this highly promising scoring guard.
Luguentz Dort
Finally, we have Arizona State freshman shooting guard Luguentz Dort. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Dort brings a lot of physicality to the table. Despite his size, though, the 20-year-old still possesses impressive explosiveness and athleticism.
Dort has shown a lot of promise as a potential defensive specialist, and if the Nets are in the market for a gritty, no non-sense, never going to back down type of player, then they ought to have a look at Dort.
Dort averaged 16.1 points (on 40.5 percent shooting), 1.6 three-pointers, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33 appearances for Arizona State last season.
The Nets are going to be extremely busy on draft day, and they will definitely have their hands full. With a myriad of talent available in this class and so much riding on their draft day performance, Brooklyn will surely have to think long and hard about the decisions that they are going to make.
Nonetheless, all three players we've identified above all have NBA-level potential, and should be able help Brooklyn's cause. Let's just hope at least one of them will still be available when it's the Nets' turn to take the podium for the 27th pick.
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