The Brooklyn Nets have never traded into the draft lottery during general manager Sean Marks' six-plus years at the helm. That could change this year with Marks working the phone lines ahead of Thursday.

ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony reported earlier this week that Brooklyn was “exploring the possibility” of packaging picks Nos. 21 and 22 for a move into the late lottery or mid-teens. Givony doubled down on a potential trade in his latest mock, calling the Nets “extremely active” in discussions with the possibility of including one of their veteran wings in a package.

“The Nets are said to be extremely active in trade conversations, having the option of using one or both of their first-round picks (Nos. 21 and 22) with players such as Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale to get to different spots in the draft if they desire,” Givony wrote.

With a logjam on the wing that already includes Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Joe Harris, league sources view O'Neale and Finney-Smith as trade candidates this offseason. O'Neale is coming off the best season of his career after Brooklyn acquired him for a late first-round pick last summer, averaging 8.8 points and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 38.9 percent from three, all career highs. Finney-Smith has steadily raised his stock in recent seasons through his hard-nosed defense and three-point shooting.

Brooklyn turned down an offer of two first-round picks for Finney-Smith at the trade deadline and could've landed another for O'Neale, according to HoopsHype. How high could an assortment of  No. 21, 22 and either player move Brooklyn in the draft? Dallas (10), Oklahoma City (12) and Atlanta (15) all have reported interest in moving their picks and could emerge as trade partners.

A move into the lottery would give the Nets a shot at one of several high-level prospects. After trading Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn struggled to find backcourt production with a rotation featuring Spencer Dinwiddie, Seth Curry, and Cam Thomas. Curry will turn 33 in August, making him highly unlikely to return, and Thomas was unable to crack the rotation despite a glaring need for ball handling with the new-look roster.

Kobe Bufkin, Cason Wallace, and Jalen Hood-Schifino are talented guards frequently mocked in the 10-15 range. Bilal Coulibaly is another name to watch as an upside pick after the 18-year-old shot up draft projections in the last month.