Wednesday marks the start of a new Brooklyn Nets era and the NBA's boldest draft experiment in recent memory. After years of star-hunting and quick fixes, the Nets seemingly committed to an organic build this offseason, making an NBA-record five first-round picks.
Brooklyn's draft was the butt of jokes. Journalists mocked the front office's emphatic war room celebrations, while agents and executives laughed at the team's pick-heavy strategy. However, for a Nets franchise devoid of young talent for much of its Brooklyn era, the 2025 draft presented a unique opportunity.
“Look, I think this is a great problem to have,” General Manager Sean Marks said in June. “We have notably been short on picks over the course of the last nine years since I've been here, so it's exciting. It's an exciting moment. We've got a great group of scouts, and obviously, the draft was led by [assistant GM] B.J. Johnson. To add a group like this at this particular moment in time for us, you know, why not? Why not add as much talent as we possibly can and throw them out there?”
Much of the skepticism surrounding the Nets' draft centered on the overlapping skill sets of their picks. Brooklyn selected three international point guards — Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf — and a big man — Danny Wolf — who served as a primary ball-handler at Michigan. All four prospects struggled as shooters last season and are accustomed to having the ball in their hands.
Can Nets' rookies silence doubters after historic draft?
However, the Nets are confident that their rookies are more capable shooters than they've shown. And in an NBA embracing positionless basketball more than ever before, they're placing a premium on ball-handling and shot-creation.
“Having a primary ball handler and then guys that can play second side pick-and-roll and make decisions is important. We have a group of young guys who have really high IQs, and they're really good playmakers. You put that with the positional size, and they're all good shooters,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said in July. “All those paint touches and ball reversals, it just helps you when you have not only primary ball handlers, but also secondary ball handlers, and all these guys can all do it. So it’s all a positive. There’s no negatives here.”
As the league becomes deeper and more skilled offensively, defensive versatility is non-negotiable. Tune into every playoff game, and you'll see offenses mercilessly hunting undersized guards when presented with an opportunity. The Nets hope their prospects can eliminate those advantages for the opposition.
Brooklyn's rookie point guards have an average size of 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. The team also selected North Carolina wing Drake Powell, who stands 6-foot-6 with a seven-foot wingspan and is widely regarded as the best athlete in this year's class.
“With defense, positional size is very important. You guys can see here with your eye test, I would play these guys almost one through four, one through five,” Fernandez continued. “So that’s a good thing for us. You’ll see length and athleticism, and we’ll keep working on the physicality and communication… [We'll give] multiple efforts. Those are the things that we have to be on the same page with, and that’s my job as a head coach.”
While the Nets are confident in their vision, the NBA community remains dubious about their ability to develop five rookies simultaneously. There's a reason teams typically don't pick more than two prospects in a class. Young players need reps and minutes to develop. Finding them on a team featuring five rookies and numerous veterans will be an arduous task.
How will Fernandez make it work?
“That's a good question. I'm going to focus on the team and what we're trying to build as a group,” the coach said. “They're going to have to earn it. I think that's how it should be. They'll put the work in. They've already shown who they are. That's why we drafted them… It's going to be my decision to go and put five guys on the court and to have, most likely, a ten-man rotation and go through the process. I think that's definitely on me.
“We’re gonna go through the process. We gotta use all our resources, the G League, if needed,” he added during training camp. “All our resources are NBA minutes, Long Island minutes, all the development with the coaches. That goes for all five rookies. And I think, following the proper steps, we believe each one of them will find minutes in the NBA at some point. They just gotta be ready.”
With the Nets mired in another tanking campaign, several veteran trades could be on the horizon. Moving off established players would not only bolster Brooklyn's lottery odds, but also open minutes for its rookies.
Sixteen months have passed since the Nets jettisoned themselves into a rebuild by trading Mikal Bridges and reacquiring their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks. Fans will get their first look at the early payoff from those moves when Brooklyn opens the regular season on Wednesday vs. the Charlotte Hornets.
“For all the young guys, even though you tell them things, they're going to have to experience it,” Fernandez said on Tuesday. “So just go through it. Don't get too high, don't get too low. Learn how to face adversity and learn how to face success. If you can do that, it's going to work out. Opportunities will come. Some of them will play right away, some of them will have to wait a little bit to play. But it's part of the NBA. We're going to end up playing with a lot of guys that are drafted by this club, which is a good thing, and it tells you a lot of what we're trying to do here.”
