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Flexibility and optionality are terms frequently associated with the Brooklyn Nets' rebuild. However, they don't just apply to the team's long-term plans, but also to its position on draft night.
After entering the draft lottery with the sixth-best odds and dreams of Cooper Flagg, the Nets fell to No. 8. The slip put several tier two prospects, such as Jeremiah Fears, Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach and Kon Kneuppel, in their range. However, if their sights remain set higher, they could work the phones for trades leading up to draft night.
With picks Nos. 8, 19, 26 and 27, plus a bevy of future firsts, general manager Sean Marks has the capital to move up the board if the opportunity presents itself.
Nets' assortment of picks could help facilitate draft night trade
The draft lottery results had scouts, coaches and executives buzzing in Chicago last week. While the Dallas Mavericks will reportedly stand pat and select Cooper Flagg at No. 1, the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers' jumps to Nos. 2 and 3 open several trade possibilities.
The Nets are preparing for all of them.
“The draft is so unpredictable. You never know what's gonna happen,” assistant general manager B.J. Armstrong said in the team's YouTube series, SCOUT. “Picks get traded, players get traded, situations change constantly. So you have to approach the draft the exact same way. Gathering all the intel, being able to understand who a player is and who he will be for your organization.”
Dylan Harper is the consensus No. 2 prospect in this year's class. However, numerous rival executives have questioned the Rutgers point guard's fit alongside De'Aaron Fox in the Spurs' backcourt. While San Antonio is still expected to select the New Jersey native, they'll likely listen to offers.
The 76ers are in a more interesting position. With Flagg and Harper positioned as the consensus top two picks, many believe the draft starts at No. 3, where Rutgers' Ace Bailey and Baylor's VJ Edgecombe are considered the top options.
Philadelphia is juggling two timelines after performing well below expectations during an injury-ravaged 2024-25 campaign. One revolves around 31-year-old Joel Embiid and 35-year-old Paul George, while the other centers on 24-year-old Tyrese Maxey and 21-year-old Jared McCain. If Daryl Morey is hell-bent on maximizing Embiid's title window, he could use the No. 3 pick to acquire win-now pieces rather than waiting several years for a 19-year-old to develop.
Up to this point, Morey has indicated that he intends to use his team's pick. However, that could change if the right offer comes along.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie suggested a Nets-76ers trade sending Cam Johnson, No. 19 and No. 27 to Philadelphia for Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and No. 3. Meanwhile, others have speculated as to whether Johnson and the No. 8 pick is a more likely package for Brooklyn to move up to No. 3.
The Nets could also look to package No. 19 with one of its later picks to move into the late lottery. They have met with several players frequently mocked in the early teens, such as Arizona's Carter Bryant and BYU's Egor Demin.
