The Brooklyn Nets went into the 2025 NBA armed with five different first-round picks after agreeing to a Terance Mann trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Sean Marks is finally starting to reap the rewards of the Mikal Bridges trade that brought five first-round picks from the New York Knicks to Brooklyn.
While the Nets managed to surprise many by taking a huge upside swing in BYU point guard Egor Demin at No. 8 overall, and they kept the surprises going with a player that was selected with one of the picks Brooklyn received from the Milwaukee Bucks in the Bridges trade. Brooklyn took another European player with French point guard Nolan Traore.
The Mann move netted Brooklyn North Carolina wing Drake Powell at No. 22 overall. With consecutive picks at No. 26 and No. 27 overall (the first of which was a Knicks first-rounder sent out in the Bridges deal), the Nets took another guard in Israel-born Ben Saraf. The final first-rounder was Michigan big man Danny Wolf.
Nets' Mikal Bridges trade haul looks better after 2025 NBA Draft picks
Traore has concerns about his shooting (just like Demin), but he is another extremely effective passer who has the best short-area speed of any guard in this class. Powell will need to work on becoming a more complete scorer, but his defense and verstaility give him All-Defensive Team potential.
Saraf is another poor shooter, but Brooklyn's emphasis on passing and creating in the mid-range could lead to him eventually carving out a role. Wolf's lack of tremendous interior defense for a slower 6-11 player is concerning, but he is a great rebounder with a soft shooting touch and excellent passing.
The Nets will have unprotected first-round picks from the Knicks coming in 2027, 2029, and 2031. Brooklyn also has a Top-8 protected first from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2027 and a 2029 first coming from a complicated pick swap with Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix as a result of their superstar trades.
Brooklyn will be in for another tough season in 2025 due to the youth on the roster, but they have added a quintet of promising young players to a coach who is known for his tremendous player development skills. The Knicks will also have to pay their cross-city rival handsomely over the next few years.