The Brooklyn Nets have been on a draft asset spree since the late winter of 2023. Their efforts began when they traded former franchise superstar Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. Along with four first-round picks and a first-round swap, the Nets received Mikal Bridges, who was eventually traded to the New York Knicks for another sizeable haul. Brooklyn's sum of draft assets earned them high recognziiton from an NBA insider.
ESPN NBA Front Office Insider Bobby Mark released a ranking of five NBA teams that hold the most first-round picks. Coming in at No. 3 were the Nets. Brooklyn has 15 incoming first-round picks, 12 of which are tradable, per Marks. Marks further noted the Nets' most valuable picks to be in the 2025 and 2026 drafts.
Here is an updated look at every Nets draft selection in 2025, 2026 and beyond.
Marks' ranking and insight prove the Nets are set up well for the future. Brooklyn already possesses promising young talent they can develop. But in acquiring their multitude of picks from trades as well as gaining their own selections back from the Houston Rockets during the offseason, they can further thrive.
By acquiring their own 2025 and 2026 draft picks back, Brooklyn has more control of where they can land in the draft lottery standings for the next two years. The lower the record they finish with, the better the chance the Nets have at landing a top pick, preferably in the top three.
Why are the 2025 and 2026 draft classes so important for the Nets?
All of Brooklyn's future first-round picks are important. They can trade some of them to acquire talent from other teams and/or select prospects that could be key contributors. However, everyone seems to be making a huge deal out of the 2025 and 2026 draft classes. Why is that?
Well, the 2025 NBA Draft is projected to have some of the most highly-touted prospects of the 2020s era.
Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg headlines the group as the predicted No. 1 overall pick. Flagg was ESPN's No. 1-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024. The former Gatorade National Player of the Year averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game during his senior year of high school, leading Montverde Academy to a 33-0 record and a national championship.
Joining Flagg on the list are Rutgers guards Airous "Ace" Bailey and Dylan Harper. Bailey and Harper ranked second and fourth in ESPN's Top 100 rankings, respectively. If the Nets can land in the top three of the 2025 draft lottery, they will have the chance to select one of these top prospects and further their talent development efforts, which can lead to greater team success in the future.
A look toward the 2026 draft classes sees top prospects AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, the latter of which is the son of former Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer, being highly attractive. Even if Brooklyn's lottery standing does not land high enough to draft such prospects, they will have the assets to trade for a star or select another promising player who can develop and contribute to the team.
Sean Marks is in one of his most exciting periods as Nets GM, and fans cannot wait to see how he and the front office navigate their stash of assets.