The Brooklyn Nets will have plenty of matters to address this offseason as they seek to improve on a 20-62 record that they amassed in the 2025-26 NBA season. Brooklyn’s first-round pick prior to the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is at No. 3, but their pick will likely land somewhere different. Which players should the Nets consider depending on where they land in the draft?
“At the draft, unless multiple teams jump them, Brooklyn should be positioned to add a sought-after prospect. Ideally, the Nets would be able to draft a wing, a scoring guard or a big forward,” Keith Smith wrote for Spotrac as he previewed Brooklyn’s offseason. The Nets, like every other team in the Lottery, are hoping to get the No. 1 pick, but they would be smart to prepare for any possible scenario.
“A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer or Caleb Wilson would be ideal fits alongside Porter, Claxton and the young core,” Smith continued. “If the Nets slip in the lottery, they shouldn’t shy away from adding a point guard like Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Mikel Brown Jr. or Keaton Wagler. Yes, Brooklyn added multiple ballhandlers in in the 2025 draft, but none of Egor Demin, Nolan Traore or Ben Saraf shined so much as rookies that fit should outweigh selecting the best talent available.”
Most mock drafts at this point in the pre-Lottery cycle have the Nets taking Duke forward Cameron Boozer with the third overall pick after he had one of the best freshman seasons in college basketball history. While Boozer is considered by many pundits to be in the same tier as BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, many pundits expect Dybantsa and Peterson to be off the board by the third pick.
With the Nets heading into the Lottery with the third-worst record in the league, they’re tied with the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers for the highest chance of getting the No. 1 pick (14.0%), but Brooklyn’s pick could also fall as far as No. 7. If that happens, the Nets would have to think about taking players like Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. or Houston guard Kingston Flemings. Be that as it may, the Lottery on May. 10 will provide more clarity for Brooklyn’s draft preparation.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: What players should the Nets consider in the 2026 NBA Draft?
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
