The Brooklyn Nets are probably most concerned with what they’re going to do in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft in which they’ll have the No. 6 overall pick to choose their next franchise player with. While Brooklyn is likely hoping that next season will look different for them as a franchise in terms of wins and losses, they could be part of a first-time event for the league.
“The lottery drawing itself will change, too. After decades of being drawn in a backroom where the results fed the televised broadcast, the lottery may be televised live next year, according to sources,” Sam Amick and Mike Vorkunov reported Sunday for The Athletic. The NBA has normally shown the drawing of the ping-pong balls for the Lottery after the fact instead of showing it live, but this chance could quell some concerns of the event being rigged for certain teams.
While the Lottery is secure due to the fact that any personnel allowed backstage must do so without their phones, there are still some who wonder about the validity of the process since the viewers can’t see it live. For a team like the Nets, the Lottery has not been kind to them over the past two years as they have fallen back at least two spots from where they finished record-wise in 2025 and 2026.
In 2027, the Nets do not have control of their own first-round pick as they owe that selection to the Houston Rockets, but if the Rockets were to finish with a record in the bottom-18, Brooklyn could still see their pick televised due to the proposed “3-2-1” format. In this measure that the league’s board of governors is expected to approve later this month, the Lottery would expand from 16 to 18 teams along with changing up the odds.
While the Rockets could have some issues to address regarding forward Kevin Durant and his social media usage, it seems like Houston is expected to be back in the playoffs next season with a healthy Durant along with guard Fred Van Vleet returning from his knee injury. However, if the Rockets’ season doesn’t go as expected, Nets fans could have the chance to see where their first-round pick lands in real-time if the league televises the Lottery.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ first-round pick in 2027 NBA Draft could be televised
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
