The Brooklyn Nets have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after coming away from the Lottery with that selection after being tied for the best odds for the No. 1 pick. Brooklyn has been connected to various players over the course of the pre-draft cycle because of the talent available in the Lottery, but there could be some surprises when Jun. 23 comes around.
“With the No. 6 pick, you can bet on the Brooklyn Nets trying to trade into the top four. Regardless, they’ll be thinking best player available over needs wherever they pick,” Jonathan Wasserman wrote in his latest mock draft for Bleacher Report. While Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. has been projected as the player the Nets would take at No. 6, Wasserman has Brown being taken by the Clippers with the No. 5 pick instead of Illinois guard Keaton Wagler.
“They’ll most likely be looking at the top guards, with Darius Acuff Jr. the type of engine who’ll look attractive to a rebuilding team,” Wasserman continued. “His official measurements eased concerns, and with efficient numbers and analytics that back up the convincing tape of creation, shotmaking, decision-making and finishing craft, Acuff figures to earn real consideration from each team in the No. 4-7 range.”
Up to this point in the pre-draft cycle, there has been plenty of speculation over who the Clippers would take at No. 5 assuming that BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson are off the board. For awhile, it seems that many projected the Clippers to take Wagler to pair with Darius Garland, but now, Brown has been pegged as the pick, at least according to Wasserman.
If this scenario plays out, the Nets will essentially be choosing between Wagler and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., each with their own skillsets that could be appealing to Brooklyn. Given that Wasserman has the Nets choosing Acuff over Wagler, that could be an indication that the potential of the Razorback being an offensive hub is more attractive than a player like Wagler that should be a sharpshooter in the NBA from the first time he steps on the floor.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 2026 NBA Draft: Nets mocked to Darius Acuff Jr. over Keaton Wagler
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
