The Brooklyn Nets unfortunately came away from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with the No. 6 overall pick after entering the event tied for the best odds of getting the No. 1 selection. Be that as it may, Brooklyn has to accept where its pick landed and operate accordingly, especially with the amount of talent in the class outside of the first tier.
With the No. 6 pick, the Nets will likely be missing out on the cream of the crop in the class in BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. However, it seems that the draft will officially start with the Los Angeles Clippers at the No. 5 spot given that they will probably have to choose between taking Illinois guard Keaton Wagler and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr.
While the second half of the top-10 is mostly filled with guards, the Nets took four guards last year in the 2025 NBA Draft so they may have to weigh whether picking the best available player is better than addressed positional weaknesses on the roster. Either way, Brooklyn will be able to choose a talented player this year so here are the best players that the Nets could take with the No. 6 pick:
Darius Acuff Jr., G, Arkansas
Acuff has been arguably the main player linked to the Nets due to the fact that he could potentially be the most valuable player they could take at the No. 6 spot. Acuff has already worked out for the Nets and after putting forth some positive measurements at the NBA Draft Combine, he seems to be locked in as a top-6 pick.
Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
Wagler is an interesting add on this list as he could be one of the best shooters in this draft and has great positional size for a combo guard. However, Wagler has been projected by most outlets to be taken by the Clippers so he shouldn’t be available by the time Brooklyn makes their pick. However, if he is, the Nets could add another great shooter that brings some upside as a defender and ball-handler.
Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville
Brown did plenty for his draft stock during the Combine and due to that, he is now regarded as more of a early Lottery pick at this point in the pre-draft cycle. If the Nets are looking for the guard with the highest ceiling, Brown could be that guy given his combination of athleticism and shotmaking and the possibility of him being a solid playmaker at the next level.
Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
Ament has been linked to the Nets through various reports partially due to his profile that presents as an interesting proposition for most teams. Ament has great positional size and while he was an inefficient scorer during his freshman season at Tennessee, he looks like the kind of guy that could be an exceptional shotmaker that few players can reasonably defend.
Karim Lopez, F, New Zealand Breakers
Lopez could be the darkhorse for the Nets given his experience playing overseas along with the fact that he has a profile that seems ready for the NBA from his first day stepping on the floor. Lopez is likely going to come off the board towards the end of the Lottery so Brooklyn may not reach for him, but that could depend on how well his workout went with the team.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 2026 NBA Draft: best players for Nets to take with No. 6 pick (2.0)
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
