NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets came into the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft armed with just one pick after using two picks in the first round on Tuesday. With the second round generally being more wide-open due to teams just pursuing the players they’re interested in, Brooklyn used the No. 43 pick on a player that should be able to space the floor for his teammates.
With the No. 43 pick, the Nets selected UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau to add to their draft picks of Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6) and Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson (No. 28). Bilodeau profiles to be the kind of player that can contribute immediately thanks to his long-range shooting and the question will be if he’s able to develop the rest of his game outside of that.
“Bilodeau is a top shooter in the class, and he made 46% of his 3s last season, giving him potential offensive utility as a floor spacer in the NBA,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo in his pre-draft analysis of Bilodeau when noting his strengths. Bilodeau, listed at 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, finished his senior season with the Bruins with averages of 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8% from the field and 46.4% from behind the three-point line.
“Bigs who can shoot it at that clip aren’t easy to find,” Woo continued in his analysis of Bilodeau’s strengths before explaining the flaws in his profile. “He doesn’t impact the game much defensively and will need offensive looks created for him. He’s not a shot blocker and may struggle to guard the perimeter.”
Bilodeau joins a Brooklyn frontcourt led by Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day’Ron Sharpe along with the aforementioned Jefferson. With the amount of players that Brooklyn has in the frontcourt as of this writing, Bilodeau will likely see the majority of his playing time in the G League next season, but if he shoot the ball well enough or improve other areas of his game, he could see the floor towards the end of the year.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets select UCLA F Tyler Bilodeau with No. 43 pick in 2026 NBA Draft
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
