The Brooklyn Nets were hoping to get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft from May’s Lottery, but they ended up in the unfortunate position of picking No. 6 overall. With that being said, Brooklyn is likely to still select a talented player with that pick and one of the players in that range believes he can fit in with what the Nets are trying to do.
“Yeah, I met with them today, actually. It was great. I got to meet them and the coaches and everybody,” Arizona guard Brayden Burries said during his interview at the Draft Combine in Chicago last month. Burries is projected to be one of many guards available in the 5-10 range of the Lottery, but in his meeting with the Nets, he understood how he would fit in if taken by Brooklyn in the draft later this month.
“I know they’re team got a lot of guards, but just being able to play like with anybody, I feel like that’s a super big part of my game,” Burries continued. “Being able to just fit in anywhere, I can play on the ball, off the ball.” Burries mentioned earlier in his interview that he prides himself on being able to contribute in any way that’s needed for his team, including defending and rebounding.
Burries, listed at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 39.1% from behind the three-point line for the Wildcats during his rookie season. While Brooklyn has been linked to players like Tennessee forward Nate Ament, Michigan center Aday Mara, and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., Burries seems to be the kind of player that could surprise some people evaluating this draft class.
“In the late-lottery, he’ll enter the best-player-available conversation for his physical, downhill attacking, three-level shotmaking, strong defensive tools and knack for scoring without needing heavy usage,” Jonathan Wasserman wrote on Burries in his latest mock draft for Bleacher Report. Jun. 23 will show how the Nets feel about Burries with the No. 6 pick, but if he’s available, he could present the level of versatility that head coach Jordi Fernandez loves to see from his players.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Potential Nets 2026 NBA Draft pick Brayden Burries discusses fit
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
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By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
