CHICAGO — The Brooklyn Nets came away from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with a disappointing result as they ended up with the No. 6 overall pick despite having the best odds of getting the No. 1 pick. Be that as it may, Brooklyn now has to figure out who they will be taking in the first round come June and one of those potential options believes in his passing ability.
“Definitely just creating for others. Obviously, I can shoot the ball well, but definitely creating for others, putting my teammates in the right position to be successful,” Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. said during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this week. Brown is one of the players whose stock seems to be rising as the pre-draft process goes along, especially after he worked out during the Combine.
“I think I do a really good job of trying to get a feel for where my teammates like the ball at, where certain players like the ball at, and try to get to them right in that spot. So, I think that’s what separates me,” Brown continued on his ability to create for others. Brown, who dealt with a back injury during the 2025-26 campaign, appears to be able to play either guard spot and that could affect how Brooklyn perceives his ability to fit within the rebuild.
Brown previously spoke about how he’s feeling the best that he’s felt in quite some time now that he’s had the time to rest and recover from the back injury that was bothering him during his one-and-done freshman season at Louisville. Despite playing in just 21 games due to his back issue, Brown still put up an impressive season with averages of 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 41.0% from the field and 34.4% from behind the three-point line.
The Nets invested heavily in the guard position during the 2025 NBA Draft as they selected four guards, including three that saw time at point guard this season in Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, and Ben Saraf. However, with someone as talented as Brown potentially being available in the range for Brooklyn to take, general manager Sean Marks could have a hard time passing up on him, especially given how confident he is in his passing ability.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Potential Nets 2026 NBA Draft pick Mikel Brown Jr. talks NBA skillset
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
