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 after starting with the No. 3 pick. Brooklyn will likely use the pick on a player they believe can be a part of the franchise’s future, but given how fell the Nets fell in the Lottery, should they consider trading back at some point?
“What direction the Nets wind up going might offer insight into how they view their current prospects. They also have cap space and a supply of tradable future firsts at their disposal,” Jeremy Woo wrote for ESPN in his latest mock draft. Woo projected the Nets to take Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 6 pick, but he also spoke on Brooklyn potentially trading back given the predicted fall-off in talent after the No. 4 pick.
“Acuff Jr. doesn’t fit Brooklyn’s established positional-size philosophy, but he has a best-available case if this is how the board falls,” Woo continued while mentioning that Acuff may not fit the mold of what the Nets are trying to build on the roster. “It’s not viewed as a given that the Nets select a guard, however, and they could find value in trading back.”
While Acuff would be a solid pick for the Nets at No. 6, there are some around the league who wonder if this would be the kind of pick that the Nets pass on in the hopes of getting a higher pick next season. Last year, the Atlanta Hawks traded the No. 13 pick (that later became center Derik Queen to the New Orleans Pelicans) in exchange for the No. 23 pick that later became forward Asa Newell and the more favorable 2026 pick between the Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Hawks ultimately ended up with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 draft and while Atlanta was in a better spot to compete heading into this past season than the Nets are, the possibility is still there to trade back. Brooklyn also has the No. 6 pick so they may not have a good chance of getting a better pick next season from another team, but trading back is an option before Jun. 23 comes around.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Should the Nets consider trading back in the 2026 NBA Draft?
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
