The Brooklyn Nets don’t have much to play for this season in terms of the postseason. Entering another season in the early stages of a rebuild, they don’t have high expectations with a young core and roster that lacks star talent.
With this season projected to be another filled with losses, fans are sure to be refreshing Tankathon after each game, hoping the Nets are at the top with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Next year’s class could just as hyped as 2025’s, if not more.
Many hoops fans know the top prospects: AJ Dybantsa, Carlos Boozer and Darryn Peterson. The three freshmen should take college basketball by storm this season, but what about the rest of the early prospects? The 2025 draft class was filled with youth, but 2026’s could feature more experience and collegiate talent.
While the international game appears to be growing, the 2026 class doesn’t project too many foreigners in the first round. Karim Lopez and Dash Daniels could end up going in the lottery, but aside from them and Sergio de Larrea, most of the top picks should be American, a major switchup from recent years.
Looking closer into the top collegiate talent, many are freshmen, but there are still some returners to keep an eye on. Yaxel Lendeborg was a highly-touted prospect coming out of UAB, but the senior chose to transfer to Michigan with an opportunity to finish out college and build his stock. The 23-year-old averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks last season.
However, the top five should (unsurprisingly) be first-year prospects. Dybantsa, Boozer and Peterson are the top three, with Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Chris Cenac Jr. (Houston) in contention for the top five.
Overall, Tankathon’s most recent mock draft has 27 of the 30 first-round picks coming out of college. Of those 27, 15 are freshmen, seven are sophomores, three are juniors, and two are seniors. Lendeborg and Bennett Stirtz (Iowa) are the seniors.
This season will be a big one for first-year college players, but it’s also a chance for players like Lendeborg, Miles Byrd (San Diego State) and Karter Knox (Arkansas) to build on their stock. The three could have gone pro, but chose to stay for another season.
It could be tougher to beat out younger players for a higher pick, but the 2026 draft class looks to be relatively diverse, which could be a good thing for the Nets.