The 2026 NBA Draft is just a few days away, where there will be several answers to some of the Brooklyn Nets’ most pressing offseason questions.
Brooklyn has done their due diligence on their potential targets, hosting several players expected to be available at No. 6 overall for workouts at the HSS Training Center, including Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., Tennessee’s Nate Ament, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. and Karim Lopez of the New Zealand Breakers.
Keep in mind that the organization could have worked out more prospects in that range. Those are the notable ones reported, though.
With the draft right around the corner, we’ve been making our own calls to league sources to try to find out the latest regarding Brooklyn’s thought process as the big day at the Barclays Center approaches.
The latest intel regarding the Nets’ draft plans
Throughout the pre-draft process, the Nets have done a strong job of keeping their plans tight to the vest. There have been no significant “leaks” or anything that indicates the team’s pick is a firm lock known to the public.
Based on our conversations with league sources, though, Nate Ament and Mikel Brown Jr. seem to be the top two candidates to be selected by Brooklyn at No. 6 …. not necessarily in that order.
The Nets’ ultimate selection at No. 6, or if they look to potentially move back or add a first could hinge on the Los Angeles Clippers’ decision at No. 5 overall. It will be fascinating to see what the Clippers do in that spot.
Following this year’s draft, the Clippers don’t own clear title to another first-round selection until 2029, and, due to the league’s ongoing investigation into the organization and the company “Aspiration,” its status has to be uncertain. It will be up to Commissioner Adam Silver if they lose any picks.
Given the lack of first-rounders over the next few years, they are a team that could look to trade down in the draft and acquire more future draft capital, we’re told. If they decide to stick and pick, however, Ament and Brown Jr. seem to be their top two options.
If Brown Jr. goes off the board to the Clippers at No. 5, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler could certainly be in play alongside Ament for Brooklyn at No. 6, according to league sources. On the other hand, if Wagler is selected, that would seem to be the perfect situation for Brooklyn, as Brown Jr. would fall to No. 6.
I also wouldn’t rule out Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. or Michigan’s Aday Mara, although either isn’t currently viewed as the favorite.
The possibility of a move down the board also shouldn’t be crossed off the list. One source shared with ND that Brooklyn could potentially be involved in a big trade, including veterans, due to the abundance of flexibility they boast.
One source said the Nets should look to move back. The source cited the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are selecting at Nos. 12 and 17 overall and are reportedly looking to move back into the top 10, as a team worth keeping an eye on for a potential deal.
Cason Wallace, who is up for a massive extension that the Thunder might not be willing to pay, was mentioned as a target Brooklyn should covet if both sides strike a deal, a source tells ND.
What is the appeal with Ament?
Ament is very polarizing both within the league and among the Nets’ fanbase. When I first reported that buzz was heating up regarding Ament and the Nets a few weeks ago, much of Brooklyn’s fanbase appeared furious with the possibility. It was L’Ament.
Standing at 6’10” and 207 pounds, the Tennessee product appeared in 35 NCAA games last season (all starts) while averaging 16.7 points, 2.3 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and a steal on 39.9% shooting from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
With a 6’11” wingspan, he boasts great length and positional size as a wing at 6’10” while being an excellent movement shooter. There are also a fair number of concerns regarding his profile, including his slight frame at just 207 pounds and his ability to self-create.
Based on personal evaluation and conversations with scouts in the league, however, he doesn’t strike me as the type of prospect who has a super low floor. A high ceiling, yes.
While his ceiling may be limited, I view Ament as someone whose floor in the league is a player with elite physical tools who never fully clicks but can still consistently contribute in the rotation.
As for his fit with the Nets, a league source noted how seamless his pairing could be with Egor Dëmin, especially if the former No. 8 overall pick eventually develops into a full-time wing rather than a facilitator, which appears likely, according to sources.
One source proposed an ideal plan for Brooklyn’s future in which they select Ament at No. 6 and package both of their second-round picks (Nos. 33 and 43 overall), potentially with future draft capital, to trade back into the back end of the first round to select Valencia’s 6’7” point guard Sergio De Larrea of Valencia in the Spanish League. He’s still playing in the league finals.
In that case, De Larrea could emerge as the point guard of the future while moving Dëmin to a full-time wing role at shooting guard. Ament would be the team’s starting small forward, and Michael Porter Jr. would play at power forward with one of Nic Claxton or Day’Ron Sharpe as the starting center.
There was a bit of negative news reported Friday morning by Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. His info is that Ament was outplayed by Karim Lopez in their head-to-head in Brooklyn Tuesday.
Sources indicate there is serious interest in Lopez from a number of lottery teams. He worked out this week against Nate Ament for the Brooklyn Nets, where I’m told he performed very well and won the majority of matchup opportunities.
No one is suggesting that Lopez could be the Nets pick at No. 6 and for what it’s worth, Bleacher Report has Darius Acuff there.
A source told ND that Ament has consistently impressed in workouts, even outperforming top prospects such as AJ Dybantsa. The source added that Ament’s smoothness allows him to thrive in pre-draft workouts while some of Dybantsa’s fundamental flaws pop up. The source also noted that some of Ament’s natural, smooth traits are more likely to translate in the long-term than some of the physical elements Dybantsa offers.
Based on my conversations with scouts, Brown Jr. seems to be the ideal fit with the Nets. He has several traits that seem to make him a good fit for Nets head coach Jordi Fernández, such as his playmaking, spot-up shooting, and elite defense.
While the Louisville product played in just 21 NCAA games last season due to persistent back issues, multiple league sources who have dug into the situation conclude that it shouldn’t be anything that affects him in the long term. One source claimed it’s something that an NBA performance team can address right away.
In those 21 games (19 starts), Brown Jr., who stands at 6’5” and 190 pounds, averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 29.2 minutes on 41.0% shooting from the field while knocking down 34.4% of his shots from beyond the arc. He also led all the freshman guard prospects with 27 three’s from 25 feet or deep beyond the shorter NCAA arc.
We’ve heard conflicting reports on whether or not the Nets made an in-home visit to Brown’s family in Orlando. However, it is clear that the team worked him out and met him in Orlando, with several members of the Nets’ brass present.
General manager Sean Marks, Fernández, and assistant general manager B.J. Johnson were among those who flew down, we’re told.
As I noted above, the Nets have done a good job of not tipping their hand to the league about who they are most likely to select. Aside from the order, the top four prospects to go off the board are essentially locks: A.J. Dybansta, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson.
What happens at No. 5 overall certainly has the potential to alter the Nets’ thinking at No. 6.
While it is a balance with every selection, the team isn’t at a point where they need to prioritize a certain position. If they stick and pick, it appears that they will take the highest-ranked player on their board at that time, which is the wise approach.
However, overvaluing sheer talent has burned Marks before, with selections such as Cam Thomas and Dariq Whitehead proving just that.
Functional teams are often the ones that translate into sustainable success in today’s NBA. It isn’t necessarily the team with the most talent or star power that finished on top, as this year’s NBA Finals proved. So while I’m advocating for the Nets to take the best player available, direction and fit are also crucial elements.
While it remains unclear who Brooklyn will ultimately select, one thing is certain: the decision at No. 6 will be one of the organization’s building blocks as the team looks to compete at the forefront.