The Brooklyn Nets are one of the teams that are heading into the 2025-26 NBA season with the mindset of rebuilding for the future at the forefront of their operations. Brooklyn has made some moves over the past few months to solidify the franchise’s direction, but it is interesting to wonder why they should target in the 2026 NBA Draft next summer.

According to BetMGM, the Nets have their win total over/under for the 2025-26 campaign set at 20.5 wins, essentially projecting them for the second-worst record in the league behind only the Utah Jazz (18.5). While one could argue that Brooklyn trading for Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, and Haywood Highsmith should lift the team’s floor, they are likely to be back in the Lottery. That could give them the chance to draft BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.

Advertisement

“A 6’9″ wing with special athletic abilities and advanced shot-making skill, AJ Dybantsa will enter the college season as the top prospect in the 2026 class for many scouts,” NBA Draft expert Jonathan Wasserman wrote for Bleacher Report. Wasserman put together a list of the top-50 prospects for the 2026 Draft class just to give an overview of what the class could look like before the college basketball season gets underway. Dybantsa is listed as the third-best player.

“He combines explosiveness with strong body control. He’ll generate plenty of offense at the rim just through his burst, power and leaping,” Wasserman continued. “But his takeover scoring ability comes from ball-handling for creation, rise-and-fire shooting and advanced footwork to separate.”

What should be made clear is that while Dybantsa is considered one of the two best players in the class, along with Kansas guard Darryn Peterson. Somewhere in the mix of the top-3 is Duke forward Cameron Boozer, son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. If the Nets want to have the chance to draft any of those three players, they will have to commit to the rebuild, even if the losses become harder to bear as the season progresses.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Who should the Nets target in the 2026 NBA Draft?