Nets draft preview: two first-rounders and a clear need at lead guard
After the Randle deal, Brooklyn picks at 6 and 28 tonight. The board, the need, and the names to know.
Brooklyn enters the 2026 NBA Draft — Tuesday, 8pm ET at Barclays Center — holding two first-round picks: No. 6 and, after the Julius Randle trade, No. 28, with the Nets' No. 33 second-rounder heading to Minnesota in that deal.
The need: a lead guard
Mock drafts are nearly unanimous: Brooklyn needs a primary ball-handler. With Michael Porter Jr. and now Julius Randle giving the Nets scoring up front, a floor general to organize it all is the obvious target at six.
The names at No. 6
Three names dominate the projections. Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) is the popular pick after a second private workout, and led the nation in defensive box plus-minus. Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) put up 23.5 points and 6.4 assists and sits in the 6-7 range of the consensus board. Nate Ament (Tennessee), a 6'10" wing, is the higher-upside swing that NetsDaily sources have called 'likely.'
And at No. 28
The newly acquired 28th pick is a developmental flier — a chance to add another young piece to a roster already deep in rookie-scale contracts. Best-player-available is the approach Sean Marks has signaled.
Wild card: a move up?
Brooklyn has reportedly explored packaging picks to climb the lottery — one scenario floated a jump to No. 3 for Cameron Boozer — but the most probable outcome is the Nets making their selection at six.
We'll update the Draft Board live as the picks come in.