The Brooklyn Nets are set to participate in the 2025 NBA Draft lottery—the franchise’s first since it earned the third-overall pick in the 2010 draft, which turned into long-time journeyman Derrick Favors.
This will be a pivotal point in Brooklyn’s young rebuild and could be what determines their rumored swing for a superstar, specifically Giannis Antetokounmpo.
However, there is a scenario where a blockbuster trade isn’t needed even if the Nets land a top-three pick. Why is that? Well, if GM Sean Marks gets to choose among a group consisting of Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey, there may not be a need to add a superstar.
Brooklyn’s issue throughout the 2010s was a desire to abandon the methodical “build in-house” method of rebuilding, often opting to throw tons of cash and future assets at already-proven names in hopes of becoming competitive. Hopefully, having learned from their past mistakes, the Nets selecting Flagg, Harper or Bailey alleviates the need to coax Antetokounmpo away from the Milwaukee Bucks.
That said, there is a scenario where one of the trio being drafted by Brooklyn increases Antetokounmpo’s desire to play there. While the addition of a sought-after prospect doesn’t turn the Nets’ roster into a title-contender overnight, it would at the bare minimum signal the potential for future dominance.
For those fans who suffered through the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce era, as well as the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden era, the best possible outcome would be to land a top pick and stay out of any superstar negotiations. Building from within is the safest option, and one that Marks utilized (outside of adding D’Angelo Russell) when he first got the job as Brooklyn’s GM back in 2016.
The Nets are currently a wildcard when it comes to their offseason plans, and that will remain the case until the draft order is settled. Obviously, if Brooklyn drops to the five-to-eight range, this theory becomes obsolete. But the flexibility a top-three pick provides cannot be overstated.
As the fanbase awaits the franchise’s next move, the NBA Draft lottery is slated for May 12 in Chicago.
