Following the Mikal Bridges trade and the draft pick swap with the Houston Rockets, the Brooklyn Nets have set themselves up to make big moves once the 2025 NBA Draft rolls around next year. Next year’s draft could prove to be the pivot turning point in the Nets’ quest to accelerate their rebuild.
Now positioned with four first-round picks, including their own, in next year’s draft, plus two second-round picks of which their own should be relatively high, the Nets are loaded in draft capital. Unlike this year’s draft class, the 2025 class is viewed as both loaded with potential franchise players as well as being very deep.
The Nets’ own picks, which are now back in their possession, should be atop the first and second rounds with the first-rounder potentially landing at number one overall. Even their own second-rounder has a shot to yield a quality player.
The Nets might land their next star through the draft
With a season that most likely lands them a top-three pick in next year’s draft, the Nets should be in a position to land a player that may be considered generational. The top two names in the class so far are forwards Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey who should spend the upcoming college basketball season battling it out to become the next number one overall pick.
Both players are perfect fits in the modern NBA as they are both lengthy wings who can score from anywhere on the court. Even more, both players are the type of wing that you can run an offense through, with the vision and ability to create and make plays for teammates as well. After watching Boston run its offense through Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the wing, nothing has become more coveted than a playmaking wing in the league today.
Behind those two, there’s a plethora of other players with high-end potential, so even if the Nets miss out on the number one pick, they should be able to draft another cornerstone piece.
Beyond that, the Nets also possess the Knicks’ 2025 first-round pick, the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick, and the Suns’ 2025 first-round pick, in addition to their own second-round pick (which should be in the 30s) and a second-rounder via Miami (protected 31-37). All of those other first-rounders project to be outside the lottery, however, age and poor performance could help the Nets land a better selection via the Bucks and Suns.
That treasure trove of assets allows the Nets ultimate maneuverability. They could make all six selections and really embrace the youth movement. They could also use some of those picks together to trade up and get a second player they covet in addition to whomever they select with their own first-rounder at the top of the draft. Given both the high-end talent and projected depth of the class this is a very enviable position to be in.
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The Nets could trade for a star with a 2025 draft pick as the centerpiece
The NBA moves at a breakneck speed. Players who seemed like cornerstones on their current teams can quickly change their minds and force their way out. Teams can decide they need a restart at any moment. With the draft capital the Nets possess in 2025 and beyond, they are ready to pounce.
Should the right player become available, the Nets could package one or more of their 2025 picks with future assets to go out and get a star. With potentially up to $80 million in cap space next offseason, they need not worry about absorbing a supermax contract while still having room to maneuver to add complementary pieces around a hypothetical star.
Their own pick in 2025 will probably be off the table though they could move any of the others. In this hypothetical, they’d be able to select a talent like Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey and immediately pair them with an established veteran star. Being able to pull that off would give them potentially two immediate stars while the rookie could also serve as the centerpiece of the franchise well into the future.
An incredible amount of options are on the table, and there are multiple paths to the Nets quickly building a dynastic run if the right situations present themselves and they capitalize by making the right decisions. The 2024-2025 season will be rough, and Nets fans should prepare themselves to watch a lot of college basketball to get a better feel for the players who could become the next franchise cornerstone.
