Fresh off a surprising playoff appearance following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets are heading into an interesting summer.
Will general manager Sean Marks continue to build a young team around the likes of Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton? Perhaps, Marks looks to move young assets and draft picks for a legitimate star player. The team is already being linked to one of the better players of his generation in trade talks.
Regardless, Brooklyn must navigate through the June 22 NBA Draft before it does anything concrete on this end. It also has an additional first-round pick stemming from the Durant trade to the Phoenix Suns. Below, we provide a Brooklyn Nets draft preview with five total targets for the team. At the end, you’ll also see a Nets mock draft for the annual event the team is hosting June 22.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated 2023 NBA mock draft
Brooklyn Nets picks in 2023 NBA Draft
Here are the Brooklyn Nets draft picks for the annual event in New York City later this month.
- 1st round, 21st pick
- 1st round, 22nd pick
- 2nd round, 51st pick
Brooklyn Nets targets in 2023 NBA Draft
Jordan Hawkins, guard, Connecticut
There’s a chance that Brooklyn looks to package both of its first-round picks and a future second rounder to move into the back end of the lottery. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen. But the idea would be to acquire someone who can make an immediate impact.
An important cog for the defending champion Connecticut Huskies, Hawkins would fit into this category. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 16.3 points on 44% shooting from the field a season ago. He’s a tremendous asset off the ball and boasts a quick release. While the mid-range game is somewhat of an issue, he’s refined from the perimeter (39% from three-point range last season). This is a need for the Nets.
Related: Top 100 NBA Draft prospects of 2023
Rayan Rupert, guard, New Zealand
If Brooklyn does indeed opt to keep both of its first-round picks, the team might look to go upside with one of the selections while finding an immediate contributor with the other. Having played pro ball with the New Zealand Breaker, Rupert could actually fit into both categories.
Boasting a 6-foot-6 frame with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, he’s already pro-ready on the defensive end of the court and could provide something in that area out of the gate. He’s been ascending draft boards recently, primarily due to an improved offensive game the wing has displayed during the pre-draft process.
Kobe Bufkin, guard, Michigan
Noticing a theme here? We have the Brooklyn Nets targeting either a two-guard or two-spot, wing hybrid. It’s an area the team could use help in, especially with Mikal Bridges slated for the three and Cameron Johnson seen as a small ball four.
In this scenario, Brooklyn goes with a guard in Bufkin who already has a great mid-range game on offense and boasts pro-ready on-ball defense from the perimeter. He could very well be a rotational piece as a rookie.
Mouhamed Gueye, forward, Washington State
Brooklyn’s plans in the second round will depend heavily on whether the team makes two first-round picks. This could end up being a draft-and-stash option with someone like Spanish forward Michael Caicedo.
In this scenario, we have Brooklyn targeting a 6-foot-11 forward/center combo in Gueye who was stellar for the Cougars last season. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds on 49% shooting. Claxton could use some help inside, and Gueye provides upside.
Oscar Tshiebwe, forward, Kentucky
The 2021-22 Naismith Player of the Year, Tshiebwe didn’t necessarily see an uptick in performance this past season. Even then, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 16.5 points and 13.7 rebounds while shooting 56% from the field.
You’re not going to get a complete player in the second round of the NBA Draft. Brooklyn knows this. Tshiebwe has no shooting range and a limited skillset on offense. Even then, his rebounding ability and elite rim-running skillset could make him a rotational player at the next level.
Brooklyn Nets mock draft
- 1st round, 21st pick: Kobe Bufkin, guard, Michigan
- 1st round, 22nd pick: Rayan Rupert, guard, New Zealand
- 2nd round, 51st pick: Oscar Tshiebwe, forward, Kentucky