The Brooklyn Nets reportedly are not satisfied with back-to-back picks late in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft and are now looking to move up and land a premium player in the annual event.
This will be another important summer for the Brooklyn Nets franchise. However, it will consist of far less drama with superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving no longer on the roster. Yet, that also makes things a bit more difficult as they try and improve the team and not fall back into a long rebuild.
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The organization has a solid amount of money to use in NBA free agency, draft assets to include in a potential trade and a pair of picks in the opening round of this year’s NBA Draft. Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic shows that great talent can be found later in the event, but it seems the Nets would prefer a higher-value pick than their pair or selections at 21 and 22.
On Wednesday, ESPN NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony reported that the “Nets are believed to be exploring trade options, including the possibility of packaging both picks and moving into the late lottery or middle first round.”
If the Brooklyn Nets can pull off a deal to move up in the June event, let’s take a look at three players they could be targeting for this year’s class.
Gradey Dick
The Brooklyn Nets could use more scoring, especially from their frontcourt. With Cameron Johnson being a restricted free agent, the organization may look to find his replacement in the NBA Draft. One possible target would be Kansas star, Gradey Dick.
Dick is arguably the best shooter in this year’s class and has the potential to be an elite-level three-point threat at the next level. With Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie drawing a lot of attention on offense, Dick could be an excellent fit as a knockdown shooter to play off those two stars.
Bilal Coulibaly
French phenom Victor Wembanyama is expected to be the top player taken in the NBA Draft, but his teammate Bilal Coulibaly has quickly risen on draft boards due to his strong play with Wembanyama during their team’s run to the French League finals.
With him only being 18 years old he is still a raw potential-rich talent, however, the sky is the limit and he has shown rapid development in just the last year. With the Brooklyn Nets in no rush to compete for a title in 2023-2024, Coulibaly could be a worthwhile risk that could develop into a second star alongside Bridges.
Kris Murray
Iowa star Kris Murray is one of the best-scoring bigs in this year’s class. However, that is not his sole skill set. When it comes to NBA-ready talent, Murray is that and has the capability to make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball for Brooklyn. Something they need in year one of a new semi-rebuild.
The one knock on Murray is he does not have a strong three-point game, however, hitting threes was actually a strength for Jacque Vaughn’s team in 2022-2023 so Murray might be a perfect inside balance to what the Nets offer from behind the arc.