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With the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the NBA Finals Sunday night, the 2024-2025 NBA season has concluded. Now, fans are ready to turn to the offseason and see who their favorite team will pick in Wednesday's NBA Draft.
It’s no secret that this class features an incredible amount of talent that is miles ahead of last year’s class. From Cooper Flagg, to Dylan Harper, there are studs everywhere in this class.
As a Brooklyn Nets fan, I was hoping the Nets would land the first pick, which of course didn’t happen. However, the Nets have the luxury of having four first round picks at their disposal and there’s so many routes they can take.
Realistically, they're not getting Flagg at all. However, there have been murmurs and mumbling that the Nets could trade their pick(s) to move up or down to get a certain player. With so much talent that will be picked in the first round, the Nets should be able to identify key players that will help their squad.
Now, to make this fair and realistic, I’m going to exclude some players from this article. The aforementioned Flagg and Harper, VJ Edgecombe and Ace Bailey.
Has there been talks that Bailey could potentially fall to Brooklyn at eight? I read and saw some stuff about that, but he’s likely going to play for a team like the Washington Wizards. I also saw that Jeremiah Fears and Tre Johnson could get picked by the Nets, but we’ll see.
Here’s some other names I’ve compiled that make more sense for the Nets.
Khaman Maluach: Duke, Center:
Maluach is a player that I really enjoy and someone I believe would help the Nets mightily. Nic Claxton has been good for them in the frontcourt and has developed into a solid center. However, they need a boost in rebounding and need a better defensive presence down low.
With Maluach, scouts love a lot about his game. He possesses great size (7’2, 250lbs), he’s a great paint protector, he rebounds well and is still only 18. To have someone this young be this skillful in the frontcourt is amazing and would work well with the Nets.
While his three point shooting isn’t necessarily there, he could learn to develop it. Maybe that means developing in the G-League or learning from veterans like Claxton or Day’Ron Sharpe (if he resigns) to become an even stronger center. But Maluach is a coachable and intelligent guy who will definitely be someone who can help Brooklyn in the long-run.
Jase Richardson: Michigan State, Point Guard/Shooting Guard:
I have heard about Jase Richardson for a long time now. When you watch a lot of the NBA and follow Michigan State basketball heavily like I do, you know two things. One, Jase is the son of former NBA and Michigan State player Jason Richardson and two, he played under a great coach in Tom Izzo.
Having a dad that played in the league and getting coached by an all-time great is a major recipe for success. Richardson has what it takes to become an excellent player in the NBA. I mean just hear some of the positive things scouts have said about him.
He’s a great defensive guard, he shoots well from three, he’s has a great personality and mindset. He is still very young, he shoots well from the charity stripe, and doesn’t turn the ball over at a high rate. Richardson would be someone I would love to have on the Nets.
Of course, people have criticized him for his height as he’s between 6’1 and 6’2. I don’t see that being an issue given how good he is all-around.
Egor Demin: BYU, Shooting Guard/Small Forward:
I have seen a lot about Demin and how he might play for the Nets. The Russian prospect, who played for Real Madrid before attending BYU is a well traveled player. Given the track history Real Madrid has with developing players like Luka Doncic, Demin should be able to translate well to the NBA.
With Demin playing an “NBA style” offense under Kevin Young at BYU, the familiarity of the league’s style should help him. He’s athletic, very quick, plays great defense, he’s a great playmaker. While scouts love what he brings to the court, there are things he needs to work on.
Demin did struggle with turnovers during his one season in college and struggled with his free throw shooting as well. The three ball was also a question, but seems to have improved it during his showing at the Combine.
As a taller guard, maybe selecting Demin with the eighth pick wouldn’t be a bad option for the Nets. There’s a lot of good in his play, but some things need to be fine tuned a bit.
Walter Clayton Jr: Florida, Point Guard:
If the Nets are still looking for a guard with their two picks in the twenties, Clayton is a great option for them. If I’m being honest, my distaste for Florida Athletics is strong like Michigan’s. However, Clayton was a player that was hard to dislike.
Playing in the toughest conference in all of college basketball this year, Clayton excelled. The SEC had a historic year and Clayton consistently found ways to beat some of the country’s best squads. This of course coincided with the Gators winning the National Championship over Houston.
But just looking individually at the former Iona guard, Clayton has a lot of great attributes that would help the Nets. He can hit tough shots, he’s very experienced, he plays great defense and is very athletic. The scouts like his play and I do too.
An SEC backcourt duo featuring Cam Thomas and Clayton (hopefully) would be fun to watch and could help the Nets get better. Let’s hope he’s not taken earlier though.
Ryan Kalkbrenner: Creighton, Center:
I had the chance to see Kalkbrenner three times during the 24-25 college basketball season. I interviewed him at BIG EAST Media Day, called one of his games in Omaha, and watched him during Seton Hall’s Senior Night. The fact that he came back for a fifth season was something that shocked me.
If you know college basketball, you know that Kalkbrenner was one of the best defenders in the history of the BIG EAST. A great rim blocker with a massive wingspan, Kalkbrenner would be an incredible pick for any team. This is especially true for the Nets if they don’t select a big man in the first round.
Kalkbrenner was a great rebounder, rarely committed fouls, and shot the three well at Creighton. While he may not be the most athletic and is relatively slow, he is a player that could transition well to the NBA. However, he’s more than likely going early in the second round rather than the first.
Would it be interesting to see Kalkbrenner on the Nets? Yeah it would, but he would definitely help improve Brooklyn, especially early on off the bench.
Other Players That Would Work Well With Brooklyn:
Kon Knueppel: Duke, Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Thomas Sorber: Georgetown, Center
Asa Newell: Georgia, Power Forward
Derik Queen: Maryland, Center
Kam Jones: Marquette, Point Guard/Shooting Guard