INSIDER: Brooklyn Nets could land SUPERSTAR talent in LOADED 2026 NBA Draft | Who are top prospects?

INSIDER: Brooklyn Nets could land SUPERSTAR talent in LOADED 2026 NBA Draft | Who are top prospects?

Coming up, I’ll tell you why the 2026 draft class is already drawing more buzz than last year’s class and what superstar prospects could land with the Nets. All that and more after this. [Music] You are Locked on Nets, your daily Brooklyn Nets podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Welcome in to the Locked On Nets podcast right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. It’s your team, the Brooklyn Nets, every single day. I’m Eric Slater, Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for clutchoints.com. Thank you for making me your first listen of the day. This show is 100% free on all those great platforms. And on today’s show, I’m going to be joined by an NBA draft analyst to outline the strengths of the 2026 draft class to you Nets fans. I’ll outline what prospects are at the top of the draft, their strengths, their weaknesses, and what you guys should be looking out for throughout this coming college season. And we got a very special guest joining the show now. It is Tyler Metaf of the No Ceilings Lockdown NBA Draft Show. And Tyler, we are here to intro the 2026 draft class uh to this Brooklyn Nets fan base that is just eager for the draft content year round. Obviously, the Nets are going to have focus. I touched last week with Corey Tulla about the Nets 2025 draft class. They’re going to have two focuses this team this coming season. Obviously, developing those guys, then also presumably setting themselves up for a top pick in next year’s draft. So, what are your early impressions of this 2026 draft class at the top of the class? And how would you, you know, compare it and how does it stack up to the 2025 class? Yeah, and it’s always draft season and for some teams that that that even starts a little more aggressively uh earlier than for others. Um I think the top three are legit three guys who you want to build your franchise around who could be all NBA guys down the road. Um and as the weeks go on, it might be closer to a top four with Michael Brown Jr. from Louisville sneaking into that conversation. But the three with a bullet in the tier of their own. Darren Peterson, Cam Boozer, AJ Debonsa, they all give a little bit of different stuff at different positions and all have that foundation and skill set and athleticism and IQ that you really want to build your franchise around. Um, after those guys, unfortunately, it looks like there could be a pretty steep drop off or at least a lot of questions where in this freshman class, it’s like, oh man, who’s going to be that fifth guy? I think Michael Brown is separating himself right now as that fourth guy um of the group, but after that, it’s like there are a lot of question marks with this class. And it might be a little more a draft a little more similar to the Jaden Jaden Ivy Keegan Murray draft where we see a couple returners really vault up and go in that top 10 top five range which we don’t typically see. So do you expect that you know there’s it seems like every year now there’s a heated tank race in the NBA because there are such good prospects at the top of the draft. Last year it was very intense because you had a Cooper flag type guy, but we heard last year that that was one of the deeper drafts that analysts had covered in a while. When you look at this class with the way you just described it, do you anticipate it being even more heated of a tank race because of their, you know, being a really strong top and then a little bit of a drop off as you said? Yeah, I I could see it getting pretty ugly as uh as the season goes on and and as competitive as some of the playoff seating races will get, I’m sure some of the the the tanking races will will match that and their enthusiasm because and last year it was is all about can you get the number one pick. Now there there’s a lot of talent to be had after that with Ace and Trey and Trey and Dylan Harper and you know there’s a lot of intriguing talents but it was pretty clearcut that Cooper Flag was the guy and you know he’s the best college prospect that I’ve scouted uh going back to Anthony Davis and now we have three guys who could rival that and I’m not saying they’re better. There’s a lot of basketball left to be played, a lot for these guys to show and prove, but coming into this season, if Cooper Flag, who was originally supposed to be in this class before he reclassified, it would have been a top four. And I I think there would have been a lot of conversation and a lot of debate among all four of these guys or Yeah, it would have been all four. Yeah, we entered last season, you know, talking about that draft class and it seemed like there was a top three with Cooper, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey. Obviously, a lot of questions about Ace. He kind of drops out, BJ Edgecom comes in, but it seems like you’re really high on the top of this 2026 draft class. So, would you say you think that the top of this 2026 class is an even stronger group collectively than what we saw at the top of this past year’s draft, which was also considered a very strong top of, you know, a draft? Yeah, I I I I’m more excited about this top three than last year’s top three. Like going into last season, I really liked Dylan Harper a lot. I really liked Ace Bailey a lot. And that’s not to take away from them at all. And you know, if we’re go expanding it to the top four, I really like Trey Johnson uh this time last year and up until the draft, similar vibes with Michael Brown. Different players, but um in terms of liking them at this stage, I but I I would have Darren, Cam, AJ all ahead of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey um at this point. And it seems like, you know, the Nets obviously didn’t operate their tank the way a lot of fans had hoped last season. They fell to the sixth worst record and then fell to the eighth pick in the draft. And this year we’ve already seen it seems like sort of a course correction or them acknowledging that you know they need to take a different process because last year they entered the year with a veteran ball handler and Dennis Shruder. They had guys like Cam Johnson and Dorian Finny Smith. They obviously traded away DFS and they traded Shruder literally as soon as they could trade him. They they were like get out of here like go to the West Coast. We don’t need you anymore. And then uh this year they’re entering with three rookie point guards and they don’t have a veteran ball handler on this roster unless you want to say Cam Thomas and even him you know there’s some trouble in paradise obviously there. So it seems like they’re set up for a much clearer cut tank and hopefully for some people hopefully if you’re in favor of the tank that’ll lend itself to getting better lottery odds than last year. But talking about these top three guys that you are so excited about, you have Darren Peterson right now as your top player in this draft class and he is a 6’6 guard going to Kansas. Just had a really dynamite season last year. So for Nets fans who haven’t watched us, give us your quick summary of Darren Peterson. What makes him so special? I he the way that he grew his senior year in high school, he’s gotten to the point where it’s like I’m not sure there are necessarily any offensive weaknesses in his game right now. And going into his senior year is like, “Oh man, this guy’s athleticism is awesome. He’s super fluid. Just the way he moves on a court is different than basically anyone else. I he glides. He’s explosive. He can decelerate. He’s strong. He’s physical.” And going into his senior year, it’s like, “Oh man, this dude’s a bucket, too.” like he can just get points whenever he wants and but it’s like all right he well he’s he’s a scorer you know that that’s what he is and that’s really exciting if we’re talking in the 5 to 10 range but you have to be able to do more and this year I mean he was basically playing point guard um for for prolific prep um and making really high level reads constantly the way that his playmaking grew this year it’s like holy crap like I still like him as a two guard long term but now he’s one of these guys where it’s like all right yeah that That’s more than just being able to attack a close out and then kick out. It’s all right, I can initiate the or he can initiate the offense now. He can run numerous second side picking roles. He can push in transition. He doesn’t have to give it up. Um the way that his playm like long term, I think his playmaking and offensive generation role. I I view it in the kind of Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards type of realm where you probably want another lead ball handler next to him, but at the end of the day, you’re you don’t really want to take the ball out of his hands almost ever because he’s a dynamic three-level scorer. Shooting percentages aren’t outlandish. They’re not great. They need work. But I think a lot of that, too, is just the shoot the gravity that he demanded in high school and the difficult attempts. I’m over the moon about him. And I got to watch Darren a little bit last season, but I’ve really dug into it this last month. And first like things that st stood out to me was just the size, the strength of, you know, that he has as a ball handler and the natural fluidity of him as a mover. You said glider. I think that’s a really good term to describe him. So those were just like boxes that are checked right off the bat. But then watching him more, the kind of, you know, variety in the ways that he can create his shots and the different things that he does with the ball in his hands really just stood out to me. And he’s clearly a guy who’s dedicated to his craft, but it’s almost like some of the things he was doing, which looked so creative and so amazing, almost just looked like second nature and so natural. the way that he, you know, creates advantages downhill, the way that he scores around the hoop, the way that he can get to these little floaters, the touch that he has in the lane and around the basket, just all of that is so special. And then when you couple that with the playmaking and with, you know, the, you know, spot-up shooting off the dribble shooting, it’s just like you said, like it doesn’t really seem like there’s many weaknesses to this guy’s game. You know, you’ve been in the scouting business for a while. How does he stack up, you know, against, you know, the other guards that you’ve um, you know, profiled, you know, dating back in your career? And he he’s up there. He he’s one of the most I it’s rare that I’m this excited about a dynamic guard, like shooting guard coming into college. Um, because everything you were just talking about is spoton and and what really really stands out to me is not just the scoring, not just the athleticism. You see guys like that all the time. But the way that he improvises and is composed under pressure and isn’t predetermined with how he’s attacking stuff and keeps his dribble alive despite getting blitzed out of the pick and roll or triple teamed off an offensive rebound. He’s just always keeping his options open and not never committing to a shot, a pass, a drive, anything until he has to, until the defense really forces him or alleviates something and gives offers him something and he’s just making the right play. Um, and to be doing that this early in his career and to have grown that much as a ball handler, decision maker, playmaker, scorer, and having it all come together before he set foot on campus at Kansas is really, really special. So, I could could it go up in flames and be a absolute disaster this year? Maybe. Uh, I’m not a huge fan of this Kansas roster, but everything that Darren Peterson showed in a AAOU and showcase events and high school this last year, it it’s really really special. It’s tough to compare them because there’s, you know, there are different positions and different types of players, but it also just is early. But is he in that Cooper flag conversation, you’d say, as level of prospect and, you know, the urgency that some teams might have to get up there and try to maximize their chances at landing him? Yeah, and I I think NBA upside um I think he could get there. I think Cooper’s all-around game was better than Peterson’s right now because like I really like a lot of what Peterson does on defense. It’s just not quite as consistent. Um whereas like Cooper was an insane defender throughout his high school career and then we just saw the offense get better and better and better with the playmaking and the decision-m and facilitating um always kind of being there and then we saw how much the shot improved and the scoring improved. uh throughout his senior year and at Duke. So Peterson’s almost the inverse of that where the offense is like, “Holy crap, like this is special.” And we we’re getting flashes of of the defensive stuff. If that gets really consistent, too, then yeah, I think I think we’re probably going to be talking about him in a a similar vein. We got two more prospects in this top three who could be potential home run picks for the Nets if they are lucky enough to land a pick at the top of the draft. Who are they? What can they bring to the table? We’ll hit on all that when we continue locked on nets after a quick break. But before that, want to tell you about our friends over at Monarch Money. Guys, most people can’t name all their financial accounts or even what they’re worth, whether it’s 401ks, properties, or investments. And when you don’t have the full picture, you can end up leaving money on the table. That’s why there’s Monarch Money. It’s an all-in-one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean, easy to use interface on your laptop or your phone. Guys, Monarch is built for people with busy lives. If you’ve ever put off organizing your finances, Monarch is for you. Monarch does the heavy lifting for you. You can link all your accounts in minutes. See clear data visuals, get smart categorization of your spending, and finally feel in control of your money without ever touching a spreadsheet. Guys, you ever think you were saving a certain amount and then realize you’re coming up well short? Monarch can identify why. It helps you notice an inefficient investment allocation and discover forgotten 401ks from past jobs. It can help you maximize investments, increase your savings rate, and easily review finances with your partner and/or financial advisor. It can help you keep a clear view of your financial health week to week and long term. Guys, don’t let financial opportunities slip through the cracks. Use code locked on MBA at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year. That’s 50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code lockdown NBA. Coming back from the break on today’s Locked on Nets episode, previewing the 2026 draft class with Tyler Metaf of the No Ceilings and Locked On NBA Draft podcast. Tyler, we just hit on Darren Peterson and you said this top three has you extremely excited. It seems like there’s, you know, some differing opinions on how to rank this group out after Peterson. Who do you have as number two on your board right now? Uh, currently I have AJ Debansa, uh, wing, small forward, however you want to classify him, headed to BYU. Um, and it kind of varies by the day and Boozer. Um, today as of recording, I have AJ there because I I really think he has the potential to be the best defender in this class. um the way that his defense has grown over the last year is incredibly encouraging and not just the fundamentals and the execution, but the attitude that he defends with where it’s like, oh, he’s enjoying shutting guys down. He’s enjoying playing with some physicality, sliding his feet, cutting off drives, rotating from the weak side to get a block. Um, and for him to re if he really really does commit to that end of the floor, then it’s like the the upside with him is tremendous cuz going into last year, um, you know, I saw him at Hoop Summit uh, back backto-back years a junior like this dude is carrying himself like a superstar. He’s hyping up teammates. He’s awesome to be around. Looks super coachable. And the offensive stuff was out of control. And this year is like he was going through the motions. It’s really disappointing. Um, and the offense was just like, eh. But then despite his kind of inconsistent motor on offense, it was always there on defense. And I’m like, what is going on with this dude? Um, and it just felt a lot like senioritis where a lot of the high school numbers and stuff with Utah prep this year, they’re they’re they’re okay. Like he put up big numbers at times, but the tape looked lackluster. It looked sluggish and it felt like he’s a guy who knew exactly where he was going next year and just trying to get through the season and was experimenting with stuff. It felt exactly like Paulo Bancerero’s senior’s year in high school looked. If he really hits, if the shot takes just a small improvement, there’s so much play making, foul drawing, rim pressure stuff to go along with the defensive stuff. It’s exactly what NBA teams dream about with a wing to build their franchise around. Yeah, I just touched on it with Darren Peterson, but another guy like even more so Deansa. I mean, he’s not handling the ball or doing the same primary creator stuff as Peterson, but just physically like 6’9, crazy length, crazy athleticism. Defensively, looks like really fluid, mobile, like loose hips, can, you know, do all these things, slide his feet, stay with people. But I think it’s interesting because you’re not the only person I’ve heard say that about his offensive game. I’ve heard, you know, other draft analysts talk about him and say they feel that he kind of plateaued this past season offensively. And then you just said the defense just reached another level. And in a weird way, like you never want to hear about senioritis or a player getting complacent. Those can be huge red flags. But if you flash what he can do offensively, albeit there’s still questions there. If he had already flashed that and then he comes in and he just dominates defensively, does that almost make like give you a little more, you know, belief in the upside and in terms of like a two-way versatility and the things that he could do on both ends? It it does a lot because like we we know what he can do offensively. Like when it’s right, it looks incredible. Um now the shot still needs a lot of work. Release point needs some work. Needs to raise that up a little bit. He shoots a flat ball too often. uh a little late on his release at times, but those are fixable things. Is he ever going to be a 40 plus percent three-point shooter? Probably not, but he I’m not sure he needs to be. If he can get that 35 to 37% on the volume and difficulty he’s going to take, it’ll be enough. But just doing that with mediocre defense, that’s not the type of guy you want to take number one because they’re just going to be inefficiencies galore despite how talented he is. But if he’s bringing that really highlevel elite defense to the table and that’s his baseline, now we’re talking about all of the offensive stuff continuing to grow with the secondary uh playmaking and creation and the rim pressure and and he draws a billion fouls a game because of how crafty and physical he is. Now we’re talking about a legit two-way star instead of just an offensive hub with a lot of inefficiencies and inconsistent defense. That guy doesn’t get me as excited taking him one, two, or three. But some offensive inefficiencies I can forgive if that defense is coming night night in and night out like I think it can and will. And offensively, let’s dig in a little bit more there. You know, he’s a guy who is a ridiculous shot maker. Like really um tough shots, really, you know, lethal in the mid-range. It seems like you said the three-point shot needs some work there, but you know, kind of how do you like what archetype do you kind of place him in on the offensive end of the floor because he is this guy with huge size? You know, is he like going to be able to handle primary recreation responsibility, do you think? Is he going to be a little bit more off the ball? Just like where do you see him fitting in in college and then at the next level? Yeah. And I’m guessing in college they’re going to let him go bonkers because they’re giving him heck of a lot of money. and I’m guessing we’re going to see everything that he’s got. If he wants to showcase it, he’s going to have that opportunity. And BYU runs some really fun offensive stuff. So, I’m I’m expecting that they’re going to put him in position to succeed a lot. Um long term, I mean, the hope is that, you know, if we’re talking 99th percentile type of outcomes, the hope is that he turns into this generation’s Tracy McGrady. Um a little more more recent one, you know, Paul, there’s I’ve heard some Paul George comps. I think like France Vagner is should be in the conversation too with how effective and crafty he is getting downhill, creating for others. You know, that type of guy where he’s a really smart passer and creator for others, but you don’t want him necessarily leading the offense and initiating everything, but as that secondary guy, there’s a ton of upside and then some shooting inconsistencies. AJ’s a better shooter than France is. Um, but it’s still way off from being called a strength. Um, but hopefully it’s trending in the right direction and we see it in the modern NBA, you know, like this these wings who can scale up and scale down, can play, you know, different spots. He just has this prototypical size at 6’9 with the length that he has, the strength that he has, and it’s going to be really fun to watch him at BYU. Obviously, Nets fans are gaining some familiarity with uh Kevin Young and BYU, and you know, what they’ve did with Jay Gordy last year. Last thing I want to touch on with Deansa because he’s a guy who I think a lot of people probably had as the number one player um last year leading up to this and there are obviously are these questions you know about his offensive game and plateauing and maybe a little bit of complacency. Have you heard anything uh behind the scenes about you know just the type of kid he is? You know obviously has been in the spotlight for a while and you know just like how he’s conducting himself. You know anything that you’ve heard from you know that regard? Um I mean Not really. Um I mean two years ago when we saw him at Hoop Summit, super charismatic, just smile on his face the entire time, hyping up teammates and everything. This year he he wasn’t a bad teammate or you know, sluggish or anything or like rude or a jerk or anything like that. Uh but he he just looked tired and you know it’s really important to remember with that event too he just spent a week at McDonald’s and then immediately flies out to Portland for Nike Hoop Summit and then you know they’re going to team USA stuff shortly after that. So it it’s a long stretch. Um and is like while we were out at Hoop Summit every NBA person I talked to um or you know the vast majority you’ll be like man AJ’s kind of dogging it and he kind of looks rough this week doesn’t he? I was like, “Yeah, this kind of sucks.” I’m like, “Yeah, is it affecting the stock for you at all?” They’re like, “No, I still have a million.” I was like, “Okay, cool. Well, there we go.” They’re like, “Yeah.” And it’s it’s a brutal stretch of the year for these guys. Um, and and everyone has a has good and bad days, so it’s you always take it with a grain of salt, but I’ve never heard any intel wise like, “Oh, he’s a bad kid. He’s uncachable or anything like that.” Um, everything I’ve seen, kid works really, really hard during practices and is willing to take criticism and feedback. And one more thing, you know, a player, Ace Bailey, a player that a lot of a lot of Nets fans watched for a while leading up to last year’s draft because there were questions like you remember entering the college season last year, there were some people who were like, could Ace Bailey challenge Cooper Flag for the number one pick? And then obviously he slides down. These guys are, you know, not, you know, different players, but similar size, you know, similar archetype. Just like how would you compare and contrast AJ Debansa, let’s say, on the offensive end of the floor to what, you know, Nets fans probably saw a lot of from Ace Bailey last season? Yeah, I would say Ace is a significantly better shooter at this point. Um, but AJ’s ability to get downhill, his handle, the passing intuition, um, is light years ahead of where Ace was. Um, I I think at this point, Ace was really intriguing, and the idea of him was awesome. I still I’m still very high on Ace longterm, but I I think AJ’s just significantly farther along in being an all-around offensive weapon rather than just a scorer. and they’re they’re similar builds, but AJ’s handles a lot tighter and his willingness to initiate and um accept contact and get to the line, get to the rim, draw fouls, get easy points that way. We never really saw that from Ace consistently where he was way too eager to settle for mid-range fadeaways and pull-ups and that kind of stuff. Whereas instead, AJ will hit a guy with a shot fake, step through and get to the rim or jump into him and draw a foul rather than spin around and fade away going the other direction. He’ll have plenty of that, too. And you know, some of it will be hair pulling like just what are you doing? Why are you making this harder than you need to? Um, but he gets a lot of really, really easy stuff because of how crafty and physical he is. We have one more player rounding out this top three and this just stacked top of this 2026 draft class. Cam Boozer. We’ll touch on him, his strength, his weaknesses, what Nets fan should be watching out for this season. We close out Locked on Nets after a quick break. But before that, want to tell you about our friends over at 5Hour Energy. Caffeine just got a flavor upgrade. 5Hour Energy Shots deliver tasty caffeine and 17 bold flavors. Each 2O shot packs the caffeine of a premium 12 oz cup of coffee, plus B vitamins and nutrients with zero sugar and zero crashes. Guys, what I love most about these is how portable they are. Big taste, tiny shot. You can take it anywhere and get the boost that you need when you need it. The flavors are delicious. They go down smooth. It reminds you of having just an easy drink in the morning that gives you that energy you need to carry through the day. The favorite flavor, the blueberry 5-hour energy shot. Just delicious. It’s refreshing and gives you that quick lift before a busy day. Guys, enough with boring flavorless caffeine. It’s to it’s time to give your caffeine a flavor upgrade with 5h hour energy shots. Get the favors you love or be bold and try something new in store and online at www.5owerenergy.com or Amazon today. Coming back from the break, closing out today’s Locked on Nets episode, talking with Tyler Metaf of No Ceilings and the Locked On NBA Draft podcast. Tyler, we’re going through this top three. Cam Boozer, a 6’9 forward, big man going to Duke this season. Obviously, the name uh very, you know, high pedigree within NBA circles. Uh what have you seen from Cam so far? And give us kind of your summary of him so far as a prospect. Uh he could very easily have the most boring 25 12 and six average this year that we’ve ever seen from a freshman. Um all this dude does is dominate, put up big numbers and win. Um it’s not the sexiest film. It’s not the flashiest stuff, but it’s effective. It’s simple. He takes what the defense gives him and he’s just already mastered doing the little things. um where it’s like, yeah, I wish he had four and a half blocks and three steals a game, but he doesn’t because he’s just proactive in his rotations, his footwork, his fundamentals, being in the right place at the right time, doing the little things that don’t require the flashy recovery plays or the flashy dunks, and he he’ll have some of that stuff, but he just plays really simple, takes what the defense gives him, and then even if they don’t give him anything, then he utilizes that 69 250lb frame to go through them and create whatever he wants. Um it he’s just dominantly boring and it it’s I don’t mean that as an insult by any means. It’s just where he is at this stage of his game because he’s just won everything produces at an incredibly high level and is just a lot of fun. And you’d like to think that that wouldn’t be held against him. I you know among people like you who are professionals and do this for a living. I’m sure it won’t be. And some you know within NBA circles might even see that as a good thing. Do you think among like fans like if Nets fans are to go to watch these three, do you think maybe there’ll be less excitement surrounding a Cam booster just because of the way that he plays? He’ll definitely have the worst highlight tape of the three, but that’s also because the other two are dynamic athletes and ball handlers uh who, you know, are are just flashier by nature. Um, but then you go look at the numbers and the accolades, it’s like, oh, Cam Cam’s list, I’m flipping pages here, whereas the other guys have, you know, one, maybe two pages. Um yeah, I mean it’s not the most exciting stuff, but it’s everything about his game just leads to winning basketball. And you know, the defense obviously is a strength like you know him and Debansa both 69, but you said it with Boozer like 250 pounds, stockier guy, has played a lot of center it seems like um in high school thus far. Do you envision him playing center at the next level or do you think it’s something where he scales more towards like the four or possibly even the wing in some lineups? Yeah, and at Duke, I imagine he’ll probably still play some some center, but also scale down to four long term. I don’t I don’t think he’s quite big enough to play full-time five. I don’t think he’s quite explosive enough to be a team’s like primary rim protector. Um, you know, in some lineups he’s strong enough where he can still control the paint on rebounds and stuff. And I’m sure in some lineups he the teams can go small with him at the five for at least some stretches, but I think ideally you want him at the four. I think he moves his feet well enough in space. Um really physical bumping guys off drives without fouling, really disciplined, rarely, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him get in foul trouble. Maybe one or two games here or there. Um but the the fundamentals, the IQ, the awareness, it’s all exactly where it needs. It’s well ahead of where it typically is for guys his age. Um, and it allows him to operate in space a little more effectively because he’s anticipating where ball handlers are going and then knows exactly how athletic and strong he is and utilizes that perfectly and the strengths on the defensive end of the floor. Those are a big part of the cell with Camboozer offensively. If he’s going to play the four or let’s start let’s start with just what he’s been doing really well in high school like for Nets fans who haven’t watched him. Is he a guy who’s posting up? Is he a role man? Is he a guy who can do things off the dribble or spotting up? All of the above. Like what have been the main strengths and the go-to aspects of his game thus far? It it’s a little bit of everything honestly. Um I mean as a junior is a lot of bully ball stuff like just being bigger than everyone because when you’re 69 250 as a junior you’re going to get whatever you want around the rim. Awesome offensive rebounder, really good postgame, uh good scoring touch. And then this year we saw a lot more pick and pop stuff spotting up um creating out of the short roll. I I thought his passing reads took a big jump this year. Again, not as a primary guy, but as you know, a guy who can create out of the short roll out, you know, make that skip pass when the double comes, that kind of stuff. Um, you know, some people on the no ceilings team are a little more optimistic about the ball handling and the wiggle and the shot creation. I’m not quite there yet with it. Um, I need to see a little more and I see him a little more as like an elite play finisher um and tertiary facilitator, but the the play finishing versatility took a huge huge leap this year. And then as that shot continues to progress like it has been, the closeouts are only going to get longer and his handle and physicality is good enough where he can attack close outs, get downhill to either finish through contact or kick out to a teammate. And if this is a guy who defensively has the size, has the understanding of positioning, is going to be a force on that end, is a good spot up shooter and play finisher, can do those things, that would, you know, lend itself obviously, you think, to a very high floor as a guy at the next level. The ceiling oftent times for these guys who aren’t like true big men, even sometimes for big men also is dependent on the things you said, the wiggle, the shot creation, being able to put the ball on the floor and create offscript. So, you know, if you’re not that convinced of that, obviously he has, you know, a long way to go as a prospect, but is he kind of one of the guys you could see as a little bit higher floor, but maybe the ceilings cap somewhat because of those limitations? Yeah, and I I’m pretty confident that he’ll play 15 years plus in the league. Just he he has that game. Um, and and more importantly, and the the physical tools are all there, but mentally it’s way it’s so advanced. Just the way that he processes the game, sees the floor, maps it, and just reads and reacts to everything. And he’s rarely flustered. He the composure is through the roof, and just the awareness and knowing where to be when he needs to be there. It’s really special for this stage of his game. the ceiling is probably is I would say lower than Darren and AJ, but I he almost certainly has the highest floor of the three. Do you have a player comp? Do you have any guys who you could see him growing in a similar mold to thus far, or is he kind of just unique in that aspect? Um Al Horford is one that I I really like. Um again, you know, he’s a guy who 6’9, 610, so not the biggest guy and has played almost what 15 to 20 years as a center and but also has that ability to space the floor. Um some years better than others, but just a really smart player on both ends of the floor. And that that that’s the one I’ve kind of been going to um for Boozer the most. There’s also like some Kevin Love, some Paul Milsap plus type stuff there, too. And that’s interesting, you know, because the Nets just made a draft where it seems like high field, you know, guys who had a really solid understanding of the game was a big emphasis there. And I think the Nets would be, you know, jumping for joy to get any of these guys. But, you know, maybe that draws them to a guy like Boozer. We’ll see. It’s really early to tell. But Tyler, great job, you know, introing the class. Nets fans, I’m sure, are just going to be consuming all of the draft content leading up to this 2026 draft. So, if you guys don’t already, go f follow Tyler stuff on No Ceilings and on the Locked on NBA Draft Show. We’re going to have tons more coverage throughout the season. So, we’ll have to have you on a few more times and check in, but I appreciate you taking the time. That does it for today’s episode of Locknets. Hope you guys really enjoyed the talk with Tyler introing that 2026 class. If you guys do not already, go follow their work on No Ceilings and the Lockown NBA draft show. They have great content out already on these guys and they’ll have much more throughout the year. But if you do not already, make sure to subscribe to Lockdown Nets on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast, whether Apple Podcast or Spotify, I’m asking you right now, take a second, smash that like button, leave a comment, let me know what you think about these 2026 draft prospects. Any of it really helps for engagement in the algorithm as I try to grow the channel. But we got training camp about a week away, media day less than a week away. We got a lot more news, Nets, trades, signings, all this expected. I’ll have coverage of all that and more here on Locked on Nets when I’m back tomorrow talking more Brooklyn Nets basketball.

Erik Slater and Tyler Metcalf outline why the 2026 NBA Draft offers the Brooklyn Nets a prime opportunity to land a superstar talent. They analyze the class’ top prospects and what each of them will bring to the table at the next level.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nets/

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

📲 Follow Locked On Nets on Socials
Locked On Nets https://twitter.com/LockedOnNets

#BrooklynNets #NBA