The Brooklyn Nets are weeks away from the beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season as they seek to have a productive campaign with a significantly-different roster. Brooklyn is heading this upcoming season with five rookies from the 2025 NBA Draft and the hope is that at least one of those players shows their potential. What about the 2026 NBA Draft?
“Dash Daniels just became the youngest player since Ben Simmons to suit up for the Boomers in the Asia Cup. He did struggle after an underwhelming U19 World Cup, where he had trouble creating separation and getting balanced looks,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote in his latest NBA mock draft for the 2026 class. Wasserman had the Nets taking Daniels with the 33rd overall pick (second round) after they selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the third overall pick.
“Daniels relies a little too much on tough runners and difficult touch shots,” Wasserman continued while speaking on where Daniels’ game stands at this time. “He’s also not as big as Dyson, though Dash may have a better three-point shooting track record at this age, and he’ll offer similar secondary playmaking.”
Daniels, 17, is currently playing with Melbourne United as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program in Australia and is averaging 5.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting 62.5% from the field and 50.0% from three-point land. As of this writing, Daniels has played just two games and while he hasn’t started either of those games, he is averaging 17.8 minutes per game.
Time will tell if Daniels will be able to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, by being a contributor to an NBA team, but he is currently taking the same path as some of the intriguing, young players in the NBA today. The NBL’s Next Stars Program is the same endeavor that players like Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr and Chicago Bulls guard embarked on to get themselves to the league.