The Brooklyn Nets did not get the result they were hoping for during Monday’s 2025 NBA Draft Lottery as they wound up with the eighth overall pick in the Draft. Despite the fact that Brooklyn went back two spots from the sixth overall pick that they had coming into the event, they are reportedly one of the teams expected to try to trade up in the Draft and there could be a natural trade partner.
Following the conclusion of the Lottery, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Tuesday for The Stein Line that the Nets were regarded as one of the teams that could try to trade up for a better draft pick in this class. Daryl Morey, president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, spoke on Monday about how he felt about his team getting the third overall pick and what the team will do with that pick.
“That’s the plan (to use the pick rather than trade it). I think to get a high upside player that we also think can contribute right away is a big deal and we feel like 3 is a great spot to be,” Morey said during an appearance on the “Kincade & Salciunas” show on 97.5 The Fanatic (h/t Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire). The 76ers are one of the teams that saw their draft spot improve during the Lottery after a disastrous 2024-25 season for the franchise.
If the Nets are going to find a way to trade up in the Draft, they will have to look for teams that could be looking to trade back if they are interested in maximizing their championship, which sounds like what Philadelphia is looking to do. Whether that means they would trade with Brooklyn is another topic and it sounds like Morey is intent on using the pick despite having a team led by veterans in Joel Embiid and Paul George.
What potentially makes the possibility of trading up more difficult is the team that won the Lottery, the Dallas Mavericks, are reportedly not looking to trade the first overall pick that would allow them to presumably draft Duke forward Cooper Flagg and the San Antonio Spurs, who have the second overall pick, are looking to continue building around Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox.
Given the hype around Flagg, it’s possible that the Mavericks could go against the reporting and hold a bidding war to maximize the assets that they could get from him. However, the Mavericks and Spurs seem like they will hold on to their picks and while the 76ers seem like they will use their pick, they could also be looking for players to add around Embiid and George.