To be frank, mock drafts don’t mean that much at this point. Teams have only started working out and interviewing players. Sure they’ve seen all the top picks multiple times, in some cases more than 10, but that’s just part of the process. After the workouts and interviews come meetings between the scouts who fill in the blanks on team databases and the front office types who will actually make the selections on June 23-24. In between will be the Draft Lottery on May 10, of course. Where a team picks will determine who they select and whether they want to make trades.
Therefore, word to the wise: don’t put a lot of faith in what the draftniks think now.
Still, it’s been our duty for years to keep track of the top draft sites, hoping for a sense of who the Nets might be thinking as they prepare for one of the first nights of summer in Brooklyn. So when in recent days, there’s been a spate of mocks hitting the web, we’ve paid close attention. And …drum roll… the consensus is as clear as any we have ever seen: if the Brooklyn Nets pick at No. 3 or maybe even higher, Duke power forward Cameron Sikander Boozer, college basketball’s player of the year, will be donning a Nets cap early the night of June 23.
Of the nine mock drafts we follow, seven of them project the steady and often honored Boozer to the Nets at No. 3 using the current lottery odds. One likes Caleb Wilson, the 6’10” hyper-athletic North Carolina, for the Nets but only because the writer in that case thinks Boozer will be taken at No. 2! The last of the nine, used a spin of the Tankaton lottery simulator, and when Brooklyn fell to No. 6, it went with Darius Acuff, the exciting if undersized Arkansas guard. (The Nets can’t slip beyond No. 7 but statistically, under the league rules, their most likely slot will be No. 6, with a 26.8% chance.)
In the meantime, you can mull over the other draft news out there because looking down the line, it has the potential to be huge.
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The current NBA Draft rules appear to be perishable and everyone’s attention over the last 48 hours has been diverted by what the NBA Draft might look like in the future as the Board of Governors mulls Adam Silver’s radical plan to end tanking. It’ll be voted on at the end of May. The plan, first revealed by ESPN, is not simple but Lev Akabas makes a valiant attempt at simplification with this visualization…
Yikes. No matter what you think of that — and you can comment below — the bottom line is that it won’t go into effect until the 2027 Draft. So no worries yet. Moreover, if they’re approved in a form close to what ESPN reported and Akabas, visualized the new rules will give the Nets with their 13 first rounders over the next seven years a bit of advantage. Why? Because as Akavas graphic notes, there will be two more teams with chances at the top prize every year with 2.7% chances at the overall No. 1. That’s better than what the Dallas Mavericks had last year — 1.8% — when they won top pick and Cooper Flagg.
Let’s look at one possibility. Suppose the Knicks make it to the playoffs in 2027 but have the league’s 15th or 16th worst record. Under the current rules, the Nets who own that pick would not be in the lottery, but under the “reforms,” they would have be in the lottery and have a shot, albeit a small one, at moving up. The more picks, the more chances, the more opportunities to move up.
Another small advantage for teams like the Nets with extra picks and a lot of cap space comes from none other than Mark Cuban, owner of the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. He thinks flattening lottery odds will lead to a spate of trades…
Good to know. but the more pressing issue for Nets fans is what will happen in Brooklyn seven weeks from now. Here’s that breakdown, mock by mock. Other than Boozer, there’s only one player in either round who gets more than one mention: Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State’s 6’9” point forward who two mocks project at No. 33, the Nets own second rounder.
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Jeremy Woo, like most of the authors of mock drafts thinks the top three prospects — so-called “franchise-changers” — are still somewhat interchangeable. Can’t go wrong, right? In his latest mock, he had the Nets taking Caleb Wilson. This time around, it’s Cam Boozer, Mr. Fundamentals.
#3 – Cam Boozer, PF, 6’10”, Duke freshman#33 – Juke Harris, SG, 6’7”, Wake Forest, Sophomore#43 – Malachi Moreno, C, 7’o”, Kentucky, Freshman
Here’s Woo’s take on Boozer’s fit with the Nets:
While Duke fell just short of a Final Four berth, Boozer lived up to his lofty expectations, cleaning up player of the year awards and proving one of the most dependable freshman stars ever. He has the makings of a foundational, tone-setting player, and while his limited vertical lift might cap some of his upside, at some point, it’s hard to argue with the results he has gotten. Boozer is a longer shot at No. 1, but teams largely feel comfortable with the production they’re going to get from him.
Brooklyn has a lot riding on this lottery, as it continues to look for a young franchise player to anchor the team and doesn’t have control of its 2027 first, which is owed to Houston. Boozer is the safest choice on the board in that respect, as the Nets try to accelerate the competitive timeline of a young roster.
Jonathan Wasserman joins Jeremy Woo in liking Boozer, almost defensively, in comparing his numbers to his competitors:
He shot better from three (39.1 percent) on higher volume than Dybantsa. He has a 26.0 assist percentage that double’s Peterson’s, Dybantsa’s and lottery guards like Keaton Wagler and Brayden Burries. He grades in Synergy Sports’ 90th percentile or better in ball‑screen and isolation possessions. Even with that profile, there is still lingering concern about his lack of quickness, vertical pop and defensive projection.
The 18-year-old with two FIBA MVPs and Gold Medals, four high school state championships and three EYBL Peach Jam titles could have led Duke to a national championship, and there will still be evaluators who’ll worry that he’ll lack the height or athleticism to continue creating advantages in the NBA.
#3 – Cam Boozer, PF, 6’10”, Duke freshman#33 – Luigi Suigo, C, 7’2”, Mega Basket 19 years old#43 – Trevon Brazile, PF, 6’10”, Arkansas, freshman
Wasserman also likes the two bigs in the second for the Nets. Suigo is more of a traditional center who hit only three 3-pointers for Serbian powerhouse Mega this year but is only 19. Brazile, on the other hand, is 23 but has potential, he writes as a 3-and-D big.
In the second round, a team should see a bet worth making on his three-ball to reach a league-average level. He has an easy-to-project archetype and role as a stretch-4/finisher and threat to attack closeouts.
We are done using Tankathon to monitor daily perturbations in the lottery standings. But Matt Hoover’s site also offers up-to-the-minute mocks and Thursday, here’s what he has for the Nets.
Yup, he, too, likes Boozer if Brooklyn remains at No. 3. Tankathon believes the Nets will go the traditional route and take the country’s top player. While their format is light on analysis unlike their rivals, they are long on video:
Here’s their full take. They like two point guards, one Darius Acuff’s running mate at Arkansas in the second round. Nets of course played three rookies at point guard at various points last season.
#3 – Cam Boozer, PF, 6’10”, Duke freshman#33 – Meleek Thomas, SG/PG, 6’5” Arkansas freshman#43 – Jaden Bradley, PG, 6’4”, Arizona senior
The venerable NBADraft.net may be quirky in its calls, but Aran Smith’s site has extensive scouting reports that are among the best in the draftniks’ circle and he’ll often update them, giving a readers an opportunity to chart progress — or the reverse — of their favorite prospects. And like all the current mocks, he likes Cam Boozer! And like others who monitor college ball, Smith et al compare him to Tim Duncan, who as everyone knows played and was coached by Sean Marks in San Antonio. Writes Smith:
Boozer projects as a highly impactful, versatile frontcourt player with All-Star upside due to his unique combination of skill, feel, and productivity … While some have drawn comparisons to Kevin Love (who led the league in rebounding multiple times), Boozer’s overall game more closely mirrors Al Horford with his athleticism, shooting, versatility, and team-oriented approach … He plays with an extremely patient, highly deliberate style, rarely appearing rushed and consistently making mature decisions with the ball … In some ways, there is a mini Tim Duncan quality to his approach, particularly in the poise, discipline, and understated effectiveness he brings to the game.
Here’s their full take:
#3 – Cam Boozer, PF, 6’10”, Duke freshman#33 – Joshua Jefferson, SF, 6’9”, Iowa State senior#43 – Jakobi Gillespie, PG, 6’1”, Tennessee senior
Jefferson has been linked to the Nets in a number of mocks. Although one of the oldest players in the Draft, Jefferson is a point forward which is something that could work in Jordi Fernandez’s system.
One of the most statistically unique players in the country, becoming the only player nationally (and first in Big 12 history) to post 450+ points, 250+ rebounds, 100+ assists, 70+ steals, and 25+ blocks in a single season … Strong basketball background with family ties to high-level football … Known for toughness, IQ, and all-around production
Sam Vecenie’s mock is an outlier to two regards: 1) projects a post-lottery based not on where they sit going into the May 10 event but where he thinks teams will fall when the ping pong balls finally lands which in the Nets case he thinks will be No. 6; and 2) with Cam Boozer off the board at No. 3 (to the Atlanta Hawks in his estimation), he likes Darius Acuff, the 6’2” Arkansas guard. Vecenie, in a nutshell, loves Acuff but has questions.
Acuff might be the most polished freshman guard prospect I’ve ever evaluated. His footwork and balance are pristine, and he tends to make efficient decisions. He plays off two feet and moves well without the ball to set up his on-ball moves. His passes are always crisp and on-target, even if his vision isn’t always elite.
But can he consistently get paint touches against NBA length, and can he guard anybody? In terms of the former, he’s done just about everything in his power to make me a believer that he can separate, thanks to the threat of his shot and elite pace. But the latter is another story. Even though Acuff is stocky and strong, he’s easily the worst defender among the top 10 prospects. He struggles to get through screens and shows a lack of off-ball engagement too regularly.
Here’s his overall take:
#6 – Darius Acuff, PG/SG, 6’3”, Arkansas freshman#33 – Joshua Jefferson, SF, 6’9”, Iowa State senior#43 – Ugonna Onyenso, C, 6’11”, Virginia senior
Another vote for Jefferson. In fact, he is the only prospect linked to the Nets in more than mock … other than Boozer, of course.
Stephen Noh of TSN only does one round, but like his counterparts above, he too sees Cam Boozer as the Nets best bet if they stay at No. 3. Like the others, he sees Boozer as an ideal fit.
While critics point to his lack of elite vertical explosiveness, Boozer’s basketball IQ, polished post-game, and ballhandling skills undeniably lead to high-level production. He can anchor an NBA frontcourt through sheer strength and skill.
MORE: Cameron Boozer is The Sporting News Player of the Year
Interestingly, also like his counterparts, Noh had earlier projected A.J. Dybantsa at No. 3 but the BYU star has jumped in recent weeks.
The very prolific Ricky O’Donnell is out with his best projections and no surprise, he took likes … Cam Boozer. It too is a one round mock, and in a different format than others.
Writes O’Donnell of Boozer, referring to recent comments that Caleb Wilson might be a better pick.
I’ve been consistent that Boozer is my top player in the class. Boozer and Wilson were teammates on the Nike EYBL circuit for Nightrydas, and there was never any question who the best player on the team was (it was Boozer). Wilson did arguably out-play him in the first Duke vs. North Carolina game this season, which was one of the best prospect matchups we got all year in college hoops.
He does like Wilson though and thinks he could move up to No. 3.
I have liked Wilson for a while, even putting him on my 2023 list of the best NBA prospects in high school hoops. I’m considering sliding him up to No. 2 on my board, and I would not be shocked if he’s eventually picked in the top-3.
CBS Sports has TWO writers who provide mock drafts: Adam Finkelstein and Carmen Salerno and to no one’s surprise who’s read this far, both think the Nets ideal pick if it stays at No. 3 is Cam Boozer
That’s it. Neither analysis, just a list, but as noted above, the ascent of A.J. Dybantsa, knocking Boozer out of the No. 1 spot, is a factor.
Bryan Kalbrosky is another veteran NBA writer who annually comes up with mock drafts and he believes that Boozer will actually be gone by No. 3. He believes that after A.J. Dybantsa, Boozer will go at No. 2. leaving the Nets to take Caleb Wilson, the 6’1o” forward out of UNC. Wilson may not have been one of the three “franchise-changers” at the beginning of the season, but by the middle of the season, he had in many draftniks’ eyes jumped out over Darryn Peterson, the Kansas shooting guard whose injury issues had raised a red flag (or red cross) on some teams’ internal mocks.
So he thinks the Nets would be wise to have Wilson join the team’s two other Tarheels — Day-Ron Sharpe and Drake Powell — in Brooklyn. He is not alone.
One general manager also told Jake Fischer that “every team” is going to have North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson over either one of Dybantsa, Boozer, or Darryn Peterson. His injury, which caused him to miss the NCAA Tournament with a broken thumb, did not hurt his draft stock at all. Wilson, who also suffered a hand fracture earlier in the season, did more than enough to earn this placement. According to Bart Torvik, before the injury, the All-ACC big man led the nation with 67 dunks recorded. He was also the only player under 20 years old to reach specific thresholds for both block, steal and defensive rebound percentage.
How odd is such a consensus? In the years, we’ve been doing this, only twice has a prospect even garnered five mentions and both were the 29th picks: Chris McCullough, who was taken in 2015 and Day’Ron Sharpe in 2021. The Nets ultimately took both.