The Brooklyn Nets were tied with the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers for the best odds at the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft going into the lottery. While the Wizards came out on top, both the Nets and Pacers saw disastrous outcomes. Brooklyn fell to the sixth overall pick.

While a trade up into the top four may be a likely scenario, so it can grab a top prospect as it was formerly expected, the front office could also look to make a move down the board. This draft class has potentially generational talents with the likes of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson commonly being called the top three players. After them, there’s still plenty of potential stars, but there’s not a huge difference between the sixth pick and the 12th pick.

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Even though the Nets don’t own their 2027 first-round pick, they shouldn’t feel rushed to get back to playoff contention. The front office could consider fielding offers to compile more future assets.

The price to move up in this draft could be hefty, even though Brooklyn would only be moving up a few picks. If they elect to do nothing and stay at the No. 6 pick, the players that have been linked to them are Darius Acuff Jr. and Keaton Wagler.

Teams behind the Nets that could look to trade up to No. 6 are likely the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. The three teams could use the guards who are often projected in that area. Outside of Peterson, Kingston Flemings, Mikel Brown Jr., Acuff Jr. and Wagler are seen as the top guards in the 2026 cycle.

Starting with the Kings, Acuff Jr. and Wagler will both be off the board if they stay at the seventh pick, making the small trade-up in their interest. They could look to move off of multiple big contract players like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk. Brooklyn can take on big contracts and draft compensation just to move back one spot.

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In the case of the Mavericks and Warriors, they are both teams that are likely looking to get back into the playoff hunt and need the young talent to do so.

Obviously, if the Nets already have a player in mind that they like at the sixth pick or a player they like in a trade-up scenario, then the move back is unlikely. The front office, general manager Sean Marks, especially, may be feeling pressure to get back into the top three picks with recent failures piling up.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/nets/onsi as Could the Brooklyn Nets Trade Down in the 2026 NBA Draft?.