The Brooklyn Nets got dealt a bad hand in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
The Brooklyn Nets, despite committing to tanking last season, didn’t have the luck of the draw. At the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, the Nets walked away with the 8th overall pick.
This is far from ideal for a team on the hunt for their next franchise star after their last big contending project collapsed massively.
Of course, things could be worse for the Nets. They have a wealth of first-round picks in this year’s draft aside from the 8th pick. With picks 19, 26, and 27 available to them to move up, the Nets could make a big splash.
But one of their dream trade scenarios has been rebuked by multiple sources within the NBA, and they will have to look elsewhere.
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Brooklyn Nets have no chance to land Dylan Harper
One of the biggest trade ideas to emerge in the last few days is the Brooklyn Nets pairing their first-round picks, including the 8th overall pick, with Cameron Johnson.
They would send this package to the San Antonio Spurs to land the lucrative 2nd overall pick, with which they would select Dylan Harper, a player GM Sean Marks has been scouting since high school.
However, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Brooklyn Nets have almost no chance of landing the pick from the Spurs.
“Reports keep cropping up of the Nets’ interest in the second pick and Harper, who is projected to go No. 2. One highly placed source dismissed them, telling the Post: ‘All BS and rumors.’”
“A separate league source who spoke with The Post said he didn’t see a scenario where Harper lands in Brooklyn.”
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Harper the ideal candidate for BKN
The Nets’ fascination with Dylan Harper is understandable. The son of former NBA champion Ron Harper, Dylan played all his organized basketball in New Jersey, the former home of the Nets.
Homecoming story aside, Harper is a brilliant point guard prospect who would be the unanimous first overall pick in any draft class. But this year, he loses that spot to Cooper Flagg.
The Spurs have the 2nd overall pick. But Harper poses a dilemma for them, as he plays in the same position as recently acquired All-Star De’Aaron Fox and 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.
How will the Spurs accommodate him? Will they have to move the pick to land a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo? Whatever the move is, the Nets are unlikely to get a chance.