Late on Monday night, the Brooklyn Nets acquired Julius Randle via trade, jettisoning Nic Claxton and moving five spots in the NBA Draft, from #33 to the back of the first round at #28.
On Tuesday night, Brooklyn selected Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson with that pick, a player that wasn’t invited to the Green Room but showed up anyway and triumphantly made his way down from the stands when his name was called…
Jefferson, a 6’9″ 22-year-old, played two years at St. Mary’s before transferring to ISU for his final two seasons, where he developed a reputation as one of the best passing forwards in NCAA basketball. In 2025-26, he averaged 16/7/5 while securing All-America Second Team honors. The Nevada native also shot 34.5% from deep on over three attempts per game this season, both career-highs; though his stock dropped toward the end of the season, there had been often lottery buzz surrounding him.
Scouts commend his instincts for the game on both ends, racking up assists and deflections, though his athleticism at the next level is in question. How often can he finish at the rim, how often can he explode past defenders? Doesn’t he sound like a perfect Net? In any case, few prospects are better equipped to be making passing reads from the top of the key, as we saw Brooklyn’s bigs do frequently under Jordi Fernández last season.
Joshua Jefferson joins a crowded group of Nets on rookie contracts, now the eighth including the Flatbush Five, Mikel Brown Jr., and Noah Clowney. While Brooklyn could still trade him in the coming days or weeks, he does seem to fit their vision and could compete for rotation minutes as a rookie.
“I’m just a do-it-all forward,” said Jefferson. “I compete on the defensive side of the ball, I’m able to score, rebound, and facilitate. I think that’s my best attribute is just being able to connect the team and get a lot of assists.”
In a bit of a departure from Brooklyn’s recent draft history, Jefferson told reporters that he believes his physicality is his most translatable skill…
He also discussed the feedback he got from Brooklyn during the pre-draft process: “They felt I fit in a lot of spots because of my versatility. So I think I’m where I need to be; the Nets took a great chance on me and Im very thankful for that.”
- Nets go big with Iowa State All-American Josh Jefferson at No. 28 – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Nets select F Joshua Jefferson with 28th pick in 2026 NBA Draft – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY
