There is little consensus on what direction the Brooklyn Nets will go in the 2026 NBA Draft. After falling to the No. 6 pick, the rebuilding squad will pick from a talented pool of prospects, including Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., Kinston Flemings, Brayden Burries, Nate Ament and Aday Mara.
Despite the lack of clarity surrounding the Nets’ preference at No. 6, there is a belief that they will target the best player available, regardless of position, according to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
“The Nets have engendered by far the most speculation among sources. I’ve also heard a lot of contradictory information, which is an indication that there is some smoke billowing from Barclays Center,” Vecenie wrote. “I’ve heard all the guard prospects in this range for them, from Wagler to Acuff to Kingston Flemings to Mikel Brown Jr. I’ve heard Nate Ament quite a bit over the last week. I’ve also heard Mara’s name creep into the conversation, as well as the potential trade-down offers.
The one consistent piece of information is that the Nets will take the highest-graded player on their board, regardless of position. Even though the team selected three point guards last season, it hasn’t ruled that position out. Brooklyn believes it simply needs to get more talent in the door. The issue with predicting anything there, though, is that this team marches to the beat of its own drum in terms of evaluations.”
The Nets made a historic investment in their backcourt during the 2025 draft. They used four of their NBA-record five first-round picks on guards, selecting Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf.
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That surplus of young ball-handlers has led many to question whether the Nets would select another guard at No. 6 this year. The highest graded players in Brooklyn’s range are ball-handlers such as Wagler, Brown and Acuff.
In line with Vecenie’s report, general manager Sean Marks told ClutchPoints that the Nets will pick their highest-graded player, regardless of position.
“I think we always look at the best available as opposed to can you pick a guy and try to make him fit within your roster and what you already have,” Marks said during his exit interview. “We always look at the upside and where we project these players to end up. That’s a tricky game to play, but I think we’re excited about wherever this pick falls and whatever the opportunity is for us.”
The Nets have been linked to Brown and Acuff during the pre-draft process. Both players have met with and worked out for Brooklyn. Meanwhile, Wagler is also viewed as a strong candidate should he make it to No. 6, although he has yet to work out for Brooklyn.
The Nets have also been linked to Tennessee forward Nate Ament, who worked out for the team last week.
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