The Brooklyn Nets acquired five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft — and used all of them. Sean Marks is all-in on the patient rebuild Brooklyn so desperately needs. That said, it's hard to feel great about their haul. Odds are at least a couple of their rookies will pop, as Brooklyn will give everyone a long leash, but there are valid criticisms of the front office's process.
It starts with Egor Dëmin at No. 8, a pick that came out of left field a bit. The 6-foot-9 jumbo playmaker from BYU occupies an intriguing archetype, but he's historically a very limited scorer and a turnstile defender. While the intersection of height and passing gives Dëmin upside in the abstract sense, he has a long way to go before he is consistently impacting winning in the NBA.
Brooklyn can be patient, though. Their gaggle of late-round picks — two more tall guards (Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf) a playmaking five (Danny Wolf), and a single defensive-oriented wing (Drake Powell) — doesn't really fit together. It's clear that Brooklyn wants to ramp up the pace and run opponents into the ground, but with cramped spacing and a reliance on two non-passing stars in Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr., it's difficult to see the vision.
That said, here are a few potential missed opportunities from draft night.
Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings (24th pick)
Brooklyn passed on Nique Clifford at No. 19 and No. 22 in favor of younger, higher ceiling prospects in Traoré and Powell. That's fair enough. The Nets are attempting to maintain the longest view in the room and drafting a 24-year-old wouldn't really align with that goal. But Clifford feels like a potential exception to the rule, as he could defy the standard (and typically deserved) skepticism that comes with older prospects.
Clifford has done nothing but take meaningful leaps forward in each collegiate season. By the end of his Colorado State tenure, he was their top scorer, rebounder and playmaker, wearing every hat imaginable at 6-foot-5. There's a good chance Clifford becomes an instant standout in Sacramento and earns All-Rookie votes at season's end.
By comparison, I'd expect the younger guards and wings in Brooklyn to struggle greatly, even amid outsized opportunities. The Nets aren't going to be a very efficient or consistent offensive group next season. I'd imagine, looking back at season's end, Nets fans might start to wonder how on earth Traoré and Powell were taken ahead of Clifford. Because that man can do a little bit of everything, which includes hitting a high volume of 3s, defending across the positional spectrum, and making all the small, winning plays.
Kasparas Jakucionis, Miami Heat (20th pick)
Kasparas Jakučionis' fall from a projected lottery pick to the 20th overall selection was a bit baffling. It took a few unexpected swerves, mainly from teams where he felt like an obvious fit, such as Brooklyn at No. 8 or Portland at No. 16 (Yang Gang, I still believe). Jakučinois would've been a perfectly fine pick for Brooklyn in the lottery, but letting him go by at No. 19 as well? That feels like grounds for future regret.
Jakučionis' lone college season was a mixed bag, in all fairness. He struggled with turnovers and ended the season with a whimper after an incredibly strong start against lesser competition. There is justified skepticism about his defense. Can Jakučionis' handle consistently break down the defense? It's a fair question.
At the end of the day, though, it's hard to come across 6-foot-6 guards with Jakučionois' feel for the game. He can get frazzled under pressure, but he also delivers incredibly advanced, borderline magical passes out of the pick-and-roll. He can shoot proficiently on or off the ball and he has a mean step-back in his bag.
While Brooklyn loaded up on tall European guards, Jakučinois feels like a more well-rounded and NBA-ready version of what the Nets were after.
Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans (13th pick)
The New Orleans Pelicans sold the farm (A.K.A., their 2026 first-round pick) to move up and select Derik Queen at No. 13. That was almost certainly a catastrophic mistake knowing how precarious New Orleans' standing in the West is right now. That said, it's not Queen's fault that his front office is a bit delusional. And, to the Pelicans' credit (?), Queen probably should have gone several spots higher.
Brooklyn will hope that Dëmin develops into an offensive centerpiece — a tall, skilled playmaking fulcrum who can elevate those around him and pressure the defense with his own scoring. Queen is not on Dëmin's level as a passer, but the 6-foot-10 big man is probably closer to adequately spearheading an NBA offense. It will look different than it does with Dëmin, of course, but the Nets also added Danny Wolf late in the first round. There is clearly interest in a stretchy big who can work out of the high post and facilitate off of drives. (Dare we even mention the Yang Hansen rumors?)
Queen would've given the Nets a balletic post scorer with 3-point shooting potential and incredible processing speed. He still has a few warts in his game to work out, but Queen's strength, agility and coordination makes him a rare breed. He's in a tough spot with that Pelicans roster, but he should give Brooklyn fans enough reason to feel regretful.