The Nets are the only team in the league that enters the draft without any picks, but there’s no guarantee they won’t add one.
With the first round taking place on Wednesday at Barclays Center and the second round the following day in Manhattan, general manager Sean Marks, who has a history of being active during or immediately prior to the draft, is open to trading picks.
But it’s more about getting the right leads than just picking randomly.
“We look at the draft the same way every year, which is to select the best player available,” Marks said after Brooklyn’s season ended. “If one of our guys is down, are we going to take that guy? All it takes for us is to say, ‘Hey, we got the 20th pick, we got the 44th pick.’ That doesn’t do us any good.
“This year it’s going to be a lot more strategic. ‘Is that player available to us with that pick? How do we get there?’ So those conversations are going to be a lot more intense. [have been happening] And they will continue until the clock strikes.”
The Nets are looking to acquire a pick in the draft, with SNY reporting they are optimistic about their ability to do so, and Marks hasn’t ruled out putting down a bet for a first-round draft pick.
“No, I’m not ruling out the possibility of acquiring something,” Marks said. “If there’s a player you like, you’ve got to have the conviction to go after him.”
There are numerous teams willing to trade for first-round picks, with Yahoo! naming the Suns (22nd), Knicks (24th and 25th), Timberwolves (27th), Jazz (29th) and Celtics (30th).
The Knicks, Rockets and Jazz have all been in contact to see if they can acquire Mikal Bridges, but sources have consistently told The Post that Brooklyn has no intention of moving the small forward.
Contrary to reports, the Nets have not had any discussions with Charlotte about a Ben Simmons trade, according to a source.
However, Day’Ron Sharpe is drawing interest from Memphis for a backup wing and second-round pick, according to Hardwood Paroxysm. Action Network.
The Nets are looking at younger prospects, primarily in the second-round range.
The highest-rated prospect training for them is French 3-and-D wing Pacôme Dadier.
He’s still just 18, but his height, shooting ability and age could see him slipping into the bottom of the first round.
Marks tends to be busy on draft night.
On the morning of the 2016 draft, he sent Thad Young to Indiana in exchange for the pick that would become Caris LeVert.
The morning of the following draft, he sent Brook Lopez and a first-round pick to the Lakers in exchange for D’Angelo Russell (and Timofey Mozgov).
Brooklyn traded Landry Shamet to the Suns on draft night in 2021 in exchange for the pick that became Cam Thomas.
There are many more.
But even if the Nets don’t move forward in this draft, they still have two two-way contracts remaining (Jalen Martin, 20, signed a two-year deal last season).
And of last season’s three rookies, Noah Clowney and Darik Whitehead, were two of the four youngest players in the league and still younger than 10 of the projected first-round picks in a recent ESPN mock draft.
Clowney played in the final six games of last season, averaging 13.5 points, seven rebounds and 2.2 blocks while making 8-of-17 3-point attempts, including seven blocks in an April 10 win over Toronto.
Whitehead played just 24 minutes in two games before undergoing season-ending leg surgery but is now healthy.
“Darik is [Las Vegas] “Summer League. … It’s unclear if he’ll play the entire summer league,” Marks said. “But he’s been in the gym every day. … So hopefully he’ll be ready and strong enough to play in summer league.”
