The Nets did not have a good season in 2025-26, finishing with the third-worst record in the NBA at 20-62. It was Brooklyn's third consecutive season finishing below .500 and missing the playoffs.

Now, with their No. 6 overall pick, the Nets will look to the NBA Draft to find a savior, or at the very least a dynamic player that the team can build around.

So, here's what the draft experts have the Nets doing in the first round.

No. 6: PG Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas

Brooklyn needs to take the best player available, and luckily, a franchise point guard will fall right into its lap. Darius Acuff Jr. walking onto the floor is a terrifying sight for any defense. He has answers to the test at every single level. I'm not concerned about his size -- he has a 6-foot-7 wingspan and chiseled shoulders -- but I do think it's fair to worry about his athleticism and attention to detail defensively. When those fears creep in, just flip on the tape, sit back and chuckle at the domination. His 49-point, five-assist, one-turnover game against Alabama was one of the best offensive games I've seen from a college guard. Acuff is so, so cold. The Nate Ament-Brooklyn buzz feels like a bluff to try and manufacture a team like Milwaukee to trade up from 10. Sticking at 6 and plucking Acuff makes the most sense.

Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report

No. 6: G Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville

The closer it gets to the start of this draft, the harder it seems for teams not to bet big on Brown's potential. Because his ceiling sits at a skyscraping height— despite some of the injury and inefficiency issues he encountered with the Cardinals.

If those things were related and won't necessarily be carried forward, then this selection might feel like his clearance for takeoff.

His scoring punch is powerful, and his bucket-getting bag includes everything from he-shot-it-from-where?! deep threes to dynamic finishing at the basket. Now, add showstopping dime-dropping to the equation, and you're left looking at a dynamic floor general in training. The Nets need this kind of offensive firepower, let alone this level of star potential.

Bryan Kalbrosky, USA Today

No. 6: G Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville

During this rebuilding chapter, the Nets would love to add a player like the talented Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr., even though they drafted three point guards last season.

He has already completed a second workout for Brooklyn, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because they were unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Brown's draft stock has improved during the pre-draft process as he has shown teams a clean bill of health. “I got cleared by the medical staff from the league at the Combine, so we’re all green,” Brown Jr. told USA TODAY Sports. “I feel like myself again.”

The All-ACC guard has deep shooting range and was averaging 29.2 points per game over his last five appearances, including a 45-point outing against NC State, before his injury on Feb. 28 forced him to miss March Madness.

Jeremy Woo, ESPN

No. 6: PG Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas

Brooklyn's pick has been challenging for rival teams to project, with the Nets tied to a large group of prospects and no obvious best fit. Although Acuff doesn't match the Nets' preference for positional size on the perimeter, rival teams have come to view him as a serious candidate.

Acuff appears to have a very narrow draft range, with the Clippers seemingly focused elsewhere and the Nets and Kings viewed as his two primary suitors. He is coming off an excellent season at Arkansas and would immediately become their most talented shot creator. Mikel Brown Jr. is another name to watch here.

Nate Ament's size and skill at forward align with how the Nets have drafted in the past, and he is considered by rival teams as a possibility if they opt not to select a guard. However, he is further away from helping a team win, and there is impetus for the Nets to get better immediately, as they don't control their own pick in 2027 and haven't been competitive the past few seasons.

Brooklyn also has a projected $34 million in cap space, although it's unclear how any free agent plans might impact the direction of its draft.

Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo! Sports

No. 6: G Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville

There is a sense in opposing front offices that Brooklyn could trade down from this spot, whether it’s with a team trying to leap way up the board or even up just one spot in the Kings or two spots in the Hawks. Brown is the choice here though. When Brown is in the zone, he has an unstoppable pull-up jumper, an ambidextrous finishing ability, and the quick reads to rifle passes before the defense has time to react. He had a 45-point breakout performance in February after a back injury dogged him all freshman year and then ended his year later in the month. The absences muddy the evaluation and leave real questions about his consistency that may not get answered until he’s fully healthy.

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