The Brooklyn Nets shook some heads with their five first-round selections in the 2025 NBA Draft. Many expected them to trade at least one, but they instead added five first-rounders to their roster. Their recent blockbuster trade shed some light on their strategy.
Recent Blockbuster Trade Sheds Light on Brooklyn Nets’ Draft Strategy
The Nets traded Cameron Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. On the Nets, Porter Jr. will have the most offensive freedom he’s seen in his NBA career.
Porter Jr. has a lot of shortcomings in his game, but the one undeniable skill he possesses is his shotmaking. In his career, he has averaged 16.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 40.6 percent from beyond the arc. Porter Jr. leaves a lot on the table in terms of defense, and especially playmaking. Porter Jr. has averaged just 1.4 assists per game in his career, with only one season averaging more than two.
Brooklyn’s leading scorer, Cam Thomas, is in a similar mold to Porter Jr. Thomas has more on-ball skills, but he isn’t a savant in the passing game. He’s certainly made strides, averaging a career-high 3.8 assists per game in 2024-25 (although against 2.5 turnovers per game). Porter Jr. and Thomas will be shooting the ball a lot. But, that’s where the 2025 NBA Draft class comes in.
The Nets’ Draft Strategy
The Nets had a clear draft strategy in 2025: passing and size. Four of the five first round selections the Nets made are exceptional passers, and four of the five are also big for their positions. Brooklyn hoped to surround Thomas (and now Porter Jr.) with players who can allow them to flourish. They have a ton of size defensively and a lot of guys who can move the ball, opening up shots all around the floor.
The Nets’ Draft Picks
The first Nets draft pick was BYU point guard Egor Demin. Demin struggled in Big 12 play, but his combination of size and playmaking ability were too enticing to pass up. Standing at 6-foot-9 and boasting a 34.6 percent assist rate, if Demin can figure out how to create space against NBA defenses, he can become a matchup nightmare.
There’s a lot of concern about Demin’s ability to play against tough defenses, and we’ve seen plenty of instances of “jumbo playmakers” struggling to stick as point guards in the long-term. Demin’s poor shooting numbers are also of concern (27.3 percent from three and 69.5 percent from the free throw line).
The Nets went back-to-back on point guards, snatching up French point guard Nolan Traore with the No. 19 overall pick. Traore is the shortest of the bunch, standing at just 6-foot-3. With Saint-Quentin of the LNB Elite, Traore averaged 5.1 assists per game to just 2.5 turnovers per game in 2024-25. He added on 11.6 points per game. Traore continued the Nets’ draft strategy of adding playmakers, but he went against the size quota.
Efficiency was a major struggle for Traore, shooting just 39.2 percent from the floor and 30.4 percent from beyond the arc. Traore has quick speed with the ball in his hands and a great floater in his arsenal. He was once seen as one of the best international prospects in the world, getting called up to the top French league at 17 years old.
His efficiency struggles improved as the season went along, and Traore got more comfortable against professional defenses. Traore has a great feel for the game and really impressive instincts. He’s pretty much been a non-factor on defense as a professional, which will certainly have to improve. Traore is more of a project at this point, but one that could pay off tremendously.
The one non-playmaker of the class was UNC wing Drake Powell. Listed at 6-foot-6, and going against the strategy of playmaking, Powell is one of the model players for the “3-and-D” archetype. He didn’t showcase much ability with the ball at UNC, but what he did showcase was a winning player. He’s a high-motor player who has all the tools to be a switch defender and ball-stopper defensively. Offensively, he can be a knockdown shooter on the wing. Powell actually shot better on contested shots than he did on open ones in his freshman campaign, finishing with a 37.9 percent three-point percentage. Powell’s a plug-and-play wing with a 7-foot wingspan.
The Nets picked up another international guard with the No. 26 pick, Ben Saraf. Saraf played at Ulm this past season, where he averaged 4.6 assists per game. Saraf may just have the most diverse passing bag in the class. There’s not a pass he can’t make. The southpaw may have issues creating space against NBA defenses, as he was pretty hit-or-miss in that regard overseas. He has a lot of craft in getting to the rim, utilizing a strong first step with a cornerback-esque ability to change speed and direction.
Saraf’s jumpshot leaves a lot on the table. In his two professional seasons, he knocked down just 26.1 percent of his 115 three-point attempts. Saraf is listed at 6-foot-5, but hasn’t truly figured out how to use his size to his advantage. His wizardry with the ball was just too good to pass up for a team that needs playmaking.
At No. 27, the Nets went big. They drafted Michigan center Danny Wolf. Wolf was perhaps their best value pick that late in the first round. Wolf has a really versatile offensive game. He can take both bigs and guards one-on-one, either off the dribble in space or in the post. He’s showcased a step-back jumper in his arsenal, as well. Wolf shot 33.6 percent from three in his three collegiate seasons, but his 64.6 percent mark from the free-throw line doesn’t bode well for his NBA shooting future.
On the glass, Wolf is extremely effective, having led the Ivy League in 2023-24 and the Big Ten in 2024-25 in rebounds per game, averaging 9.7 in each season. Wolf is also perhaps the best passing big in the class. He averaged 3.6 assists per game this past season.
Wolf’s defense and athleticism are the biggest knocks on his game, but his comfortability as a ball-handler and playmaker make him a really intriguing prospect who can play multiple roles.
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