Nets Receive Brutal Grade for Selection of Joshua Jefferson

The Brooklyn Nets did not receive positive feedback for their selection of Joshua Jefferson.

Oct 22, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa Stateís Joshua Jefferson speaks to media during Big 12 Menís Basketball media day at T-Mobile Center. | Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images

Iowa State Cyclones star Joshua Jefferson lived out his dream, hearing his name called during the 2028 NBA Draft.

Despite not being invited to the green room, he decided to attend the event, and it was the right decision. With the No. 28 overall pick, his name was called, and he got to go on stage to shake hands with commissioner Adam Silver.

The pick was originally held by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but was involved in a trade before the draft started. The No. 28 pick and Julius Randle are going to the Brooklyn Nets, with the No. 33 pick heading back to the Timberwolves. The Chicago Bulls were also involved and acquired Nicolas Claxton.

It is far from an ideal landing spot for the Cyclones' star, and that is reflected in the grade that Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report gave the Nets for selecting him. He gave Brooklyn a grade of “D+,” and it is hard to argue against that.

Nets receive brutal grade for Joshua Jefferson selection

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the twenty eighth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson after he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It isn’t an indictment of Jefferson as a player. He was worthy of being selected late in the first round and has the skill set that can help a team win games with a versatile, two-way game. However, he could get lost in the shuffle with the Nets.

Jefferson is the quintessential glue guy, someone who can be an elite connector on both ends of the floor. He may not possess as high a ceiling as some of his peers, as he will turn 23 years old in November, but he has a safe, relatively high-level floor.

His best skill at this point is arguably his playmaking ability. Unfortunately, that isn’t something Brooklyn will likely spend much time developing because they have selected multiple ball-handlers in the first round in 2025 and 2026, including the No. 6 overall pick on Mikel Brown Jr. out of Louisville this year.

A great jack-of-all-trades kind of player, it is hard to envision Jefferson thriving with how the Nets are currently constructed. He is also stuck behind their two best players, Michael Porter Jr. and Randle, on the forward depth chart.

Carving out a role is going to be a challenge, and that is a big reason why the grade is so low. It isn’t so much that Jefferson wasn’t worthy of being selected; it is that his fit in Brooklyn is an awkward one.

He would have been better off being selected by a playoff team with a specific need off the bench in the frontcourt who could make use of his skills right away.