Who Should Brooklyn Nets Select with No. 8 Pick in 2025 NBA Draft?

The Brooklyn Nets struggled mightily on the offensive end for nearly all of 2024-25, ranking at the bottom of the league in several important categories, including points per game, offensive rating, true shooting percentage, and overall field goal rates.

They were No. 25 in the league in three-point percentage at 34.4%, which was a major problem in creating spacing on the offensive end, leading to many empty possessions.

In addition to the poor shooting marks, the back court had issues with creating for others, as they ranked 24th in the NBA in team assists per game at just 25.2. Considering these issues, the picks that make the most sense for Brooklyn going into June 25 are high-floor shot creators, with an extra bonus for those that can shoot the ball from distance.

Taking into account these factors, there are two names that come to mind for the Nets in the 2025 NBA Draft. The first is Duke's Kon Knueppel, an elite shooter with shot-creation upside who played alongside presumptive top-overall pick Cooper Flagg as well as another surefire top-10 pick in Khaman Maluach.

Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 48% from the field and and 41% from three this past season while hitting 91% of his free-throw attempts. The shooting ability is real for Knueppel, and his ability to be an off-ball facilitator makes him extra valuable for a Nets team that needs both of these attributes in their draft pick.

Jeremiah Fears is the other player that makes sense for Brooklyn, though he has a higher chance of being off of the board than Knueppel does at the time of the Nets selection. Fears, a combo guard from Oklahoma, was fantastic in his freshman season for the Sooners, averaging 17.1 points and 4.1 assists per game.

Though his three-point shooting was not a strength, he has no reservations in letting it fly, and he did shoot 85% from the free-throw line, lending credence to the theory that the shot could start to fall given more reps. He also took many of his three-point shots off of the dribble, meaning his degree of difficulty for many attempts was higher.

In either case, the Nets will be upgrading their offense with their draft pick. If neither player is available, they need to prioritize someone that can either shoot to space the floor or be able to create offense for other players on the team. This may require them to reach on someone like Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore, or Kasparas Jakucionis. This eighth overall pick may not result in a franchise player, but it can definitely help raise the team's offensive floor.