2025 NBA Draft: Brooklyn Nets Target Guard in Latest Mock

The Nets' No. 8 pick goes towards an all-freshman point guard.

Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) reacts after scoring against UConn during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images / Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The exact order of the 2025 NBA Draft has now been established, with the Brooklyn Nets’ first pick coming at No. 8. 

The Nets entered Monday’s draft lottery with the sixth-best odds, as well as a 9.4% chance at the top pick. No. 8 is a slide, but falls within the same range that Brooklyn expected to start the draft at. This is the organization’s first time drafting in the lottery since Derrick Favors was the third overall pick to the then-New Jersey Nets in 2010. 

Mock drafts and tidbits of intel are flying in left, right and center. When it rains, it pours — and this certainly applies to the draft, particularly as more teams wind down their seasons after being eliminated from the playoffs. The carousel of draft-related events around this time of the year is also a factor, with the G League Elite Camp having taken place from May 9-11 and the draft combine happening right now.

The Athletic’s post-lottery mock draft starts with Brooklyn selecting Jeremiah Fears. The Oklahoma point guard could return high value at No. 8. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists during his only season in college. Fears actually reclassified to play for the Sooners this year; otherwise, he would be graduating from high school around now, rather than gearing up for the draft.

The Nets played most of the season without a true point guard available after Dennis Schröder was traded to the Golden State Warriors. D’Angelo Russell later returned to Brooklyn, but he only played in 29 games and probably doesn’t fit the team’s timeline. Ben Simmons was a point guard in the open court, but barely ever in the half court under head coach Jordi Fernández.

Fears is a very capable pick-and-roll scorer and decent passer, but his efficiency needs to improve. He had a huge load to shoulder at Oklahoma as a young freshman, which must be taken into consideration, but he’d likely have to play on similarly high usage for the Nets at first.

Brooklyn’s No. 19 pick is Asa Newell. The Georgia freshman is a bit of a tweener who’s caught between the 4 and the 5, but the Nets don’t mind drafting those types of prospects. There would be a bit of a frontcourt jam, but the Nets’ roster situation is probably fluid enough. Also, Noah Clowney was effectively a big wing this season. 

Newell averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 2 ‘stocks’ per game this season. He brings a lot of athleticism and energy, but currently lacks the shot to be a 4 and the rim protection to be a 5. Development is needed on both ends. Assistant general manager B.J. Johnson can likely tap into his USA Basketball connections to get even more comfortable with Newell, who previously played with the United States' under-17 and under-19 teams. 

Brooklyn’s back-to-back Nos. 26 and 27 picks go towards Hugo González and Rasheer Fleming, respectively. It remains to be seen whether the Nets use all four of their first-rounders or try to restructure their picks. Recent buzz indicates that Brooklyn is interested in being active around draft night.

González is an athletic swingman currently at Real Madrid. He is an NBA-caliber athlete, but has barely played this season for one of the most demanding clubs in Europe. The Spanish prospect is toolsy with a solid first step, real aggression and defensive potential; however, he needs to channel his physicality more productively, play more under control and knock down his threes. Fleming was also mocked to the Nets in ESPN’s post-lottery predictions.

Finally, The Athletic has the Nets drafting Drake Powell at No. 36. The North Carolina freshman was one of the top high school prospects headed into this draft cycle, but his context for the Tar Heels only made his stock drop. Powell’s athletic testing at the combine so far in terms of length and jumping will receive some buzz, and it’s up to him to rekindle their interest.

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