Nets Projected to Take Lithuanian Guard in Latest Mock Draft

The Brooklyn Nets currently have the sixth-best odds at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft with an 18-34 record. With a 37.2% chance at a top-four pick and a 9% chance at the first selection, the Nets' odds to get Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg are slowly fading.

Luckily, Brooklyn finds itself in a rebuild just before a draft that features one of the deepest classes in years. The team is also currently projected to have four first-round picks. The Nets have their own pick, as well as selections from the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and potentially another from the Houston Rockets or Phoenix Suns due to swaps.

Now that the trade deadline has passed and the Nets aren't expected to make the postseason, sights are set on the draft. In Bleacher Report's latest NBA mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman, Brooklyn is projected to take its franchise point guard with the No. 6 overall pick.

The Nets are expected to grab Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis. The Lithuanian has mostly been the floor general for the Fighting Illini, but he can be moved to play the two-guard as well.

Jakucionis is averaging 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 47.5% shooting from the field and 35% from three. At 6-foot-6, the 18-year-old made the transition from overseas hoops to college basketball, and it has been seamless. He scores with such maturity and versatility, but he can also play make for his teammates.

Wasserman compares Jakucionis to Hall of Fame point guard Chauncey Billups, stating his IQ and shot-making as strengths and his athleticism and defense as potential weaknesses. While he has a great offensive skillset, there's concern that his difficulty creating shots from lack of explosion could alter his NBA production.

However, if there's any time when athleticism isn't a concern in the league, it's now. Exhibits A and B are All-NBA talents and perennial MVP candidates Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Both are extremely unathletic but have built Hall of Fame resumes from their IQ and skills.

Speaking of Doncic, Jakucionis draws comparisons to the Slovenian guard. Both don't blow by defenders but use deceleration and slow down the game to their advantage.

The Nets could use a playmaking, high-IQ point guard to pair with prolific scorer Cam Thomas. Brooklyn is building a young core with its stash of first-round picks, and there is a very real chance the Nets' future starting lineup is generated through the next draft or two.

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