Brooklyn Nets Urged to Trade No. 6 Pick

The Brooklyn Nets could opt to acquire a star with this pick.

Sep 30, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks (left) speaks to head coach Jordi Fernandez (right) during media day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Some Brooklyn Nets fans and other minds associated with the game of basketball would love for the team to trade their No. 6 pick in this year's draft for a potential star.

Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey is in that camp, suggesting it could help Michael Porter Jr. and the Nets compete for a play-in spot as soon as next season.

"The Nets already took (and kept) five first-rounders from last year," Bailey wrote. "There's more than enough developmental cases on the books already.

"Had they landed in the top four, it probably would've made sense to take one of the potential franchise cornerstones there. And if they're convinced someone at six is that, they may hang onto the pick.

"But the lottery pushing them down three spots at least opens up the possibility of a move."

The Nets could be tempted to make a couple of big moves with their crosstown rivals heading to their first NBA Finals in nearly three decades.

However, a better move could simply involve the Nets moving Porter for a 25-year-old All-NBA forward, which would give the franchise a bona fide star that the team could build around on both sides of the floor.

Unless an Anthony Edwards or Luka Doncic becomes available, the Nets are probably better served keeping the No. 6 pick, which could put them in a firm position to select Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings or Aday Mara.

Acuff and Brown are the most popular projections at that pick, though the Nets also have Egor Demin and Nolan Traore vying for minutes at the guard positions.

However, Demin could wind up becoming a better fit at the wing as his career progresses and Traore may look better as a backup, so the Nets could address their need for a scoring guard ahead of time.

Though there are some concerns about Acuff's fit in the league as a smaller guard, there are plenty of examples of smaller guards in today's NBA who have helped their team thrive.

Take Jalen Brunson, for example. There are times when the New York Knicks' defense gets sliced up when Brunson is in the lineup, but the way they've gotten by that is by surrounding him with elite point of attack and wing defenders.

The Nets have proven they value those types of defenders, which could set themselves up well for either guard to join the team.