Nets Should Keep Tabs on NBL Star

The Brooklyn Nets are linked to a young rising forward for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Nov 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; The Brooklyn Nets NBA Cup logo at center court before tip-off against the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets have a bundle of draft picks over the next few years that could help shape the future of their franchise.

While there is still a whole year before the talented 2026 NBA Draft class enters the league, there are already players who are warranting consideration for high picks.

ESPN draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo conducted a way-too-early 2026 NBA mock draft, where the Nets selected Mexican-born Karim Lopez with the No. 6 overall pick.

"Lopez had an outstanding season with the New Zealand Breakers as part of the NBL Next Star program, filling up the stat sheet while showing significant improvement with his outside shooting. At 6-foot-9, he has guard skills, the physicality and intensity needed to put a body on big men, and an excellent motor and feel for the game. Scouts are excited to see what kind of progress he can make in his second season in the Australian league," Givony writes.

Lopez has the prototypical size and abilities for a player every team wants to build around. Athletic winds are taking over the NBA, and Lopez has the potential to be one of those players if he continues along the trajectory that he has started for himself.

In the meantime, the Nets are back in action tomorrow against the San Antonio Spurs at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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