Who Would the Brooklyn Nets have Taken with the Third Pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?

After a wild NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, many non-playoff teams had a reaction to where they ended up in the order. The Brooklyn Nets were not one of those teams because of the James Harden trade.

It came back to bite them, but the Nets' odds gave the Houston Rockets the third overall pick. You can't help but wonder who would have gone to Brooklyn if they had the selection.

According to NBA.com's Consensus Mock Draft, Alex Sarr is the most common top pick for the Atlanta Hawks, and Zaccharie Risacher is the most common pick for the Washington Wizards at two. What option would Brooklyn have had at number three?

Nikola Topic (Red Star)

One of three international prospects expected to go in the top five, Topic has elite passing ability, with great floor awareness. He also has a crafty finish around the rim, with the only knock being limited shooting ability.

The Nets need a franchise point guard to distribute to Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges, and Topic would be the perfect selection. The scoring wouldn't be prominent, but Topic has the potential to lead the league in assists one day.

Reed Sheppard (Kentucky)

Sheppard has gone up and down draft boards throughout the college basketball season, but 52.1% from deep makes him the best shooter in the draft. He can handle the ball a bit, but working him in as spot-up shooter and solid defensive piece draws comparisons to Donte DiVincenzo.

Thomas or Ben Simmons handling the ball is not a problem for Sheppard, who can space from just about anywhere at 6'3".

Rob Dillingham (Kentucky)

Another Wildcat projected to go in the lottery, Dillingham is so shifty and plays a lot like Thomas: microwave guard that can knock down Kobe-esque shots and put defenders in a blender.

The shot IQ needs work, but Dillingham has drawn comparisons to Jamal Crawford. The pick wouldn't make a ton of sense for the Nets considering what they already have in Thomas, but it would make a fun backcourt.

Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite)

Buzelis is expected to be the first G League Ignite player off the board, and for good reason. He moves a bit awkwardly on the surface, but his footwork is actually elite, scoring efficiently in the post with the ability to extend the range.

Getting pro experience with Ignite means that Buzelis is ready for the challenge, and putting him at the four in Brooklyn as a floor-spacer would wonders in Jordi Fernandez's offense. If Nic Claxton re-signs with the Nets, a frontcourt of Bridges, Buzelis, and Claxton would be fun to watch.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Nets on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.