Why Nets Still May Want To Lose Games for Draft Positioning

This season has been a weird one for the Brooklyn Nets, as they find themselves in quite a predicament. They have a good enough team to challenge for a playoff spot, as they currently sit two and a half games outside of the Play-In Tournament, but they also can easily slink down into a potential lottery position for the upcoming draft.

A shot at landing one of the higher-value picks in the draft has been something that the Nets' fanbase hasn't been too opposed to, even if it comes at the cost of losing, the reason being the potential draft target, Cooper Flagg.

Flagg is currently playing his freshman season at Duke, averaging 19 points per game on 48 percent from the field while also securing seven rebounds per game, proving to be an all-around threat for Jon Scheyer.

It was expected that Flagg would finish out his freshman year at Duke and declare for the draft, but there was a massive update provided earlier on in the month when it was reported that the 18-year-old isn't entirely against the idea of returning to college for another year.

"I want to come back next year," said Flagg toThe Athletic 's Brendan Quinn and Brendan Marks.

While this quote has the potential to derail the Nets' attempt at improving themselves for the future as they sit in the state of flux, it really shouldn't, given the other quality prospects that lie within the draft class.

Among the other projected top candidates sits Dylan Harper, Airious Bailey, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Kon Knueppel, all of whom are tearing it up at the collegiate level.

Even if you were to look down most mock drafts, those selected in the lower lottery levels would still be a massive addition to the Nets' rebuild, as bringing in new waves of talent is important to keep the roster fresh.

Using ESPN's recent mock draft as a reference, players such as Hugo Gonzalez and Tre Johnson, who fall down to the 11th and 15th pick, would still be exciting additions who could also be aided by veteran figures in Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton, who are under contract until 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, respectively.

An even better veteran figure to help mentor the oncoming prospect would be D'Angelo Russell if the Nets' front office is able to agree to a new contract, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

With nine years of experience and four seasons of playoff basketball under his belt, Russell would be more than a fountain of knowledge for the younger players to benefit from.

All of this is to say that while Flagg may not be up for grabs in the upcoming draft, there are still several quality pieces that are and who would help Brooklyn on their path to rebuilding their roster.

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