Possible Selections for the Brooklyn Nets at the No. 43 Pick

The Nets have two second round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Feb 28, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wing Billy Richmond III (24) goes up for a layup against Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu (9) during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets have three picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Their top selection is at No. 6 overall, but they also have two second-round picks at No. 33 and No. 43 overall.

The assumption is that the Nets will have around 12 players under contract going into next season, so the likelihood that they make three draft selections is slim. With money to spend in free agency, the front office will probably want to bring in proven talent alongside its abundance of youth.

Brooklyn could look to consolidate picks with a move into the top five of the first round while maintaining a second-round pick. If they do end with a pick in the 40-50 range, these three players should be targets.

Billy Richmond lll, G/F, Arkansas

Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Billy Richmond III (24) reacts after hitting the court after an offensive foul against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Richmond is a player who entered his name into the draft while maintaining college eligibility. He'll have until May 27 to decide whether or not to withdraw his name from draft consideration and return to the Razorbacks. The 20-year-old is a versatile defender with athletic traits that could be valuable on a team with as many playmakers as the Nets have.

He started in over half the games he played in as a sophomore, averaging 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 stocks per game on 56.3% field goal shooting. Richmond's yet to develop a consistent three-point shot, converting at 25.9% on fewer than 2 attempts per game.

Brooklyn had the sixth-worst team defensive rating last season. Richmond may not play immediately, but he'll impact the defensive end whenever he's called upon.

Jaden Bradley, G, Arizona

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots against Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Nets lack an experienced facilitator they can trust down the stretch of games. Terance Mann was forced into more playmaking duties, but that's not what he's best at. Selecting Bradley could solve some of the turnover woes that the team's young guards often showed.

The Big 12 Player of the Year helped the Wildcats to a National Championship game. Bradley averaged 13.3 points, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game this past season while shooting 39.4% from deep. While drafting another playmaking guard could complicate things more than solve them, he brings a higher floor to the position than Nolan Traoré or Ben Saraf.

Nick Martinelli, F, Northwestern

Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) is defended by Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Martinelli was a dying breed in terms of college athletes. He spent all four years at Northwestern and got better each season. He was often forced to play bigger than his 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame suggested, but that helped him develop both guard and forward traits. Martinelli averaged 23 points, 6.2 rebounds and two assists per game last season.

The big question is whether his lack of athleticism will be a serious problem in the NBA. He's a tough shot maker who can score at all three levels, but he doesn't create much space. At the very least, Martinelli is someone who could bolster Brooklyn's poor scoring. He shot 51% from the field, 41.7% from three and got to the free throw line nearly seven times per contest.