The Nets Players Most Affected by Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft

Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson became the newest members of Brooklyn's core Tuesday night.

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) shoots as North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Balance is one of the most important aspects of athletics. Basketball players need to have balance in order to change direction and avoid injuries, while front offices need to build balanced rosters to be competitive.

The Brooklyn Nets added to their young core Tuesday night with two versatile players who provide different skills. The No. 6 overall pick, Mikel Brown Jr., could be the team's lead guard while scoring at all three levels. The No. 28 overall pick, Joshua Jefferson, is on the older side at 22 years old, but can rebound, playmake and defend at a high level in a 6-foot-8, 245-pound frame.

Brooklyn was bound to get two talented players who project to be day one contributors in a deep 2026 NBA Draft. The problem –– although not a bad one –– that arises from these selections is the potential stunting that they could cause towards other developmental players on the roster.

Noah Clowney and Josh Minott

Both of these forwards are still young and promising. Clowney is 21 years old, while Minott is 23 years old. Without mentioning Julius Randle, who was acquired in the same trade that brought the Nets the 28th pick, Jefferson also throws a wrench in some of their perceived opportunities next season. Teams don't select older players in the first round without planning to give them early opportunities in the NBA.

Clowney has gotten better each year of his career, making significant strides last season as a floor spacer and defender. He didn't have anyone truly rivaling him for minutes last season, and a consistent college performer like Jefferson could mean a shorter leash on Clowney's inconsistencies.

To a lesser degree, because less time and fewer resources were invested in him, Minott will struggle to see minutes if Brooklyn chooses to bring him back. Despite showing promise as a three-and-D forward last season, he only played 16 games for the Nets.

Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf

Coming into the first round, there was plenty of speculation on who Brooklyn may take. A lot of guards were in the mix, but bigs such as Aday Mara and Nate Ament were also in the picture because the organization already had young guards to fall back on in Traoré and Saraf. The selection of Brown makes their futures with the Nets more murky.

Egor Dëmin is safe, as his rookie year production suggests he can be an effective off-ball guard, but their other guards from the 2025 draft class have a harder path to carving out a big role now.

At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Traoré has little positional versatility and will likely be limited to the backup point guard role. His best skills are his speed and passing chops, but he has a long way to go to be a winning player. Saraf offers more flexibility with a bigger frame, but he was the least productive of Brooklyn's rookie guards last season. Both guards are actually younger than Brown, but their developmental timelines will have to be sped up.

Drake Powell

Even though the Nets didn't take any wings in the first round, Powell's role could be diminished next season. Brown is eating into the guard rotation while Jefferson is eating into the forwards, meaning that players behind them could try to transition to a position with more opportunities. It will come down to Brooklyn's developmental preferences for who gets minutes in the rotation.

Powell was underwhelming last season, shooting 40.2% from the field and 28% from three-point range. Players like Ziaire Williams and Saraf could eat into his time as players with better size on the wing.