The Nets were expected to be active today heading into tonight's NBA Draft, and right on cue, a Woj bomb struck the Twitterverse early this afternoon.
Brooklyn has traded forward Thad Young to the Indiana Pacers for the 20th pick and a future 2nd rounder, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 23, 2016
As some expected them to do, the Nets landed a first round pick in tonight's draft. And now the question arises-- who will they select? Sean Marks has stated that he would only make a trade for a player and not just to get a pick, so that suggests the Nets must like a particular player that they hope will fall into their laps at pick No. 20.
One name to look out for is Ante Toni Zizic. Zizic is a Croatian big who is listed at 7'0" with a wingspan of 7'3". He's projected to be selected late in the first round, where Brooklyn could pull the trigger on him.
Draft Express has Zizic being selected with the 28th pick by the Suns in their mock draft, but don't be surprised at all if Brooklyn takes him with pick No. 20. Zizic is an athletic big who is known as a hard worker with a soft touch around the basket.
His skill-set isn't fully developed, but he's only 19 years old so he could improve with the proper coaching. Zizic is also known for being a guy who will work hard on defense.
Here's how he described his own game, via Draft Express.
"I am a type of modern center. I run the floor very well. I can finish with strong dunks. In defense I can close down the paint. I have the ability to block shots, collect rebounds. Effort is something you must have. It's like other basketball skills. It is something natural. I was born with it."
And here are some highlights of Zizic:
Another player to watch out for as a potential Nets draftee is DeAndre Bembry.
Bembry, 21, is a 6'6" SG/SF who played his college ball for the St. Joseph's Hawks. Draft Express has Bembry being selected with the 27th pick in their mock draft by the Raptors, but he's another guy who I wouldn't be surprised if the Nets selected with the 20th pick.
Bembry's known for being an unselfish player. He's a willing passer who enjoys making his teammates better. His biggest area of improvement that he will need to work on is his outside shot. While his jumper has shown some potential, he will need to make it more consistent at the NBA level.
He's also known for his laid back personality, and one knock that scouts have on him according to Draft Express is his tendency to be too laid back and not leave his mark on a game despite being the best player on the court.
Here's some highlights from Bembry's college career:
Bembry and Zizic are the two guys that are certainly names to look out for. Another is Dejounte Murray, a combo guard who played his college ball at Washington. Draft Express has him projected to be taken with the 20th pick in the draft to the Nets and it's a selection that would make sense.
The Nets biggest weakness is at the point guard position, and adding Murray could allow them to give Kenny Atkinson a young point guard who he could help develop.
Murray, 19, is 6'5", which is a good size for either the point guard or the shooting guard position. His ability to score the ball, distribute to his teammates and finish around the basket make him an intriguing prospect.
Murray only played one season at Washington, averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Here are some highlights of Murray's:
Nbadraft.net has Malachi Richardson falling to the Brooklyn Nets in their mock draft. Richardson went to Syracuse and he emerged during the NCAA tournament. Richardson is 20 years old and at 6'6" he is a prototypical two-guard in the NBA.
Richardson has a 7-foot wingspan and as he showed during the NCAA tournament he can get hot and put up big numbers offensively. He's long and athletic, and very much a versatile player.
Despite Richardson's tendency to catch fire, his offensive game is relatively inconsistent and that's something he will have to work on in the NBA.
If he's still available when the Nets are on the clock, a big name to watch out for is Deyonta Davis, according to ESPN New York. Davis is a 19-year-old big who is athletic and known as a rim protector.
Davis played at Michigan State last year and although he is raw and would need to develop if Davis is still available it might be in the Nets best interest to select him. But Draft Express has the 6'11" big going at No. 10. It would be a stretch for the Nets to get even close to that.
Brooklyn could use an athletic big who will bring energy and emotion. That is exactly what Davis would provide. Take a look.
One last name to watch out for who would make a big splash is Isaiah Whitehead. Whitehead would be the first Brooklyn-born player to play for the Brooklyn Nets, and according to CBS Sports there's a possibility that the Nets could take Whitehead with the 20th pick even though he's projected to be drafted in the second round.
Think Isaiah Whitehead is going to be heavily in the mix for Brooklyn at No. 20.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) June 23, 2016
It would be quite a bold statement for the Nets to grab Whitehead at pick No. 20 and it seems a bit far fetched, but the Nets like Whitehead's game and maybe they know something that we don't or maybe Whitehead's stock has gone up and the Nets don't wanna miss out on him.
At this point in time it's a guessing game and we'll find out who the Nets actually select at pick No. 20 come tonight. Let the fun begin.