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Every year, ESPN's Chad Ford puts together a mock draft as a way of reporting of GM's and scouts classify players in the draft and what each team is thinking about doing with their draft picks. Unlike last season, the Nets have a first-round pick and a second round pick going into Draft Night. The issue: they'll be picking in the place of the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks at 29, and then in the second round at 41.
This was Ford's assessment:
Needs: SG, SF, backup PG
Round 1 (29) Terry Rozier, G, So., Louisville
Round 2 (41) Moussa Diagne, C, Senegal
"I like Rozier more than his No. 29 spot indicates. I just couldn't see him on a number of teams ahead of the Nets. The Nets have Deron Williams and Jarrett Jack already, but Rozier can play off the ball, and long-term, neither of those guys are the answer. Both will be on the trading block heavily this summer. What Rozier lacks in polish, he makes up for in athleticism and toughness. As for Diagne, he's big, athletic and a very good defender. He's a draft-and-stash candidate until Brook Lopez's contract expires at the end of next year."
Draft Express and NBADraft.com have different ideas as to what the Nets may do.
DX has them taking two big guards: George Lucas de Paula, a 6'6" point guard from Brazil in the first round and Rashad Vaughan, a 6'5" shooting guard from UNLV. Both are 18 years old.
NBADraft.net projects the Nets taking two bigs: Christian Wood, a 6'11" power forward from UNLV, at No. 29 and 6'9" Aaron White, a senior out of Iowa, at No. 41. Wood is 19; White 22.
The Nets would've had the 15th pick in the draft if they didn't agree to swap picks in the Joe Johnson deal with Atlanta. However, it's much better than last year when they had to buy their way into the second round in which they ended up with Markel Brown, Cory Jefferson and Xavier Thames.
In the meantime, Billy King is confident that he can nab some good players late in the draft. At Wednesday's press conference, King listed his second-round accomplishments, namely Kyle Korver, Willie Green and Lou Williams, as examples of finding diamonds in the rough.
King also said that the Nets would not be drafting for need, but for best player available. He also suggested that like every year, the Nets would like to move up. With two picks and $2.3 million available, that's more possible than it's been in several years.