The Brooklyn Nets traded the 55th pick of the 2016 NBA Draft to the Utah Jazz, along with cash, in exchange for the 42nd pick, where they picked Brooklyn native Isaiah Whitehead out of Seton Hall. The Coney Island native will become the first Brooklyn native and second New York City native to play for the Nets.
Woj first reported it.
The Brooklyn Nets will select Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead with No. 42, sources tell @TheVertical. Brooklyn homecoming.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 24, 2016
The Nets have had their eye on Whitehead for a while and his performance at the Big East Tournament, won by Seton Hall, cinched it. Whitehead moved up mock drafts this week, jumping from No. 56.
Here's what Draft Express wrote of him this week...
Measured at just below 6'5" with an impressive 6'9" wingspan (which is more than three inches greater than our last measurement from 2013) and a filled out 210 pound frame at the NBA Draft Combine, Whitehead has ample size and length to defend shooting guards, but plays on the ball so much that he will likely see quite a few minutes at point guard as well. He doesn't overwhelm the opposition with his physical attributes, as he is not an exceptional athlete, but he uses a mixture of basketball instincts and aggressiveness to make plays.
An impressive scorer at 21.9 points per 40 minutes pace adjusted as a sophomore, Whitehead has struggled with his efficiency throughout his two collegiate seasons. Although his 52% true shooting percentage as a sophomore is actually a more efficient mark than his abysmal 48% true shooting mark during his freshman season, it still rates fifth worst among all players in our top 100 prospect rankings. He had free reign to run the offense as a sophomore, which led to some impressive scoring performances, but some equally poor stretches of reckless decision making.
Whitehead said he was thrilled by the selection by his hometown team...
"I mean, that's everything. Just to be able to wear that Brooklyn uniform across my chest, it would be an amazing accomplishment, and I can't wait for it.
"It's a blessing, man. It's definitely in the books. It's a dream come true. Since Brooklyn got here, I always wanted to play for them, so it's definitely a dream come true."
As for pressure, Whitehead doesn't see it. "I mean, there's no pressure. I mean, I played here in high school, I've played across the bridge in Seton Hall, so it's really not far away. It's just about being about your business and taking care of what you've got to take care of."
No indication how much the pick cost the Nets.
- NBA: Nets bring Whitehead home to Brooklyn - J.P. Pelzman - The Record
- Nets select Seton Hall's Whitehead in second round - J.P. Pelzman - The Record
- Post-Draft Roundtable: Thaddeus Young, Caris LeVert, and Isaiah Whitehead - The Brooklyn Game
- Draft: Nets trade for #42, select Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead - Benny Nadeau - The Brooklyn Game
- Isaiah Whitehead stays home with Nets: ‘Dream come true’ - Zach Braziler - New York Post
- Nets draft Seton Hall star and Brooklyn native Isaiah Whitehead - Daniel Popper - New York Daily News
- Nets draft Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead at 42nd overall - Jeremy Schneider - NJ.com
- 2016 NBA Draft -- Via trade, Brooklyn Nets draft Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall SG - ESPN
- Brooklyn-born Whitehead drafted by Nets - Elizabeth Swinton - The Setonian
- Whitehead motivated by Nets’ second-round selection - Elizabeth Swinton - The Setonian