Nets get 23rd pick in 2022 NBA Draft ... if they keep it. They have until June 1 to decide

At the end of every regular season, teams are tied in record ... and thus in draft position. So a few days later, there’s a draw at league offices to determine the final draft order.

At the end of this season, the Philadelphia 76ers (whose pick is owed the Nets), the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics (whose pick is owed the Spurs) all finished with 51-31 records, tying them for the 23rd through the 25th picks. So on Monday, the tie was broken and the Nets came away with No. 23, the Bucks No. 24 and the Spurs No. 25.

As it stands now, the pick would be the highest first rounder Sean Marks has ever had. He’s had higher picks but he’s traded them away, mostly to clear cap space like he did in facilitating the Clean Sweep in 2019. That year, they dumped the 17th (Nickeil Alexander-Walker) and 27th picks (Mfiondu Kabengele) in Draft Night deals. They kept their second rounder, the No. 31 pick and took Nic Claxton.

But will the Nets keep the pick? As part of the deadline deal centered on James Harden for Ben Simmons, Brooklyn has the option of moving the pick to 2023. They must decide by June 1, per Yossi Gozlan of Hoopshype. That’s three weeks before the Draft which will take place on June 23 at Barclays Center.

The pick would be unprotected in either Draft. Should the Nets move the pick down the road, they’d have no picks in either round this year and the 76ers pick would stay in Philly. Next year, they’d have two firsts, the Philly pick and their own (which is subject to a possible swap with the Rockets.) The trade value of the 2022 pick would be enhanced by the option if the Nets decide to go that route.