The Brooklyn Nets took a massive chance on the 2025 NBA Draft as they selected five players in the first round during the early stages of the franchise's rebuild. Brooklyn seems to have hit on guard Egor Demin, who they took with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 draft, but next season could be the chance for the Nets to see what they have otherwise.
"Demin, the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft, looked like a solid NBA player in his rookie season before injury cut it short, and he took even greater strides in a summer league cameo," Zach Kram wrote of the Nets for ESPN. After Demin, Brooklyn selected guard Nolan Traore (No. 19 overall pick), forward Drake Powell (No. 22), guard Ben Saraf (No. 26), and Danny Wolf (No. 27) to end the first round.
"But the other four members of Brooklyn's large class of 2024 first-round picks offer much more uncertain futures," Kram continued. "The Nets probably knew they weren't going to go a perfect five-for-five with their picks that year, particularly because Demin was the only lottery selection. But it would sure be nice if at least one or two others flashed greater potential in their sophomore seasons, so the Nets can pencil them with greater confidence into their long-term plans."
Demin has been the standout member of Brooklyn's 2025 draft class, but last season saw some glimpses out of the other four players, especially Traore and Wolf. Traore had a rough start to his rookie season, but he was able to become the starting point guard for head coach Jordi Fernandez. Wolf spent some time as one of the backup bigs in the rotation and he could be in line to do so again this season.
Once the 2026-27 season rolls around, the interest in the class will be centered on Powell and Saraf, both of which had their fair share of struggles against NBA competition last season. However, Fernandez will be trying to give playing time to as many of the young players as possible and part of the season will be spent seeing which of the other four classmates will be able to step up and be productive NBA players.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: What's at stake for Nets' 2025 NBA Draft class during 2026-27 season?
