As a centerpiece of Brooklyn’s rebuild, sixth overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. brings elite scoring potential and a "shock the world" mentality to a revamped young core.
The Brooklyn Nets have signed the entirety of their 2026 NBA Draft Class.
Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn’s sixth overall pick, signed a rookie-scale contract with Brooklyn after being selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. The multi-year deal is set to pay Brown roughly $8.8 million during his rookie season and close to $40 million across four years if the team exercises its future options.
The Nets also officially signed UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau to a two-way contract ahead of Summer League competition.
Brown Shows Huge Scoring Potential
Brown arrives in Brooklyn after an impressive lone season at Louisville. During his college stint, he quickly emerged as one of the top guards in college basketball. Those familiar with his game know the young point guard's short yet impactful stint at Louisville. He has 2025 All-ACC Third Team, ACC All-Rookie team, and two ACC Player and Rookie of the Week awards to his name.
Despite battling back issues during the season, the 20-year-old averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. Especially, his scoring creativity and shot-making ability paved the way for him to become a worthy lottery pick.
Though his efficiency still remains a work in progress after shooting 41.0% from the field and 34.4% from three, Brooklyn clearly believes in his long-term upside as a lead guard.
The timing of the signing also allows Brown to fully participate in Summer League preparations as the Nets continue evaluating their young core.
While he awaits his debut for the Nets, Brown had an encouraging conversation with veteran teammate Julius Randle. Shortly after his draft selection, he spoke to Randel as the two will be pairing up together soon.
“I was talking to Julius Randle about it the other day, and he told me, 'We're gonna shock the world.' That's what we plan on doing," Brown said via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.
Nets' Young Core Looks Promising
Bilodeau, meanwhile, could quietly become one of the more intriguing second-round finds from this class.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 17.6 points at UCLA last season while shooting an outstanding 46.4% from three-point range. His combination of size and perimeter shooting gives Brooklyn another developmental piece that fits the modern NBA mold.
The Nets still have one unsigned draft pick remaining in Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson, whose contract situation is tied to the pending Julius Randle-Nic Claxton trade framework that cannot become official until later this week.
For now, though, Brooklyn has officially started building around its newest young talent.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
