Brooklyn's massive draft pick stash positions them as a serious contender for Giannis Antetokounmpo, igniting whispers of a league-altering trade.
The 2025-26 NBA season has been one to forget for the 15-43 Brooklyn Nets, but 2026-27 will provide a new sense of urgency that differs from the anxiety-inducing NBA Draft Lottery.
After a year spent tanking while watching Michael Porter Jr. blossom into an arguable All-Star snub, the Nets will be coming into next season with a different energy, and potentially a future first-ballot Hall of Famer at the peak of his powers.
2-time MVP and 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo's inner battle with requesting a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks has been long-documented, but many believe that the franchise will pull the trigger and deal away the 31-year-old all-time great to initiate a full-scale rebuild of their own.
Brooklyn's attitude towards winning in 2026-27 will take a left turn because the franchise does not own its first-round draft choice for 2027, meaning that a real effort will be made to stack victories while further developing their promising talent.
With that being said, the Nets' stash of 13 first-round draft picks over the next seven years and will give them a fighting chance to swing a league-altering deal for Antetokounmpo. According to The Stein Line's NBA insider Jake Fischer, rival execs are now expecting Brooklyn to stand out as a party to be reckoned with throughout the summer sweepstakes.
"I also continue to hear rival teams musing aloud about Brooklyn's potential emergence as a credible destination given the Nets' considerable cache of draft capital to package with, say, Michael Porter Jr. … or with a trade construction that keeps MPJ in place to play alongside Antetokounmpo," Fischer wrote Sunday.
Though Fischer mentioned Porter Jr. as the likely expendable piece if the Nets and Bucks were to shake hands on a deal, there's other options that Milwaukee's front office might take a liking to.
Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe are two proven difference-makers at the center position and could hold weight in talks as a pair of young-ish big men with expanding skill-sets. Aside from the frontcourt duo, each of the franchise's five first-round picks from the 2025 NBA Draft in Nolan Traoré, Egor Dëmin, Danny Wolf, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf would likely be made available.
In potential discussions surrounding one of the greatest players to ever hit the hardwood, Brooklyn's approach would be something similar to throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. Anything goes when you're dealing with as dominant a force as Antetokounmpo.
Throughout what's been an injury-riddled 13th NBA season for the Bucks' superstar, the 7-time All-NBA First Team selection has still managed to break the box score with averages of 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks on a career-best 64.5% field goal percentage in 30 appearances.
In 2023-24, he became the first player ever to average 30-plus points on 60% shooting from the field or better in a season. He'd accomplish the same feat the very next year.
It's no secret that Antetokounmpo's only goal as an NBA player is to win championships, and he's still in a position to transform an everyday contender in an outright favorite with a simple trade request.
Whether Brooklyn will have enough left over to build a true contender with him remains to be seen, but there's certain players that must be sought after even when the future of the franchise is uncertain as ever. Antetokounmpo is the definition of one of those must-have players at this stage in his career.
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our NETS ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow writers.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected.