As Brooklyn weighs front-court depth against back-court talent, general manager Sean Marks eyes Mexican standout Karim López to inject versatile off-ball movement and size into the Nets' rotation.
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks remains optimistic about drafting a valuable contributor with the sixth overall pick, and he could select a foreign player he’s scouted since September 2024.
Marks has kept an eye on New Zealand Breakers forward Karim López since he transitioned to the Australian NBL. López is 19 years old, 6-foot-9 and excels in off-ball movement.
He averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds on 50.2/32.6/71.7 shooting splits in his second season with the Breakers. López cuts hard into open space when available and has a tight enough handle to attack closeouts.
López’s off-ball movement makes him a nightmare to track in designed sets or defending the pick-and-roll. The Hermosillo native from Mexico has a high motor and embraces physicality, fighting to get open when cutting.
He posted his career-best performance against Melbourne United, scoring 32 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots.
Marks’ interest in López holds significant weight in how Brooklyn decides what prospect to take when the team is on the clock in next month’s draft.
Many mocks project multiple guard selections outside of the top four. Prospects like Houston’s Kingston Flemings and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. are primary ball-handlers, leading the offense with their scoring and playmaking.
Although Flemings and Acuff Jr. are immensely talented, the Nets already have multiple players who can handle the ball.
Egor Dëmin, Ben Saran and Nolan Traoré are three guards on the team who received reps as the primary initiator throughout the season. Those overlapping skill sets could spark a conversation about taking a player who fits the roster over taking the best player available.
Brooklyn could face some front-court issues in the offseason and next season. Michael Porter Jr. and Terrance Mann could become trade targets, and many of the team’s forwards are restricted free agents or on team options that the Nets could decline.
López would strengthen Brooklyn’s front court, but mocks project him as a top 10 to late lottery selection. He needs to improve as a three-point shooter, only making 32.6% of his 3 attempts last season and 30.8% of his 2.6 attempts in 2024
Selecting the foreign prospect would be similar to the Memphis Grizzlies drafting Hansen Yang 16th in last year’s draft. The Portland Trail Blazers traded for his draft rights, and the team jumped the gun over 30 picks when many mocks projected Yang as a second-round draft pick.
López’s situation is different since he is a lottery selection, but Brooklyn would be passing on Acuff Jr. or Flemings, who are consensus better talents.
The Nets failed to land within the top four, extending their drought to 17 seasons before next year's draft. However, Marks is optimistic about the prospects at the No. 6 range and looks forward to building a competitive team next season.
“There's going to be some really good options for us, whether we're picking one or ten," Marks said. "With multiple assets that we have in this draft and multiple future assets, we're going to continue to build this team up into hopefully something we can be really proud of."
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