Brooklyn secures top draft odds, positioning them for a potential franchise-altering No. 1 pick. Who will they select with this golden opportunity?
The Brooklyn Nets (20-61) have officially locked in the best possible odds at securing not only a top-four pick, but also the No. 1 overall selection in April.
Brooklyn finishes the season on Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors, but the game result will not change the Nets' position as the third-worst record in the league, trailing only the Indiana Pacers (19-62) and Washington Wizards (17-64).
This means the Nets will be looking at a 52.1-percent for a top-four pick, while boasting 15-percent odds to make the first selection.
Just two weeks ago, the Nets' standing within the top tier of lottery odds was in flux after knocking off the Sacramento Kings (22-59) 116-99, who will finish the season just behind Brooklyn.
Should the Nets luck into the top pick, BYU's AJ Dybantsa has seemingly separated himself as the premier choice, finishing the collegiate season as the nation's top scorer (25.5 points per game).
Dybantsa finished the season on a tear, scoring 26 or more in each of the Cougars' three conference tournament matchups, including a 40-point outburst against Kansas State.
He then played every minute of BYU's first round matchup against the Texas Longhorns, scoring 35 points and adding 10 rebounds.
Dybantsa's durability was one of the main proponents of his rise to the assumed No. 1 selection, as his main competition, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, had question marks surrounding his health all season.
Roundtable's Lorenzo Reyna recently reported that Peterson had slipped on some draft boards due to his cramping issues in college, noting that mock drafts had the Kings taking Arkansas' Darius Acuff over the standout Jayhawk.
"As for Brooklyn, even after drafting a handful of guards last year, the Nets are still badly in need of a lead dog," Yahoo Sports NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor said. "Acuff could be that guy."
For the Nets, who are also looking for additional front court depth, especially with the uncertainty surrounding their leading scorer Michael Porter Jr., Duke's Cameron Boozer provides perhaps the highest floor in the class.
Boozer should average close to a double-double on day one for whichever team he lands on, providing a physical presence and winning pedigree.
Following Boozer's 18 point performance in a mid-February win over the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines, Reyna made the case for the Duke big man.
"Boozer, though, brings a mature versatility for a younger prospect... Boozer showed strong stamina in taking control of a game against a higher ranked foe..." Reyna wrote. "Let alone the nation's No. 1."
Front court options like Boozer or North Carolina's Caleb Wilson could be intriguing for a Nets team who saw flashes from their young guards this season, including Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf.