Brooklyn secures a high-volume sniper by landing Tyler Bilodeau. The 6-foot-8 UCLA standout brings elite floor spacing and interior footwork to Jordi Fernández’s versatile new-look frontcourt.
To close out the Brooklyn Nets' 2026 NBA Draft Class, the front office added UCLA stretch big Tyler Bilodeau, adding another piece to a new-look front court.
Bilodeau joins Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. and Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson as the newest Nets, giving newly extended head coach Jordi Fernández versatility and flexibility.
Both Bilodeau and Jefferson are not your typical big men, as both can knock down the 3-point shot and move well for their size.
Bilodeau, however, was one of the top overall shooters in the class, coming off a season where he shot a scorching 46.8-percent from deep.
The 6-foot-8 forward led the Bruins in scoring with 17.6 points per game and finished second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg), helping UCLA get back to March Madness.
For his stellar senior campaign, Bilodeau found himself on the third-team All-Big Ten.
While I do like Bilodeau's shooting ability for his size, I do think there may have been some better options at No. 43. But, I do think Bilodeau could play a similar role to Michael Porter Jr., using his size to rise up over contests and knock down jump shots.
Draft Grade: B
Bilodeau had many strong scoring performances, eclipsing 30+ points three times throughout last season.
Early in the year, against UC Riverside, Bilodeau caught fire for a career-high 34 points, shooting above 63-percent from the field and 57-percent from long range.
After entering college basketball as a low-volume 3-point shooter, Bilodeau left UCLA averaging 2.1 makes per contest.
From his time at Oregon State, Bilodeau transformed his offensive game into a real weapon, also possessing good footwork and finishing on the inside.
Should Brooklyn keep Julius Randle, he and Porter will be the two starting forwards, leaving Bilodeau and Jefferson, the two rookies, to battle it out for bench minutes.
However, a two-way deal may be the most plausible course of action, at least early on.
Nevertheless, adding a 6-foot-8 player who can shoot the 3-pointer at a high clip is rarely a bad move in today's perimeter heavy NBA.
Should Bilodeau continue to put on size and adjust to the professional style of play, the UCLA forward can carve out a significant role with Brooklyn for years to come.
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