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[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty keep rolling, flatten Chicago Sky 85-66

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

And the final score oversold the competitiveness of this Commissioner’s Cup game, with yet another fourth quarter of all garbage time.

The New York Liberty may never lose again.

Even without Jonquel Jones, who stomped the Chicago Sky’s sophomore front-court in their late-May matchup, the Liberty led wire-to-wire in the nationally televised rematch on Tuesday night.

Sandy Brondello inserted Nyara Sabally, who returned from a six-game absence with knee soreness, into the starting lineup, and her very first possession portended the rest of the game...

welcome back Nyara pic.twitter.com/CjzgA5P6ls

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 11, 2025​

Sabally finished with nine points and three boards, not missing a shot in her 15 minutes, but her stat-line hardly mattered. The German, soon to depart for EuroBasket, looked like the fullest version of her self, too strong and quick to be kept away from the rim for too long.

“She looked great,” said Brondello. “It was great to have her back out there. You know, I think we can just build on that. She’s always consistent, every time she gets subbed in, she’s just consistently great. She knows what she does and how she can help us.”

Sabally helped New York get out to a 26-15 lead after the first quarter, and the sea foam never sweat much after that. Their lead would increase consistently, until it reached a game-high 34 in the second half.

The healthy Liberty stars helped it get to that point. Sabrina Ionescu, who finished with a crisp 23/1/7/4/2 line on 9-of-14 shooting, controlled the game like the savvy veteran she now is. Most of her damage was done inside the arc, where she bumped Chicago’s guards off her to finish possessions with smooth floaters, pull-ups, and every right pass...

Sabrina's inside-the-arc offense has been so good tonight. Floaters, pull-ups, this lay-up and assist: pic.twitter.com/XKFVHSudYB

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 11, 2025​

Sandy Brondello was effusive when praising her point guard postgame: “Today was [a game] where we wanted the ball in her hands, and just, it was easy for her to get downhill. And she’s such a great facilitator ... She just keeps maturing as a player, plays at both ends of the floor, and it’s been big for us. But obviously, Olaf [Lange] is her coach, so he sits down with her in preparation, in knowing how they’re going to defend her, what she should or could be doing. And then, you know, we just try and put her in actions where she can have success. And she’s — she’s so smart. I mean, she’s going to be a great coach one day, too.”

Breanna Stewart punched out with an easy 18/7/5 line, blocking two shots and fitting in where she could. Which, for Stewie, is everywhere...

really nice cut and dart to the corner from Stewie pic.twitter.com/rxgEyhLgYA

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 11, 2025​

Angel Reese did her best to give an ESPN audience and characteristically packed Barclays Center crowd more of what they came for. In her best game of the season, without Jones protecting the paint, she scored a season-high 17 points with 11 boards, despite turning it over five times.

Reese, who got major cheers when the starting lineups were introduced, even hit a couple jumpers. But Ariel Atkins was the only other visitor to crack double-digits. No single player was responsible for the Sky’s lackluster offense, particularly against what’s been the best defense in the league; it was just an unfair fight.

As such, the Liberty’s role players contributed much more. Kennedy Burke yet again did not miss a 3-pointer, now up to a laughable 63.3% on the season from deep. Breanna Stewart, who played with Burke for the Seattle Storm in 2021, is perhaps best suited to describe her ascent.

“What I’ve seen the most is the way she’s really taken ownership of the role that she’s in. And whenever she’s on the court, she’s motivated to help the team, but also very confident. And I think it’s tough, you know, especially when you come to a new team, whether it’s in Seattl, or when you come to New York last year, finding that groove. And now she’s found it.”

Burke scored 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench, and though her teammates largely struggled from three (27.6% as a team), the Sky needed more luck than that to keep up.

We could go on down the line — Rebekah Gardner was again productive — but the Liberty are much more than the admittedly impressive collection of names. They are a dominant team, who play beautiful basketball from the top down...

couple of gorgeous Sabrina dimes to Stewie, these two are really hooping tonight: pic.twitter.com/vswxkW4a0W

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 11, 2025​

Now, they’re not just 9-0, but 3-0 in Commissioner’s Cup play with a point differential of 75. What else is there to say?

Final Score: New York Liberty 85, Chicago Sky 66

Courtney Vandersloot, absence felt​

In a terrible twist of fate, Courtney Vandersloot tore her ACL in the Chicago Sky’s previous game. After heading back to the franchise she called home for over a decade, the 36-year-old will now miss the rest of the season after winning the a championship with the Liberty last year.

That meant the Liberty did not get to honor Vandersloot with her championship ring, her absence hurting just a little bit more.

Said Brondello: “Terrible, what happened to Slooty. You never want to see any player go down with an injury, but someone that obviously is so dear to us. And we would’ve loved to have presented her ring tonight and celebrated the success she had with us last year.”

Sloot reunion, as her ex-Liberty teammates make sure to get a group photo and plenty of hugs pic.twitter.com/5Q2pqJOoOf

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) May 23, 2025​

Coco Gauff ignites the crowd​

The loudest moment of the night, bar none, came after Coco Gauff was shown on the Barclays Center video board. The 2025 French Open champion drew one of the loudest, sustained crowd reactions in the history of the arena...

Barclays just reached an unbelievable decibel when Coco Gauff was announced pic.twitter.com/C4FwZP8zrI

— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) June 11, 2025​

Just thought that was worth pointing out.

Next Up​

Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images

Caitlin Clark will likely be questionable on Saturday afternoon, when the New York Liberty head to Indiana to play the Fever. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/10/24447109/liberty-vs-sky-85-66-sabrina-ionescu-angel-reese

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Day’Ron Sharpe, with big contract due, looks at areas of improvement

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

In an interview with Charlie Cummings of Swish Theory, Day’Ron Sharpe talks about where he has improved and where he’d like to.

There’s been so much talk about Cam Thomas’ free agency, Day’Ron Sharpe’s contract status hasn’t gotten much attention. Like CamT, he was taken late in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft and like his hot shooting teammate, he’s been on a slow but steady path. Now, after a year where his improvement has gotten notice, he believes he’s ready for the next steps.

In an interview with Charlie Cummings of Swish Theory, out this weekend, he spoke about where he thinks he — and the league — are headed: positionless basketball, but with a specialty, in his case rebounding.

“Nowadays, 1 through 5, small-ball, everybody’s shooting threes, everybody can drive on a closeout. Eventually, it’s going to be to a point where it’s going to be completely positionless,” he told Cummings. “It’s going to be all about who got that ‘dawg,’ who got that mentality, who don’t wanna give up. That’s how I see it going, so I just want to be able to be versatile in all aspects.”

Indeed, last year, he showed improvement particularly in shooting. As Cummings notes,

Sharpe upped his free throw percentage nearly 20 points to 79%. That qualifies him as an solid free throw shooter in the NBA.

He posted the most points and assists per game of his career. His free-throw percentage also jumped nearly 20 points to 79%

He took more midrange shots and upped his percentage from 37% to 44%. Sharpe tripled his three-point attempts and increased his percentage as well, from 25% to 28% Most importantly, his assist percentage and assist-to-usage rate went up with his increase in usage rate.

Brooklyn was 6.6 points per 100 possessions better on offense with Sharpe on the floor.

Most of all, he showed improvement in his “bread-and-butter skill,” offensive rebounding.

“Offensive rebounding — that’s always gonna be my thing, that’s my bread-and-butter,” Sharpe said. “Being the strongest is going to help me do that. I’m trying to get to a point where it don’t matter who’s on that court, I’m moving you and I’m gonna get that board.”

Indeed, he was second in the NCAA in rebounding percentage as a freshman when the Nets picked him at No. 29 and he’s kept improving. Again, Cummings:

When Day’Ron is on the floor, Brooklyn’s offensive rebounding rate increases by 10.8%. That’s the highest on/off OREB% mark of any player in the league. His offensive rebounding rate of 15.4% was a 98th percentile mark in the league. He brings it all: hustle, positioning skill, physicality, and jump timing.

Cummings also points to areas of needed improvement including finishing around the rim. Sharpe, he wrote, still hasn’t gotten much above 60% — the 28th percentile for NBA bigs — but part of that could be his relentless work on the offensive glass. More tip-ins means more attempts, more misses.

Sharpe didn’t talk about his contract, which Keith Smith of Spotrac thinks will be in the three-year, $30 million range. He did talk about overall goals.

“I’m just trying to get my years in and win,” Sharpe said. “I’d always been a winner in my career before I got to college, so I just want to have an overall skill-set [and] game. The way the league is going nowadays, it’s not just really a wing or a guard or a big.”

The 6’9” big also spoke about how he wants to get stronger to help his offensive rebounding and broaden his overall game.

“I just want to do whatever we can to help the team. If it’s talking to the next person, then I can do that. If it’s bringing energy, I can do that. If it’s ‘go and grab every offensive rebound,’ I can do that. If it’s ‘go and drop 20,’ I can do that.”

Nets fans would like to see what they saw last February. Starting for the suspended Nic Claxton, he put up 25/15/5/2/3 on 8-of-10 shooting, including two 3-pointers, and 7-of-7 from the line. That would seem ambitious, but Sharpe has gotten better already. There’s reason to be optimistic.

• Finding a Role: Day’Ron Sharpe - Charlie Cummings - Swish Theory
• Nets Big Day’Ron Sharpe Discusses Points of Improvement - Wilko Martinez Cachero - Sports Illustrated

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/10...ig-contract-due-looks-at-areas-of-improvement

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Scouting SCOUT — International intrigue in Episode 3 of Brooklyn Nets Pre-Draft series

In the next episode, we’re able to see how the Nets approach overseas talent evaluation and pinpoint a few prospects they’ve been watching for months now

Oh, the places you’ll go...when you’re an international scout for the Brooklyn Nets.

In this latest installment of SCOUT, the team’s video series documenting its preparations for the 2025 NBA Draft, the Nets were anywhere but Brooklyn. The new episode focuses entirely on the team’s international evaluation efforts, once again piggybacking on Assistant GM B.J. Johnson’ running commentary. Johnson knows. He has been in charge of the Nets draft for the past five years.

“The game has become so global,” Johnson said to open things up. “To find a guy in some of these places could be massive for your franchise. You have to go wherever the talent is.”

That “talent” is arguably more widespread right now more than ever. At one point during the episode, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony called the 2006-born international class “one of the best that we’ve seen in a long time.”

Brooklyn’s understanding of that was clear — not just in their words but also their actions.

Who They’re Looking At​

The team isn’t naming names in the docu-series. Indeed, they’ve been fuzzing out any video that might give anyone a hint of who they like ... or don’t. That however is not going to stop us from doing a little foreign correspondent work, matching up mock drafts and top 100s with European team schedules with the video. Bottom line: their week long trip to Spain, Germany and France this fall was about early evaluation of some first round prospects whose names are now familiar as the draft, three weeks away from Wednesday, approaches.

The travelogue wasn’t exactly chronological but as Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”

Johnson and Simone Casali, the Nets director of international scouting, are first seen in Paris where the two sat in on a contest between Saint Quentin and Nanterre, two upper division teams in the LNB (French basketball league).

It’s a near certainty that the two were there to take a closer look at Nolan Traore, the 6’3” French point guard who plays for San Quentin and has been linked to the team in various mock drafts particularly their late first rounders at Nos. 19, 26 and 27. The speedy guard with 20/20 court vision turned in one of his best games with Johnson and Casali in attendance, putting up 20 points and three assists...

Nolan Traore #SaintQuentin

Hit The Music. pic.twitter.com/OF093xepLi

— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) June 4, 2025​

Staying in Paris, the episode highlighted a Euroleague game between Paris Basket and Saski Baskonia of Spain. While neither team has prospects directly tied to the Nets, there’s some chance Brooklyn was there looking at the latter’s Ousmane N’Diaye — a 6’11” 20-year-old sharp shooting forward, and the only draft eligible player on the floor. That, or they just wanted another look at Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot. (Okay, probably not.) However, Paris also features a top 2027 prospect, a 6’4”, 17-year-old guard, Illian Moungalla. SOOUT did not say. And in the game they attended, N’Diaye played only five minutes, Moungalla not at all.

This episode also took us to Ulm in Germany near Munich although in this case, we didn’t get any game footage, Ratiopharm Ulm is home two first round prospects: Noa Essengue, the 6’10” French power forward and Ben Saraf, a 6’6” Israeli point guard. Both have been mocked to the Nets, Essengue far more than anyone we’ve talked about thus far. In fact, he’s dominated draft conversations centering around the mid-to-late lottery with his athleticism and improved shooting of late...

Career-high 22 points and 14 rebounds for Noa Essengue exploded in Game 1 of the German playoff semis. The 18-year-old showcased his skill level, fluidity, defensive versatility, and feel for the game, knocking down a pair of 3s and bringing impressive intensity on both ends. pic.twitter.com/JLMjHZGsF0

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 3, 2025​

While much of the hum right now centers on Essengue, Saraf is another well-touted draftee. He dropped 16 points on the Portland Trail Blazers during a preseason game last autumn.

At 19, Ben Saraf brings an impressive combination of size, scoring instincts, feel for the game, aggressiveness and playmaking, with supreme timing and creativity operating in pick and roll, and sharp basketball instincts which manifest themselves in every part of the game. https://t.co/hpEtdQTYgo pic.twitter.com/6gHRdqbSDT

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 18, 2025​

An additional prospect Alec Anigbata, a 6’9” 20-year-old German power forward also plays for Ratiopharm Ulm.

A contest at WiZink Center in the Spanish capital, home of power house Real Madrid, was the final game shown. Again, there was nothing precise about the object of the Nets interest, but Madrid is home to 6’6” Spanish defensive wing Hugo González. He too was recently mocked to Brooklyn — at pick No. 26...

NEW FLOOR AND CEILING:

Hugo González arguably outplayed #nbadraft peers like Egor Demin, Kasparas Jakucionis, or Nolan Traoré when they shared the floor.

But he’s really lacked minutes, needs a lot more polish, and I'm unsure about how his two-way tools might scale up.… pic.twitter.com/TKPffv3uUK

— FLOOR and CEILING (Wilko) (@wilkomcv) May 28, 2025​

So, based on the video and our own sleuting, four games over a seven day stretch in late October and early November.

What They’re Looking At​

Between the different leagues, venues and prospects, Johnson also made Brooklyn’s intention clear: to stick to their principles, whether scouting prospects in the NCAA or French League: listing a few few boxes all their potential draftees need to check.

“The games are different, the strategies are different, and the pace of play is different, but there are certain things that regardless, you need a player to have,” he said. “You know, size for position, versatility of skillset, the toughness, the competitiveness, the grit, those kind of things, all that kind of sets the baseline and then from there you can pick out the fine details.”

“Then also, how can they overcome the language barrier, the culture barriers, the things that they have to do when they come over to the United States, and are they mentally equipped to do that,” he wen ton. “We factor all those kinds of things into play.”

Casali pointed to another area the Nets scouts have to take into account: the differences among the leagues they scouted.

“It’s like comparing conferences in the NCAA,” he told the Nets media team producer. “Every team has a different style. The Spanish league is more physical. They play bigger. The German league they’re playing very very small. The French league is more athletic. Every league has their own personality.”

The international scouting game is simply not what it used to be, with a quarter of the league’s players foreign-born ... and the winners of the last seven MVP contests hold international passports. While this all may seem like Brooklyn’s doing extra credit to the casual fan who watches March Madness every year and then calls it a day, there’s a common curriculum if you ask Casali. Just don’t expect the Nets or any other team to find a “Bo Cruz,” the fictional player in Adam Sandler’s “Hustle,” a kid who hoops in construction boots on some Spanish playground.

“Today it is essentially impossible to find a player who is not already in someone’s notebook,” he said in an interview just weeks after he and Johnson’s trip. “Today we can see games from every championship at every latitude and potentially it is an infinite job, it is almost impossible for a name to go unnoticed until the Draft.”

A good movie, he said, but not realistic. It’s more about hard work than crazy luck.

——————————

This new entry to the series puts us a third of the way through it. Considering we have only two weeks to go until the NBA Draft yet six episodes still promised, maybe we’ll get a few after Brooklyn makes its selections. There seems to be plenty of b-roll. That could add another layer of intrigue to any watching experience. Get your popcorn ready.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/11...n-episode-3-of-brooklyn-nets-pre-draft-series

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

The New York Liberty are as good as they are fun

After an early-season win, Isabelle Harrison said, “I’m so happy to be on this side, finally.” It’s becoming ever-so-clear why.

The New York Liberty are an exception to rule of professional sports. Sitting at a WNBA-best 9-0, coming off a championship, they are an incessant parade of good vibes, whether celebrating their mascot’s birthday, a new training facility, or a dominant win led by future Hall of Famers.

No internal strife has bubbled to the surface. To an outside observer, it’s laughable that there could be any. Few fans ever get to experience such a level of bliss; most of this site’s visitors know this far too well.

Is the window we’re peering in from rose-tinted? Or do the New York Liberty themselves feel as blessed as they seem to be.

“I mean, I think it is that. I think that it’s a really positive group. I think they meet challenges head on,” said assistant coach Sonia Raman.

With Roneeka Hodges heading to the Connecticut Sun this past offseason, Raman joined the Liberty after four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, following a long tenure coaching the MIT women’s basketball team. As much as any diehard fan, she appreciates the obscene talent she finds herself coaching.

New York’s league-best defense, for example, does not just succeed because mega-anchors Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones are surrounded by length and athleticism. They cycle through coverages with incredible instincts and communication; opposing ball-handlers rarely know what they’re going to see on any given possession...

Said Raman: “Being new to the group I was really, like, interested in how that all came about, because I saw it on film when I was studying the team before I got here. This is a really, really high IQ team. So I think — credit to the coaching staff for leaning into that, letting them play on feel.

“That’s where, as I said before, the communication has to be there, so we just have to all be on the same page. And I think that there’s a lot of freedom to them to be able to do that, but we’re breaking this stuff down in practice so that in the game, they might be, you know, calling an audible, but it’s coming from something that we should all be on the same page about.”

The Liberty, despite their perfect record, have not been perfect yet. Their rebounding is still near the bottom of the league, and they’ve occasionally struggled vs. switching defenses, particularly when Jonquel Jones is on the bench.

But rather than a championship hangover, they have a championship glow. They have not overlooked any of their clearly inferior opponents, coming out with detailed gameplans on both a team and individual level.

Said Sabrina Ionescu of Tuesday’s victory over the Chicago Sky: “You know, the first game we played them, we hit 19 threes. So I had a feeling that they were probably going to try and not give up that many threes again.”

Lo and behold, she dominated inside the arc, showcasing the career-long improvements that have made her an All-WNBA talent...

Sabrina two-point scoring vs. CHI: pic.twitter.com/QmF88vVx8E

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 12, 2025​

None of this is by accident: “I think, obviously, I have great IQ for the game and can take in as much [information] as you know, they’re going to give on what I might see. Sometimes I see new things, and continuing to just figure out ways that I can improve and not really having any holes in my game. I mean, I just want to be a sponge. I want to continue to learn.”

You cannot talk to anybody on the Liberty without something similar. While Raman recognizes how special the Liberty are, she’s not starry-eyed: “There’s so much we can get better at. So I wouldn’t say that we’re looking at our record, we’re looking at the scoreboard. We’re preparing ourselves for ourselves, and we recognize on both ends of the floor that there’s a lot to improve on.”

This is true of any team in mid-June; even the 9-0 Liberty must improve over next three months in order to win a second straight championship. But you trust them to do so.

So does Isabelle Harrison: “It’s been refreshing, truly, to be here, and you’re only worried about basketball, and that’s kind of what everybody wants anyways. You don’t want to be worrying and dealing with other stuff. So it’s been really, really refreshing.”

Harrison, like Raman, is in her first year with the team. She arrived in New York after a decade in the WNBA, playing seven seasons with four different teams, and missing a scattered three due to various ailments.

The one thing Harrison hasn’t experienced in the W: a winning season. No Liberty player appreciates this success more than her, nor the atmosphere she’s been adopted into: “I’m big on our vibe in our locker room, and that’s been my biggest concern. I’ve been around when it’s been terrible locker rooms, and it just has been so toxic, and that’s not been the case here.”

Far from it, in fact.

Nyara Sabally to remain with team​

In a somewhat surprising move, Nyara Sabally has elected to stay with the New York Liberty through EuroBasket. After missing seven games before returning against the Sky, New York’s backup big has declined to join her German national team for the tournament.

Nyara Sabally said, in part, that this wasn’t any easy decision for her but she’s prioritizing her long-term goals with the National Team.

Sabally had previously missed six WNBA games with a knee issue. pic.twitter.com/1CbPSM97Cl

— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) June 11, 2025​

Suddenly, Sabally and Frenchwoman Marine Johannès are remaining with the Liberty through June. Only Leonie Fiebich will be departing for the back half of the month, set to miss the next seven Liberty games as she competes for Germany.

Head Coach Sandy Brondello said, “We support all of our players. It’s a personal decision, but for [Sabally] to make that decision shows, you know, she’s been injured, so I thought she took care of her. I think that’s the most important thing. But in return, obviously that kind of helps us as well, doesn’t it? We think Nyara — her future is so bright, and she’s only just scratched the surface.”

Nyara Sabally’s next chance to help the New York Liberty is on Saturday afternoon, when the best team in the WNBA takes on the Indiana Fever on the road. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/12/24448229/the-new-york-liberty-are-as-good-as-they-are-fun

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky preview: Libs go for nine straight vs. Sky

Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images

It’s been tale of two cities so far this season in New York and Chicago. The Liberty are 8-0 and rolling while Chicago is only 2-5 ... and their star is flickering.

At this point of the season, the New York Liberty have proved that they are clearly the best team in all of the WNBA.

Their reputation, at 8-0, is without question. Their average winning margin is 19 points. With that being the case, it will now be a test on how long they can keep their dominance without the injured Jonquel Jones in the middle. Who will make those key bounce passes to cutting players to the basket? Who will take advantage of switches in the pick and roll? These questions will be answered as they continue on in the season.

Now, to be fair, this contest should not raise any of those concerns as the Liberty will take on the struggling Chicago Sky tonight at Barclays Center. The Sky, who currently reside at 2-5, are arguably the W’s most disappointing team. The face of the franchise and arguably the second most famous star in the WNBA, Angel Reese, is not having the best season thus far. The Sky also have to go the rest of the way without their floor general in Courtney Vandersloot, who of course played a pivotal role in the Liberty’s championship year last summer. On Saturday, she became the latest women’s basketball player to tear her ACL and is out for the season.

Where to Watch​

Catch the action at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Injuries​

Jonquel Jones is questionable due to her ankle injury. Nyara Sabally has been cleared to play after missing two and a half weeks with a balky knee.

For the Sky, Sloot will be out due to her torn ACL, as well as backcourt mate Moriah Jefferson with a leg injury.

The Game​

The battle of the backcourt, even with the Sky’s injuries, should be the most interesting part of the game tonight. Obviously the combination of Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud is going to give Liberty fans a treat, not to mention as the sharp shooting of Marine Johannes. But for the Sky, the story will be how former college star Hailey Van Lith rises to the occasion. As one of the best known players in the NCAA, HVL was known as somebody who can give you a bucket due to her ability to get to that left hand. With her veteran teammates out for tonight, there is a chance that she can have the game of a lifetime.

With Jones out, I expect Breanna Stewart to give an extra amount of effort to help out Nyara Sybally in the rebounding department, depending on how much time she’ll be able to play after her layoff. Rebounding along with defense will be key.

Player to Watch​

Angel Reese is ALWAYS the player to watch, even if she’s having a hard time. Dynamic, charismatic, controversial, etc., the 23-year-old is a big part of the W’s recent success, her rivalry with Caitlin Clark making for a Magic Johnson-Larry Bird vibe.

But all that aside, this has not been her best time. Her numbers are down and Saturday’s game vs. Indiana — without Clark — may have been the low point. The Sky, having lost Courtney Vandersloot could only muster 52 points and Reese was uncharacteristically unspectacular, finishing with four points — on 2-of-7 shooting, to go along with 12 rebounds and two assists.

Post-game, Sky coach Tyler Marsh said the issue is less Reese than it is the Sky as a whole...

Tyler Marsh on Angel Reese:

"I don’t think Angel struggled tonight, I think we struggled as a team…It’s not about Angel being better for us, it’s us being better for Angel."

— CHGO Sky (@CHGO_Sky) June 8, 2025

Still, most of her numbers are down. She’s currently averaging only 9.1 points a game, down from last season’s 13.6. Her shooting? Down from 39.1% to 30.9. Her rebounding remains steady and there’s been an uptick in 3-point shooting, but if the Sky can salvage the season, she’ll have to do better.

From the Vault​

Tonight’s game could very well be the first big professional opportunity for Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith to shine together. HVL is going to get big minutes with Courtney Vandersloot down. The two starred together at LSU two years ago. It wasn’t a perfect match for the two and HVL left for TCU. Still, the two are close ... and a lot of that was Reese reaching out...

Last month, Van Lith described their relationship this way.

“We share a lot of values & align in a lot of things off the court. It really is more than basketball.” HVL told reporters. “She’s been a huge encourager for me. She holds me accountable and reminds me of who I am.”

More reading: Bullets Forever, Swish Appeal, Chicago Sun Times, Women’s Basketball Roundup, No Cap Space, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/10...ky-preview-libs-go-for-nine-straight-over-sky

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

As NBA Draft approaches, still a lack of clarity on where Brooklyn Nets will pick

Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Hoopshype offers an aggregate mock draft based on 10 media outlets’ guesses on who goes where, but at the end of the day, how much does it matter.

First the caveats and there’s a few of them both for the Brooklyn Nets and the 29 teams currently with picks in the 2025 NBA Draft (We see you Denver):

• Everyone expects the Draft to be crazy, as more than one pundit has said, with trades galore, perhaps starting next weeks as the Finals wind down.
• No one expects the Nets to use all five picks they currently have at Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27, and 36, most in the league. It would be a development disaster, goes the thinking, particularly since the team has one of the youngest rosters in the NBA already.
• So there’s little to no clarity and as reports Thursday lamented, little to no intelligence on how teams will move.

Moreover, ESPN, the mock draft gold standard, hasn’t posted a mock in nearly a month, the last one May 19. And of course some draftniks rank players based on where they think they should be taken while others are in the prediction business.

As Bobby Marks told Malika Andrews Thursday, “Talked to one league executive this morning and he said he expects we will see the most activity as far as tradeable picks in this year’s first round.” (He refers to the Nets as one of four teams he’s watching for trades on Draft Night, calling them “the bingo board,” the only team with four firsts.)

All that said, Hoopshype on Friday tried its best to give fans a sense of where thinks stand by compiling an aggregate mock draft based on the 10 best guesstimates by ESPN, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Babcock Hoops, USA Today, NBAdraft.net, SB Nation and FTW. It’s what we’ve done more than a few times this spring with a bit less details.

So here’s what they see in the aggregate for Brooklyn: big man-centric, international and on the youngish side.

No. 8: Khaman Maluach, 7’2” Center, Duke (South Sudan)

Khaman Maluach is a modern rim protector with a 7-6 wingspan and flashes of perimeter mobility. Brooklyn may eye Maluach as a long-term center (to allow them to move off Nic Claxton), with several scouts believing he could go as high as No. 5 if a team bets on his upside.

“Patience required, but the tools are obvious,” an Eastern Conference scout said.

No. 19: Joan Beringer, 6’11” Power Forward, Cedevita (France)

Joan Beringer divides the room. Some love his tools, others question if he has an NBA-ready skill. He’s a likely draft-and-stash, with Brooklyn betting on their development pipeline. We doubt they’d take back-to-back bigs, however, we expect they walk away from draft night with at least one frontcourt player selected either in the lottery or here.

“If you trust your system, he’s worth the flier,” one exec said.

No. 26: Hugo Gonzalez, 6’7” wing, Real Madrid (Spain)

Hugo Gonzalez offers wing size and passing flashes but isn’t seen as a primary initiator. His stock hinges on developing a more consistent jumper, but teams love his feel and projectable frame. His problem is that he becomes incredibly passive on offense and disappears into the background of plays.

“If the shot comes, he’s a rotation wing,” one scout said.

No. 27: Rasheer Fleming, 6’9” Power Forward/Center, St. Joseph’s (USA)

Rasheer Fleming is marketing himself as a wing, but most scouts project him as a shot blocking stretch four. He can potentially play the 3/4/small ball 5 due to his massive wingspan.

His ball-handling is seen as “more show than go,” but his defensive energy and offensive scoring flashes as a slasher keep him in first-round conversations.

No. 36: Hansen Yang, 7’2” Center, Qingdao Eagles (China)

At 7-1, Hansen Yang’s sheer size and defense could make him worth a late flier for a team willing to be patient. Still a major project with mobility questions, but the physical tools are there to be a floor spacing shot-blocker.

Where do some of the Nets fan favorites fall in the aggregate? Jeremiah Fears goes to the Washington Wizards at No. 6; Tre Johnson goes to the Utah Jazz at No. 5; Kon Knueppel to the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 7.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/13...k-of-clarity-on-where-brooklyn-nets-will-pick

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever preview: Caitlin Clark returns as Libs go for 10-0

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The headline for the national tv game is the return of Caitlin Clark, but for the Liberty, a win and they’re 10-0

When I attended the New York Liberty’s last game against the Chicago Sky, I noticed something different that wasn’t quite the same during their championship campaign last season. Beginning with tip-off, I saw suffocation. That’s the type of defense the Liberty have been playing.

As Lucas Kaplan described things in his recap video, the Liberty’s ability to utilize multiple defenders and schemes to guard pick and rolls or DHOs, there’s no escape. While they are currently a bit lacking in the rebounding department with Jonquel Jones questionable, the Liberty should be able to get that together. When you’re 9-0, and winning by nearly 20 points a game, you can pretty much have, well a lot of liberty.

Saturday afternoon, the Liberty will need to continue this defensive intensity as they will be taking on the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis for the Commissioner’s Cup. It’s a big game, on national TV and most importantly, the return of Caitlin Clark after suffering a strained quad.

Where To Watch​

Catch the action at 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

Injuries​

Leonie Fiebich will be missing time due to her commitment to the German national team for EuroBasket. Jonquel Jones is still questionable with her ankle injury.

For the Fever, DeWanna Bonner is out for personal reasons.

The Game/Caitlin Clark’s Return​

Before she got injured, Clark was putting up good numbers to start the season. In the first four games, Clark averaged 19 points and nine assists on 40% shooting, including a 20 point triple double in the first game of the season. Just like her rookie season, Clark is on pace to show the why she is the face of women’s basketball.

Player to Watch​

Duh.

Clark may have missed some time on the court but she hasn’t been out of the spotlight, having been courtside at Gainsbridge for the Pacers-Thunder series.

The matchup between Clark and Sabrina Ionescu should be a good one, as both will try to wow the crowd with their no-look passes and deep three point attempts. The Liberty of course have the advantage, but this game has the potential to be a favorite for W fans in the building and on TV. Expect a record audience.

From the Vault​

It was 11 months ago that Caitlin Clark racked up a triple double. It was a show.

More reading: Bullets Forever, Swish Appeal, Chicago Sun Times, Women’s Basketball Roundup, No Cap Space, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/14...iew-caitlin-clark-returns-as-libs-go-for-10-0

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

NetsDaily Off-Season Report - No. 9

Every weekend, we’ll be updating the Nets’ off-season with bits and pieces of information, gossip, etc. to help fans get ready for ... whatever.

The big news overnight Saturday was not the New York Liberty’s first loss of the WNBA season. The Libs were missing two starters, after all. Bummer though.

No, it was Shams Charania’s report that Kevin Durant’s preferences for what could be his final destination are the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets, with the very unsubtle message to GMs that if you’re not in that small circle, forget signing him beyond next season. He’ll be a rental and you have will have given up a lot of assets for a one-time chance at a title.

The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant’s preferred trade destinations, sources told ESPN on Saturday night. People across the NBA have been made aware in recent days that those are the three teams Durant would commit to with a long-term extension.

Durant is on an expiring $54.7 million deal for the 2025-26 season, and the Suns have made clear to the six to eight seriously interested teams that they will make the best deal for the franchise, even if it means trading Durant to a team outside his preferred list, sources said.

What was unsaid, or unwritten, is the motivation for this Saturday night scoop? It would appear that the Suns are talking to another team or teams, maybe the Minnesota Timberwolves? Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein both reported that the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors might be “lurking,” as Windy put it. Shams has said six to eight teams made initial inquiries. Stein said the New York Knicks dropped out.

On Friday, speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, Shams reported that a deal could be imminent — “next few days” — and he noted that “in the past 24-to-48 hours, I’m told the focus on the Suns conversations has been on a few teams: Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves.” (Emphasis ours.) No Spurs, it should be noted. It also should be noted that Shams didn’t reference his own comments on the McAfee Show in the overnight report. Sigh.

So what does this mean for the Brooklyn Nets role as a facilitator? We’re told that within the KD negotiations, there are multiple scenarios as well as multiple teams and that in some of those scenarios the Nets, with their virtual monopoly on cap space and 31 draft picks — 28 tradeable, would be needed. In others they would not.

As Brian Lewis noted...

The #Nets are the only team in the #NBA with legitimate cap space, and are uniquely positioned to serve as a third team facilitating a trade of this magnitude - getting draft capital in return. https://t.co/usQogmL9k5

— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) June 15, 2025​

It would appear — and we have no pretense of expertise in capology — that the Spurs would need the least help from the Nets in any KD deal. They have the assets and are in the best place cap-wise. Minnesota and Miami would probably need the most. Houston somewhere in the middle and no, do not even ask us to speculate on some Rockets deal with all the intertwining pieces the two share. It would break our brains into many pieces.

Have Sean Marks & co. engaged in talks with the Suns or the KD suitors? We don’t know and it might not matter, at least yet. These deals often come together in 24 to 48 hours and as we have pointed out ad finitum, the Sean Marks Draft Trade Zone opens 48 hours before Adam Silver steps to the podium on Draft Night, which is still a week from Wednesday. In NBA terms that’s an eternity.

We do find a bit of irony in all this intrigue. Actually a lot of irony. Back in 2023, after the failure of the Big Three experiment, Durant told Joe Tsai he wanted out and wanted Phoenix which he thought (wrongly and in spectacular fashion) was his best shot of adding to his considerable legacy.

Mat Ishbia who had been Tsai’s protege in the ownership process and was in his very first day as owner gleefully agreed. Marks and James Jones, his counterpart in Phoenix, worked out the details. The Nets got what they wanted in every aspect of the talks, from Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, two young players who had been key pieces in the 2021 NBA Finals, to four unprotected firsts to Jae Crowder who they turned into pieces needed in salary dumps of Joe Harris and Patty Mills.

Now, after being swept in the first round of the 2024 playoffs and failing to make the post-season this year, it certainly appears that Ishbia and the Suns are not working as closely with Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, as Tsai did. Be careful what you wish for, Kevin.

Later Sunday, Shams dropped another bomb: the Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for a package that rivals the Knicks’ package for Mikal Bridges. Per Shams:

The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Orlando is sending Memphis the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, its 2026 first-round pick (which includes swap rights with the Phoenix Suns or Washington Wizards) and its 2028 and 2030 unprotected first-round selections, sources said. The pick swap is top-two protected in 2029.

Yikes. Putting aside the obvious shock value, does the trade signal anything for the Nets? It could. If Bane is worth four firsts and a couple of good players, how much is Cam Johnson worth? At the deadline, Marks reportedly believed that CamJ was worth two first round picks but didn’t get any takers although he said he wasn’t making calls just taking them. What if he was?

Bane is a better all-around player. He is also three years younger and is more durable, stronger too. Our Lukas Kaplan argues Bane was the most underrated player in the NBA last season and he may be right. (Spoiler alert: he usually is.) Johnson has some positives in the comparison. He and Bane put up almost identical shooting numbers: Both shot 48/39/89 in 32 minutes, once you round off the numbers. Bane was both a better rebounder and passer, although not by much. Johnson is a bit better in post-season, but again not by much. Johnson may be a bit more efficient and is a leader in the locker room.

But here’s the difference. The Magic see Bane as the final piece for a championship contender. They were the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA and that’s been an issue for a while. Bane is an enormous help in that regard. Is there a GM who sees CamJ as the final piece? A number of contenders certainly liked him at the deadline but none were willing to lay down two firsts for him. So the answer is probably no. But two firsts? One and a prospect. We will have to wait and see.

Of course, the package the Magic gave up may simply be an overpay. It only takes one GM to fall in love with a player. It’s not about a consensus. Considering how quickly things are moving, we may not have to wait long to find out!

Tsai’s growing role in sports​

One thing we keep track of outside NetsWorld is Joe Tsai’s continuing investment in professional sports, some of it well-known, some not so much. The reasoning is simple: the Nets remain his core piece and what he does elsewhere can be telling.

There is the 85% ownership of BSE Global which covers the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Liberty and Barclays Center as well as the retail space at the base of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank and a minority stake in the Brooklyn Paramount, both of which no doubt are destined to be part of the somewhat mysterious “ecosystem” centered on — but not limited to — the corner of the Flatbush and Atlantic.

Recently, Joe and Clara Wu Tsai sold a piece of the Liberty — reportedly a “mid-teens” piece — to a group of investors led by Jack Ma, the Chinese billionaire and a co-founder with Joe of Alibaba, for an undisclosed price. It will be used to help defray the cost of the Libs’ new $80 million training facility in Greenpoint … just as they sold 15% of BSE to members of the Koch family to help with a $100 million upgrade at Barclays Center.

But that’s just the Brooklyn piece of the Tsais’ sports assets. There’s also a two percent piece of the Miami Dolphins as well as Hard Rock Stadium and an Formula One circuit; a small piece of the LAFC in the MLS; the Las Vegas and San Diego franchises in the National Lacrosse League (indoor) and a chunk of the unitary Premier Lacrosse League (outdoor).

There was also a 2019 investment — along with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and others — in G2 Sports, a Berlin-based esports company. More recently, like last month, Tsai became the lead investor in the Asian University Basketball League, a 12-team college league across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. We’ve reported on all this before.

But wait there’s more! The Tsai family investment office, Blue Pool Capital, has also put money in what might be called ancillary sports services: a piece of Fanatics, the sports merchandise company; a piece of Genius Sports, which provides sports data to virtually every pro league and a piece of Golden Goose, the Italian luxury shoe wear. Will a Nets player sign up with Golden Goose? (Interesting footnote on Fanatics investment. As a result of the relationship between the Tsais and Fanatics founder Michael Rubin, Clara Wu Tsai joined him in the REFORM Alliance, the Meek Mill-inspired group that lobbies for parole and probation reform across the U.S. Wu Tsai reportedly donated $8 million to the effort.)

In most cases, the Tsais’ investments have been about helping entrepreneurs expand their business in Asia, the market Joe Tsai knows best.

We don’t know the current status of those investments or others Blue Pool might have made out of the spotlight but Ollie Weisberg, who runs Blue Pool, made it clear last year that they see sports as an asset class of its own.

“When I think about about my marginal dollar today, sports is at the top of the list. Sports has become an actual asset class now,” Weisberg, who’s also an alternate governor of the Nets, told Asian Investor magazine.

“We believe that the rising interest in live sports, and the increasing growth in media rights, that’s something we’re super excited about. It’s not just the NFL, the NBA, the NHL. It’s women’s soccer, women’s basketball.”

Profits are obviously good. The valuation of the Nets is up 50% since he bought out Mikal Prokhorov in 2019. The valuation of the Liberty is up a lot more than that over that same period. Ask James Dolan if he’s not too busy being rejected by another NBA team in his coaching search.

Joe Tsai’s interest in sports also extends to his role as chairman of Alibaba. Just this week, he told a Paris tech conference about the role Alibaba’s cloud and AI businesses play on sports biggest stage.

The company has been the International Olympic Committee’s cloud technology provider for the past three Olympic cycles, including the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“One of the areas that we focus on is broadcasting,” Tsai said, noting that the Olympics generate tens of thousands of hours of footage. “So what the IOC have done is they centralize the filming of the Games, and they take all that footage, put it onto the cloud.” For the Paris Olympics alone, that meant managing around 11,000 hours of video, China Daily quoted him as saying.

“Last Olympics was the first time cloud technology had overtaken satellite broadcasting technology, and that technology is all supported by Alibaba,” Tsai said.

Specifically, Alibaba used AI to generate multi-angle views of action scenes with far fewer cameras than traditional methods.

In other words, the Nets and Liberty may have been his first entree into sports but it won’t be his last. Watch this space.

Draft Sleeper of the Week​

Last month, we included Hugo Gonzalez in our round-up of international prospects. As we noted then,

The player with the most mentions in our most recent mock draft roundup, domestic or international, was a smart, athletic 6’7” Spanish wing, Hugo Gonzalez, who was linked to the Nets at four of the five draft positions, missing out only at No. 8.

Since then, Gonzales flew to Treviso for a workout of seven prospects whose international team commitments may not make it possible for them to engage in individual workouts at NBA training facilities. The make-up combine included measurements and Gonzalez’s shone.

The 19-year-old Spaniard measured 6’6¼” barefoot and 222.7 pounds with a 6’10¾” wingspan, 8’5½” standing reach and 9” x 10¼” hands. The numbers that stood out to draftniks were his all-around size for an NBA wing.

He is a legit 6’7” and he weighed in 15 pounds heavier than he was listed a year ago. His hand size — the length and span of a player’s hand, measured from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinky (length) and across the palm from the thumb side to the pinky side — is comparable to LeBron James, roughly the equivalent of a 7-footer. Tied for the biggest hands in the draft class.

The measurements just added more intrigue to his possibilities as an NBA prospect. He’s been a cornerstone of the Spanish national team youth programs for years and as late as two years ago, he was being compared favorably to Cooper Flagg. (Don’t get too excited. Lenny Cooke of Old Tappan, N.J. was also rated higher than Lebron James at a similar point in their careers. Lenny who?, you might ask. Exactly.)

Still everyone saw his potential back then...

HUGO GONZALEZ TAKES OFF #FIBAU17 | @BaloncestoESP pic.twitter.com/YZJO8B0vtl

— NextGen Hoops (@NextGenHoops) July 10, 2022​

Indeed in a head-to-head contest back in the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup, Gonzalez helped Spain earn a silver against Team USA, leading Spain with 16 points to Flagg’s 10. (If you’re a hoops sicko and interested in watching the whole game, here’s the tape including that nice dunk above by Gonzales 23:00 in.)

What makes it hard to judge him as a prospect now is that Real Madrid has kept him pretty much under wraps in part because the players ahead of him in the RM rotation are all former NBA types: players like Dzana Musa and Mario Hezonja. So he’s only getting about 10 minutes a game. In fact, he only played five minutes in the Real Madrid game last October that B.J. Johnson and Simone Casali were seen watching in the SCOUT docu-series .

We also wonder if Gonzalez has a buyout and how much. That could matter to some teams as they evaluate where to project him. Real Madrid is notorious for putting big NBA buyouts in their young prospects’ contracts. The NBA permits teams that draft international prospects to pay off buyout, but within limits For the 2024-2025 season, this amount was $850,000. Any amount exceeding this limit is considered a signing bonus and is included in the team’s salary cap calculation.

Adding to recent hype. ESPN on Saturday said Gonzalez has the best motor (as well as the biggest hands!) in the 2025 draft class, noting as well his defensive chops.

Gonzalez’s role at Real Madrid has been inconsistent — typical for a teenage prospect trying to break through at one of the world’s top clubs — but his calling card as a player has long been the fact he plays exceptionally hard. That manifests on the defensive end, where he embraces doing the dirty work: playing in passing lanes, hustling for rebounds and even chipping in highlight blocks. He’ll run the floor hard in transition going the other way, and is always willing to sacrifice his own body for the good of the team.

The level of want and desire Gonzalez plays with has always been endearing for scouts, and has helped him earn increased trust and minutes over the past month. His sporadic offensive production has made it difficult to improve his stock over the past year, but NBA teams know what type of effort he brings, giving him a chance to carve out a role in due time.

One other thing to consider: ICYMI, the Nets head coach is the first Spanish head coach in NBA history. Jordi Fernandez may have spent most of his career in the NBA, but you can be sure he follows Spanish basketball and he has called Spanish national team coach Sergio Scariolo his “basketball father.” Scariolo has coached Gonzalez. Just sayin’.

And of course the highlight package, courtesy of Jonathan Givony of ESPN and Draft Express.

Hugo Gonzalez brings outstanding physical tools, defensive versatility, high-level intensity, and winning qualities on both ends of the floor. He wreaks havoc in passing lanes and as a rim-protector, while moving the ball unselfishly and flying out energetically in transition. https://t.co/NZt7IgQmrK pic.twitter.com/Nbc1zFapai

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 19, 2025

Final Note​

The Shams scoops earlier Sunday signals that the NBA trade season is underway. We were wrong to think that big trades would wait until after the NBA Finals are complete. That could be Sunday if the series, one of the best in recent memory, goes seven games. And the possibility of a Kevin Durant trade in the next few days as Shams reported would really accelerate things. So put on your Nets rally caps.

.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/15/24449610/netsdaily-off-season-report-no-9

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Should Kon Knueppel be the Brooklyn Nets’ primary target with the #8 pick?

Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Kon Knueppel is really good at basketball, at that alone might make him Brooklyn’s first pick on June 25, and erase a certain lazy comparison from our vocabularies.

Don’t say it, don’t comment it.

There are obvious reasons why a Brooklyn Nets fan may might be inclined to to say it. But don’t. Kon Knueppel is not Joe Harris.

While we’ve previously covered Jeremiah Fears and Noa Essengue, two prospects in play for Brooklyn at #8, they do not have obvious analogues in former Nets. Kon Knueppel, as a 6’6” white guy with an average wingspan who shoots the cover off the ball from three, has Joe Harris as his analogue.

In their recent history, Brooklyn hasn’t had players, certainly not teenagers, like Fears or Essengue. Flaws and all, either would be an exhilarating draft choice for a franchise that needs to acquire young talent, then dream.

Understandably, it’s hard to dream about a Joe Harris redux, as valuable a player as the original was for Brooklyn ... finishing his career as the third best 3-point shooter ever. Well, good news: It’s a lazy comparison.

Here’s nearly 90 seconds of plays Kon Kneuppel made in his freshman year at Duke that Joe Harris did not make until the second half of his decade-long NBA career, if he made them at all...

Knueppel, an older one-and-done prospect who will turn 20 before training camp begins, is nice with it. The handle is good if not ground-breaking, he can make both stationary passes and nice reads off drives, and he is efficient from every spot on the floor.

At Duke, he shot 40.6% from deep on 10.6 3PA/100, 91.4% from the line, 41% on long twos, and 63% on close twos, per Bart Torvik. Even NBA front offices that are lower on Knueppel’s impact as a pro will readily admit the guy will probably be an additive offensive player for a long time.

Knueppel did not have to initiate much offense for Duke thanks to Tyrese Proctor and Cooper Flagg, who Can Do All Things, and he often saw wide-open catch-and-shoot threes thanks to Flagg and Khaman Maluach’s presence around the rim (the latter of whom we’ll cover imminently).

This was a departure from the norm for the Wisconsin native, but he scaled down his usage wonderfully. The big questions for Knueppel are whether he’ll be able to handle a real burden as an offensive creator at the NBA level, and just how small his margin of error is with subpar athleticism.

Let’s get one concern out of the way: In any role he plays, the shooting is real. His high school and AAU film is littered with pro-level shotmaking...

...not to mention the occasional flashes we still saw in college.

Gathering Intel‘s tremendous grassroots resource tracked Knueppel’s stats from EYBL competitions (the cream of the AAU crop) and combined with the tape above, we can see what he looked like in a scaled up role vs. excellent competition. Over multiple years of tournaments, he shot 50.3/41.7/83.1, taking 20 FGAs a game, with a low free-throw rate and a 1.5 AST:TO ratio.

In short: Kneuppel benefitted greatly from the tremendous talent he played with at Duke, transforming himself into a hyper-efficient role player who could turn closeouts into free-throws while posting a 2:1 AST:TO ratio. No fat on his game.

However — and laugh at pre-college information if you want — there is pre-existing evidence that Knueppel can scale his usage up against tough competition and get a ton of buckets. He may not be blowing by people and getting to the line all the time, and his playmaking may take a hit, but the shot-making and the pure craft is too advanced to ignore.

That stuff has to be special for Knueppel to be a home run pick at #8. This play against Arizona is very Kon: The crossover is nastier than you think, and if he’s gonna do one thing, he’s gonna get to a jump-stop and give you a pump-fake...

...but if the defender doesn’t bite, the advantage is for nothing. Knueppel is not exploding over the late help to lay the ball up off the glass there, he’d have to hit a little floater or step-back middy. As an on-ball creator in the NBA, Knueppel won't get a ton of easy buckets for himself.

This is another instructive Knueppel possession, where he gets a decently nimble 7-footer on a switch...

A couple of drives mostly go nowhere, but Alabama sends slightly too much help, and the Duke guard makes a fantastic late read for an easy two. Knueppel is a strong passer who does not get lost in tunnel vision, but he really excels in regimented pick-and-roll reads. He’ll will need a reliable floater to pair with the lob pass he loves to throw in those actions, but he can see the low man, make a skip pass, all that good stuff.

This all bodes well for him as a surefire top-ten pick, and someone who may be gone before the Nets get a pick at #8 (barring a trade up).

What doesn’t bode well are the serious athletic limitations Knueppel has.

As a point of reference, Joe Harris clocked a lane agility time of 11.11 seconds at the 2014 NBA combine, 0.3 seconds slower than Marcus Smart and Aaron Gordon. Not incendiary change-of-direction skills, but nothing to be alarmed about.

Kon Knueppel, a decade later, clocked an 11.92. It’s just a combine drill, but a truly horrific one at that, tying the 7’1” Ryan Kalkbrenner and coming in slower than 7’2” Chinese behemoth Hansen Yang.

It’s great that he’s played well in a variety of roles against great competition, but the worry that a lack of athleticism finally catches up to him and limits his on-ball utility is real. It’s hard to watch the 2025 NBA Finals and think that Knueppel will have the athletic juice to play at the highest level of a league that is increasingly indexing ground coverage and short-space explosion. It doesn’t matter that Knueppel can jump high in an empty gym.

At Duke, his 1-on-1 defense was largely fine, though occasionally showed cracks...

some Kon 1v1 D pic.twitter.com/YHKyCUgYR0

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 16, 2025​

If he surrendered a driving angle to his opponent, it was over; there is little recovery speed to speak of. Closeouts were more of a problem than straight isolations, given the need to suddenly and sharply change direction.

To become a high-level NBA player, one who can thrive in the playoffs, playing with force is a must. Every screen is a mini-battlefield once spring hits, and being able to help-and-recover isn’t a bonus, but a necessity.

The same fears about Knueppel on defense apply to his offense. Will he be swallowed up by bigger athletes in the paint, totally mitigating his ability to read defenses and make tough shots? Will his step-backs and decelerations create space from NBA defenders? Or will he be banished to corner on his best days; that is, if he can survive on defense?

The Sell: Fairly obvious, in my opinion. Freshman who are that productive for a great college team, who possess that level of shooting and playmaking ability are rarely available at #8. Didn’t we kind of just do this with Jared McCain, another Duke guard with physical/athletic concerns who might move from #17 to #1 in a 2024 redraft? You bet on good basketball players to figure it out, and Kon Knueppel is a damn good basketball player. Think about what Cam Johnson became for Brooklyn, and then consider that Knueppel, although four inches shorter at 6’5”, is walking into the league with way more skill.

The Short: If the Brooklyn Nets believe the physical concerns with Knueppel are too overwhelming, then any All-Star potential is chopped off at the knees. Sure, he’ll become a fine rotation player, but this draft is too enticing to draft a nice little eighth man at #8. Knueppel will never run an offense consistently, and we know he won’t be a plus defender; it’s just too big a swing on his passing and shooting, which obviously looked real good on a loaded Blue Devil roster. I thought we were into versatility now?

---

I personally lean more toward the sell. It’s always nice to draft a good basketball player in the lottery, and Knueppel is a competitive freak who talks a lot of trash when he gets it going. Some of the AAU stories are legendary; the dude is not scared, and the Brooklyn Nets could use a few more young players like that, limitations be damned. Also, the intersection of shot-making and high feel is just rare at that age. At worst, you get a useful NBA player.

It’d be nerve-racking, though, for the first pick of a rebuild to be a guy with major physical questions as the NBA enters an insanely physical era — seriously, are you seeing these NBA Finals? Anyway, there are no safe bets at #8, but at least Knueppel has bona fide skills.

Join me on Playback at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, as I break down Knueppel and Khaman Maluach on stream, going through all their relevant clips and taking questions.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/16...-brooklyn-nets-primary-target-with-the-8-pick

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty to open youth hoops facility at Modell’s site in fall

The Nets and Liberty want to attract younger fans and the initiative is about to include a new youth training facility across from Barclays Center.

In its latest foray into “generational fandom,” BSE Global, parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, announced Tuesday that the teams will open a youth basketball facility in the abandoned Modell’s store across from Barclays Center this fall.

From the press release:

The 18,600 sq. ft. Brooklyn Basketball Training Center will be operated by BSE Global’s flagship youth basketball program, Brooklyn Basketball - a program affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, created to establish a community-first basketball experience dedicated to nurturing young basketball players and enthusiasts to unlock their full potential on and off the court. The program ignites passion, builds skills and empowers young athletes– all while making the game more accessible than ever.

Brooklyn Basketball offers a wide range of camps, clinics, even international programs. It has the added benefit of enhancing BSE Global’s generational fandom effort. While Mikhail Prokhorov promised at the beginning of his tenure as Nets owner to “turn Knicks fans into Nets fans,” that was never going to work. Under Joe and Clara Wu Tsai — and especially BSE Global CEO Sam Zussman — the Nets are unabashedly trying to woo fans as young as 8-to-12 years old in hopes of creating an organic fanbase, particularly in the borough.

The press release included an architect’s rendering of what the facility will look like once Modell’s is fully renovated...

The plans have been in the works for a while. Last September, Norman Oder whose Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report tracks neighborhood developments, reported on the plan.

The center will be temporary, at least at this location. The Modell’s site, abandoned five years ago, along with the adjacent P.C. Richards store, is likely to become a two-tower residential, hotel and office complex with the taller of the two buildings rising to more than 900 feet once approvals are granted. That process will likely take years, however.

The corner of Flatbush and Atlantic is also seen as the center of BSE Global’s so far vague plans for an “ecosystem” modeled on LA LIVE!, the multi-billion dollar entertainment district centered on the former Staples Center. Included in the plan are both brick-and-mortar and online attractions starting with enhancements to Barclays Center and publications like BKMAG,

In the meantime, though, the facility will be yet another element in the two teams’ push to integrate their brands further into the borough.

Said Marissa Shorenstein, Chief External Affairs Officer, BSE Global. “This initiative is about more than just basketball—it’s about creating a safe, inclusive space where young people can learn, grow and connect – and by continuing to invest in our community programming, we’re building a stronger foundation for the future of the game and the neighborhoods we call home.”

“This facility will provide an incredible place for the youth of our borough to come together to not only receive exceptional on-court instruction, but to also learn the important values and life lessons this great game teaches,” added Jordi Fernandez.

The training facility, whose cost was not revealed, will include two full courts and a half court as well as a “‘shooting lab’ half court, auxiliary baskets, multi-purpose court flooring for other events, as well as cutting-edge technology and expert coaching,” per the release.

Also, it will “complement” BSE Global’s existing free community training program which operates in conjunction with the New York City Department of Education, the press release noted. That initiative has integrated basketball training into gym classes in 200 schools as well as community clinics that have reached 40,000 city school children. The training center, on the other hand, will offer after-school and weekend training, camps, daily clinics, advanced training and all-girls programs for a fee.

It will also be home to Brooklyn Basketball’s newest after-school program that will launch for the upcoming school year featuring age and skill-appropriate programs for ages 6-14 on weekdays, with Wednesdays devoted to all-girls training.

No specific date for the facility’s opening was given, but fall is when the Nets will open their season and the Liberty will likely be in the WNBA playoffs.

• BSE Global plans to transform shuttered Modell’s building across from arena into Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, by fall. “Community-first”? - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/17...-youth-hoops-facility-at-modells-site-in-fall

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Would Brooklyn Nets move up to catch Ace Bailey on the way down?

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Once the Nets fell back in the Draft Lottery, it seemed like Ace Bailey was out of reach for them. Not so fast.

The intrigue regarding Ace Bailey continued Wednesday.

The highly talented but highly polarizing Rutgers forward has yet to work out for any NBA teams and Jonathan Givony of ESPN and Draft Express shocked the NBA with word Tuesday that he is more than slipping from his No. 3 perch in the Draft. He’s falling.

Givony wrote then that the 18-year-old is “losing momentum”, noting that he has yet to visit any training facility for workouts because he doesn’t see “a proven pathway to development,” suggesting that Philadelphia with its veteran cast and other priorities may not provide him with the minutes or opportunity to excel early in his career. Instead, Givony said he wants “a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective,” but he didn’t indicate whether that location was near New Brunswick, N.J. where he played, or Chattanooga, Tenn., where he’s from.

Wednesday, the Draft guru went even further, suggesting that if Bailey falls, the Brooklyn Nets among others might be there to catch him...

Went on NBA Today with @malika_andrews to talk about:

1) The NBA Finals reiterating how much of a perfect fit Cooper Flagg is for today's NBA

2) Ace Bailey's recent slide in our mock draft pic.twitter.com/ejUeiAlRit

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 18, 2025​

“If the 76ers and the Hornets decide to pass on him then Washington , New Orleans or Brooklyn at 8 somebody is gonna trade up for him,“ he told Malika Andrews on NBA Today.

Givony didn’t say that Brooklyn would be interested, but he certainly implied it. As has been noted repeatedly, the Nets sent scouts galore to Rutgers games, home and way, this past season. And Bobby Marks, Givony’s colleague, suggested that the whole thing tells him that someone, somewhere, has given Bailey a guarantee...

The only time you see this is when a team guarantees a player that they will take him.

If he doesn’t, this is a big time risk. https://t.co/LUs8su2caL

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 18, 2025​

However, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer said Bailey will finally be at 76ers training facility in Camden this week for workouts and laid out the concerns that NBA types have about him...

Sources say Ace Bailey’s immaturity isn’t associated with being a bad person or unruly. They referred to his maturity as “age-appropriate.”

“He’s not immature like a [butthead]. … He’s goofy,” a scout said. “Dancing in line. You are doing drills, he’s dancing. ‘Oh, that’s my…

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) June 18, 2025​

Then, Givony reported just before midnight Thursday that Bailey had canceled the Philly workout.

That said, Pompey in a separate tweet quoted a scout as saying that if Bailey clicks, he could be a Hall of Famer.

Similarly, Givony has said that Bailey’s talent is so great that GMs and others fear making the wrong decision.

“He scares people because they don’t want to draft him, and also because they’re worried if they don’t draft him, he’s going to become a star and make them look very stupid.” he said.

Meanwhile, speculation continues about what the Nets are up to, but as Brian Lewis tweeted, there may be less there than it seems...

I fully expect Brooklyn to look into salary dumps and facilitating 3-team deals. But much of the league expects that as well, and I'm told the #Nets are having their name tossed around in trades they're not involved in. It's predictable gamesmanship. #NBA

— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) June 18, 2025​

Much of that speculation concerns Nic Claxton being moved to Phoenix as part of a multi-team Kevin Durant trade or to L.A. but it is, as of now, just that, speculation and one should not dismiss that much of it is being fueled by KD’s camp.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/18...s-move-up-to-catch-ace-bailey-on-the-way-down

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

New York Liberty lose Jonquel Jones to injury, battle to Phoenix Mercury, 89-81

Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images

Despite a heroic effort from Breanna Stewart, the New York Liberty lost their second game of the season. Worse yet, they lost their star center, and are now facing real adversity. About time.

For just a bit, the New York Liberty imagined away the bigger issue at hand.

The worst part of a muddy first half in which the home team turned it over 14 times, going down by just a possession to the Phoenix Mercury, who couldn’t hit an open jumper, had nothing to do with the quality of basketball. Jonquel Jones, a week removed from a right ankle sprain, went down in audible pain after a drive to the rim, this time grabbing her knee...

not good

Jonquel sort of landed on Sami's foot, but ended up grabbing her knee in a lot of pain

we'll see pic.twitter.com/b7Dt9MCqca

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 19, 2025​

Though it’s still too early to assess the severity of the injury, she was ruled out with an ankle issue. Not the knee.

Kennedy Burke said that Jones, who later left the arena in a walking boot, was in good spirits postgame — “she always has a good attitude when things happen” — but there were no good spirits inside Barclays when she went down.

Jones’ painful exit to the locker room and an active Phoenix defense threatening to hand New York their second loss of the season dampened the mood considerably. But then Breanna Stewart took over in the way Breanna Stewart typically takes over, a long-limbed tornado that blows up screens, cuts to the rim, and finally regressing to career norms on Thursday night, makes 3-pointers...

an active Natasha Cloud with a great drive/kick, and Stewie is up to three 3-pointers: pic.twitter.com/g4rL3e34us

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 20, 2025​

Stewie finished with a monster ____ line on 10-of-16 shooting and a bunch of free-throws. It harkened back to 2023, when a newly formed Liberty superteam often had to rely on Stewie simply willing them to wins by any means necessary.

Throw in some Marine Johannès insanity ...

Marine Johannès had people going crazy with these two plays

(don't ask about the shot she took after) pic.twitter.com/ubdITNzzBL

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 20, 2025​

...and though the Liberty never built their lead greater than a couple possessions, and Sabrina Ionescu couldn’t find her shot or any holes in Phoenix’s defense, New York was on track with an ear-splitting Barclays Center behind them.

Natasha Cloud not only hit multiple 3-pointers for the first time in weeks, but helped New York shore up their ball-screen defense by being a bloodhound, and consistently drove into the paint on the other end. The sea foam defense held Satou Sabally to an ugly 4-of-18 shooting.

But the Mercury, even on the second night of a back-to-back, were up to the challenge. The visitors trapped Ionescu on nearly every ball-screen action while taking away the short-roll, short-circuiting New York’s offense. Ionescu shot just 3-of-16 on the night, and 1-of-10 from deep.

“It’s pretty tough when there’s two on the ball every single time you come off a pick-and-roll to really be able to find the open person,” said Ionescu, who was coming off consecutive 34-point nights. “I mean, they’re a great defensive team. They’re long, they’re active, they bait you into passes. And obviously, I think that’s something we didn’t really execute well on was their traps, making everything difficult. Obviously, they watched the last few games of us being able to just come off and pick and choose what we wanted to do offensively, and their adjustment was track, blitz the ball-screen and make the next pass really difficult. And they did that really well, and I think that’s something we’ll learn from.”

As a result of a stagnant offense, Stewie and Sabrina took 33 field-goals, and 20 free-throws. Their teammates combined for 28 attempts and five freebies.

Despite defensive flashes from the Liberty, Phoenix had no such problems. Even with a resting Kahleah Copper, longtime foe Alyssa Thomas ended with 18/15/7, constantly probing from the elbows to the block, hitting a few of those unorthodox jumpers too. Monique Akoa Makani steadied the Mercury all game with 21 points, but ex-Lib Sami Whitcomb hit the real daggers in the fourth quarter...

SAMI! SAMI! SAMI! pic.twitter.com/cEncNT3JUz

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 20, 2025​

The Liberty might have been able to throw their hands up and move on quickly, but they made too many unforced errors to breathe easy. Aside from their 20 turnovers, they also allowed 26 second-chance points. When asked if New York was simply ball-watching on the boards, a displeased Breanna Stewart said, “Yeah. That’s what happened.”

Without Jonquel Jones, the Liberty’s margin for error kept shrinking and shrinking, until it ultimately vanished. Down five with half-a-minute left, Ionescu tossed up a difficult but, for her, manageable 3-pointer as she faded into the Phoenix bench. Clank. Ballgame.

Brondello, with obvious disappointment in her tone, chose to focused on the rebounding postgame: “It’’s really hard when we lose JJ. It obviously takes a little bit of energy away from us for a bit. That’s normal. But we got to find a way to rebound. You know, we just can’t just put it all on her. So it’s all about all of us.”

A seething trio of Brondello, Stewie, and Sabrina sat at the podium on Thursday night, soaking in not just a loss, but for the first time all season, real adversity. Jonquel Jones is facing a serious injury at best and a devastating one at worst, and Leonie Fiebich is at EuroBasket for, at least, the upcoming West Coast road trip.

It had to rain at some point.

Final Score: Phoenix Mercury 89, New York Liberty 81

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/19/24452470/liberty-vs-mercury-89-81-jonquel-jones-breanna-stewart

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

NY Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury: Last home game of the month

Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Liberty play their last home game of the month against the new look Phoenix Mercury.

Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

A hard, but worthy battle! The Atlanta Dream gave the New York Liberty everything they could handle on Tuesday night, but the WNBA champions did just enough to come back from a 17 point deficit and come away with the W. The champs are now 10-1 on the season.

The opponent tonight is coming in straight off a close game last night. The Phoenix Mercury faced a tough challenge from the Connecticut Sun, but Phoenix did just enough to hang on and win. The Merc are 9-4 on the season.

Where to follow the game​

FOX 5 on TV. Liberty Live and Fox Local on streaming for the locals. Amazon Prime for the out of towners. Tip after 7 PM.

Injuries​

Leonie Fiebich is overseas at Eurobasket.

Megan McConnell is out. Sami Whitcomb didn’t play last night due to an ankle sprain. We’ll see if she plays tonight.

The game​

Kahleah Copper recently returned from knee surgery, and she’s on a minutes restriction as she builds her stamina up. She played 22:07 last night and hit her only two shots of the game late in the fourth quarter as the Mercury fought to hang on to their lead. Even when she’s not at full strength, she still finds a way to make winning plays.

The Mercury will have their hands full with Sabrina Ionescu. Sab has been on fire in recent games and is making winning plays all over the court. She’s scored 30+ points in each of the past two games, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. She’s active on defense, always knows where she’s supposed to be, and is fearless every time the ball is in her hands on offense.

Watching Alyssa Thomas is always a blast. AT is a triple double threat every time she steps on the court and has a motor that is rivaled by only few players in basketball history. All of her scoring is from the free throw line and in, but when you can finish at the rim and power through opponents like she does, you’re living all right. She’ll see her former Sun teammate, Jonquel Jones. JJ returned from an ankle injury on Tuesday and had another double-double. She’s still working her way back to peak form after missing a week of action, so it’ll be interesting to see how she does in this matchup.

Similar to the Liberty, Phoenix places a great emphasis on shots inside the restricted area and three point attempts

Player to watch: Satou Sabally​

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

The Unicorn! Since her arrival in the WNBA back in 2020, Satou has been one of the better forwards in the game. She’s made the All-Star team, been first team All-WNBA, won Most Improved Player, etc. She’s also one of the faces of Adidas’ women’s basketball roster and one of the more popular players around the globe. As she played well on the court, her teams weren’t having the success she wanted. That led to her asking out of the Dallas Wings and joining the Mercury in free agency. In her first season with Phoenix, she’s averaging career highs in points and free throw attempts. She gets her buckets in a variety of ways and is someone opponents have to keep a close eye on all over the court

As the Mercury try to win their first playoff game since Sandy Brondello coached them in 2021, Sabally will be critical to that goal.

Little sister Nyara got the start on Tuesday, so we’ll see what happens tonight. Nyara helped solve the Liberty’s rebounding woes and gave generally solid minutes while she was on the court. There will be moments where she gets matched up against big sister Satou, but Breanna Stewart will get the matchup for most of this one.

Stewie does everything on the court and is someone the Liberty count on to make big plays on both sides of the ball. Her lack of three point shooting has been a topic of concern for about a year now, but she made one in the fourth quarter as New York went on its run. It’s easy to lock in to that and worry about it in a playoff setting, but when you’re one of the best off-ball players in the sport along with having a motor that practically no one in NBA/WNBA history can match, you can live with a flaw like that. With this being the last Liberty home game until July, look for Stewart and the squad to have a little extra pep in their step as they look to head west on a high note.

From the Vault​

It’s Juneteenth, and the Liberty will be doing Juneteenth themed programming at the Barclays tonight. With that in mind, let’s head to Sesame Street and learn some more about the holiday!

More reading: Desert Wave Media, GO PHNX, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Yahoo Sports, Gotta Get Up, Sports Illustrated, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/19...y-nyara-breanna-stewart-alyssa-thomas-jonquel

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

With just days to go, here’s the NetsDaily Consensus of Mock Drafts!

Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images

In his day job, ProfessorB is an award-winning social scientist and Presidential Laureate. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other major media outlets. But he also dabbles in NetsWorld.

You can track mock drafts and develop your own opinions, but we have ProfessorB’s!

Net Income’s “Draft Watch” reports have provided periodic updates on which players the various mock drafts have projected for the Nets, and Lucas has provided detailed profiles of some of the most intriguing possibilities. But with lots of talk of potential trades, it isn’t really clear which picks the team will have, much less who they’ll take. Fans have been touting their own favorite prospects for weeks, but what do the experts say?

Here are consensus ratings of the top 32 players in the draft, compiled from eight prominent media sources.

(So, the consensus projects the Brooklyn Nets will take point guards Jeremiah Fears of Oklahoma and Jase Richardson of Michigan State along with 7-footers Danny Wolf of Michigan and Maxime Raynaud of Stanford.)

A word about methodology.

These consensus ratings are a weighted average of rankings from Matt Hoover at Tankathon, Bryan Kalbrosky at USAToday, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo at ESPN, Jonathan Wasserman at Bleacher Report, Sam Vecenie at The Athletic, Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo! Sports, Ricky O’Donnell at SBNation, and Aran Smith at NBADraft.net.

None of the rankings are in complete agreement. Some of the differences reflect differences in timing (though all are recent) or in intention (whether they attempt to take account of specific team needs). Some reflect simple differences in judgment in what is, after all, a very inexact science. The rankings from Tankathon and USAToday get the largest weights in the weighted average—not because they are necessarily most accurate, but because they are most strongly correlated with the overall consensus. The rankings from NBADraft.net and SBNation are the most idiosyncratic, and thus they get smaller weights.

I’ve scaled the weighted average ratings to run from 100 (for consensus top pick Cooper Flagg) to zero (for Creighton big Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is ranked in the twenties in four of the eight mock drafts). While the numbers themselves aren’t very meaningful, the relative distances between players are (except at the very top, where Flagg and Dylan Harper are unanimous choices at #1 and #2).

If the Nets stay put at #8 and #19, they could benefit from the distribution of talent implied by these ratings. There is a noticeable drop-off in perceived quality between Duke big Khaman Maluach and Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears (#7 and #8) and Maryland big Derik Queen at #9. At least one of those top eight players will be on the board if the Nets are on the clock at #8. There are even bigger drop-offs near the end of the lottery (between Collin Murray-Boyles at #13 and Cedric Coward at #14) and after Nique Clifford at #20; the Nets will have at least a couple of those #14-20 guys to choose from if they are picking at #19.

Of course, Sean Marks has his own big board, and it may depart substantially from the media consensus. Don’t be surprised if he reaches down the list for a guy he likes. But the further he reaches, the more pressure he’ll face from fans counting on this Draft Night to reset the fortunes of a team whose future is not yet now.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/6/20...-heres-the-netsdaily-consensus-of-mock-drafts