The Brooklyn Nets used the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Mikel Brown Jr. from Louisville. The selection gives Brooklyn a top-six prospect and leaves it with another first-round pick later in Round 1.
Brooklyn Nets and Mikel Brown Jr.
Brown arrived as the Nets’ first major move in a draft held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Round 1 began Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, with ABC and carrying the opening night action.
The pick ties Brooklyn to one of the most scrutinized parts of the draft board. The Washington Wizards hold the top pick, and AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer are among the names linked to No. 1 overall. Brooklyn, though, already came away with a different prize: a guard from Louisville with the No. 6 slot.
Julius Randle and Nic Claxton
The Nets’ draft position did not come from a clean one-pick night. On Monday night, they acquired Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ No. 28 pick in Tuesday’s draft as part of a three-team deal. In the same deal, Brooklyn will send its No. 33 pick to Minnesota.
That creates a complicated ledger for the night. Brooklyn is adding draft assets and Julius Randle while also sending Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, so the front office is working both sides of the board at once: adding another first-round shot later in Round 1 while subtracting a second-round pick. The structure of the trade leaves the Nets with more immediate draft flexibility than a single selection would have provided.
Round 2 at 8 p.m. ET
Brooklyn still has another first-round choice to make later in the night, which keeps the Nets active even after Brown’s selection. Round 2 follows Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, giving the team another chance to use the value it built into the draft through the trade and the No. 6 pick.
