The Brooklyn Nets hold the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and all signs point to one guy: Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. The team has met with him three times during the pre-draft process. That includes an in-home visit to Orlando where the front office sat down with his parents.
Brown told ClutchPoints the relationship is real. “Talking constantly to [Sean] Marks and Coach Jordi [Fernandez],” he said. “The biggest thing [Marks] emphasized if I get selected there is building that relationship with Jordi. You gotta have a great connection there. So to be able to pick his brain on a lot of things and learn his system and come in and make an impact right away was big.”
The Nets first met Brown at the combine. Then they flew to Orlando to watch him work out and meet his family. Then they brought him to Brooklyn for a one-on-one workout at the facility. That kind of attention is rare for a team sitting at No. 6, especially when there’s no obvious consensus player at that slot.
Brown isn’t the only option but he’s the loudest one
Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr. and Nate Ament have all been linked to Brooklyn too. Wagler canceled a workout with the Nets but said he met with them twice and got positive feedback. Acuff and Ament both worked out in Brooklyn and could be in play on draft night.
But Brown’s level of contact is different. He said the Nets’ communication stood out from every other team in the lottery. “It’s definitely unique. Obviously, there’s definitely been interest there,” Brown said. “But [them coming to Orlando] definitely made an impact. They got to talk to my mom and my dad. It was a great conversation.”
Brown’s upside is real even after a back injury
Brown missed half his freshman season with a back issue. When he played, he looked like a future star. Across 21 games he averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists on 41/34.4/84.4 shooting. At 6-foot-4 with real shooting range, explosive athleticism and polished ball-handling and passing, he might have the highest ceiling outside the top four picks.
The Nets have a franchise-defining decision here. Brown’s camp is clearly feeling the momentum. And the team hasn’t done anything to cool it off.
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