The Brooklyn Nets have a type. They like size. They like versatility. And after last year’s surprise pick of Egor Demin at No. 8, nobody really knows what they’re going to do at No. 6 in Thursday’s NBA Draft. But one name has quietly become the consensus prediction across the board.
Mikel Brown Jr. is the favorite. Five major mock drafts — ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports and The Ringer — all have the Louisville guard landing in Brooklyn. And the Nets have done more than just kick the tires here. They met with him at the combine, flew to his home in Orlando and hosted him for a private workout.
Brown told reporters Monday that the communication with general manager Sean Marks and coach Jordi Fernandez has been constant. Not typical pre-draft small talk, either.
“There’s definitely a relationship built there,” Brown said. “Talking constantly to [Sean] Marks and Coach Jordi [Fernandez]. The biggest thing [Marks] emphasized if I get selected there is building that relationship with Jordi. You gotta have a great connection there.”
The fact that Marks and Fernandez made the trip to Orlando to meet his family left an impression. Brown said the interaction felt unique compared to other teams’ approaches.
Brown’s freshman season was interrupted by a back injury that cost him significant time. But when he played, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists on .410/.344/.844 shooting splits across 21 games. His range is deep and his playmaking is real. Some scouts think he has the highest ceiling of any point guard in this class.
There’s a catch, though. The Los Angeles Clippers pick right before Brooklyn at No. 5, and they’re widely expected to take Keaton Wagler. Wagler told reporters Monday that he canceled a workout with the Nets after already working out for the Bulls and Clippers. That’s a pretty clear signal he thinks he’s going top five. If Wagler goes to L.A., the Nets get their choice of Brown or Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr.
Darius Acuff Jr. remains a serious option
Acuff isn’t just a fallback. He’s the other guard in the mix, and three mock drafts — ClutchPoints, CBS Sports and No Ceilings — have him going to Brooklyn at No. 6. The 19-year-old visited Brooklyn for a solo workout after meeting the Nets at the combine. “It was a cool workout,” Acuff said. “It was good to see and meet everybody.”
Acuff put up big numbers at Arkansas: 23.5 points per game on .484/.440/.809 shooting, plus 6.4 assists against just 2.2 turnovers. He led the Razorbacks to an SEC championship and a Sweet 16 appearance. Some NBA people see him as the second-best guard in the draft behind Darryn Peterson.
But there’s an issue. At 6-foot-2, Acuff’s defense is a question mark. And the Nets made it clear last year that they value size and defensive versatility. Marks said after the 2025 draft that “it’s where the NBA is going: guys who can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, and make it hard on the defense.” Acuff’s offensive numbers are elite, but whether that outweighs his size deficit is the real debate inside Brooklyn’s draft room.
If the Nets pass on Acuff, the Sacramento Kings at No. 7 are considered his floor. Brown is the safer fit for what Brooklyn has been building. But the Nets have surprised people before. And with less than 24 hours until the pick, the phone lines are still buzzing.
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