2025 NBA Draft: Brooklyn Nets ‘Interested’ in Jeremiah Fears

The Brooklyn Nets are “interested” in Oklahoma Sooners point guard Jeremiah Fears, per NBA Draft consultant Rafael Barlowe on the latest episode of ‘The Kevin O’Connor Show’ on Yahoo Sports.

“There are some teams that really like [Fears], and there are some teams that feel like they would probably have to move up to get him,” Barlowe said. “Brooklyn is the team that I've heard that probably has some interest there.”

Fears, a projected lottery pick, confirmed in May that he had met and worked out with the Nets. The 18-year-old averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season.

“The conversations [were] great,” Fears said. “They just were telling me how they think I could kind of fit in with the system and just be an overall good piece for them.” 

Fears is a high-usage, pick-and-roll ballhandler who was Oklahoma’s ‘go-to’ guy as a freshman despite having reclassified up a year to play college basketball this past season. The Sooners prospect has a dynamic handle to match with a quick first step and an improving repertoire of shots off the dribble. 

However, Fears lacked efficiency during his sole NCAA season. He shot 28.4% from three, 43.4% from the field and posted 3.4 turnovers to his 4.1 assists. All of those areas are improvable and will need further growth in the NBA. If Fears lands in Brooklyn, he would be working with a head coach in Jordi Fernández that seemingly gets the most from his point guards.

“I've also heard from scouts from other teams that say that their scouting staff believes that he could be a better long term prospect than Dylan Harper, as far as just being, like, an exciting league guard,” Barlowe added. “They talked about him being younger, and just ‘what he did at Oklahoma was more impressive than what Dylan Harper did at Rutgers.’” 

Harper, the Scarlet Knights guard, is the favorite to go No. 2 on June 25. Brooklyn would surely be interested in the 19-year-old, but a move appears far-fetched — although not impossible. The Nets have 31 draft picks over the next seven years, plus players like Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton and others to dangle in trades. 

Brooklyn’s most high-profile workout besides Fears was Duke freshman Kon Knueppel. The organization recently worked out Auburn big Johni Broome, as well as guards Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M) and Taelon Peter (Liberty). The Nets have also gotten close-up looks at Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest), Javon Small (West Virginia), Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee), Isaac Nogués (G League’s Rip City Remix), J’Wan Roberts (Houston), Aaron Scott (St. John’s) and Steve Settle III (Temple), per HoopsHype.