NBA Mock Trade: Nets Grab Second Lottery Pick via Rockets

The 2025 NBA Draft is just weeks away, and teams are gearing up to get their guys on draft night.

The Brooklyn Nets are prepping to get four of their guys, owning four first-round selections this year: No. 8, No. 19, No. 26 and No. 27.

Brooklyn is an essential blank slate roster, and will be looking to add a variety of talented players. With that being the case, there’s a chance they’ll want to trade up with some of their lesser picks to nab even more talent.

The Rockets are in the opposite position, owning the No. 10 pick via a bad Phoenix season, and having flexibility coming off a 52-win season.

Below, we’ll look at a trade that could help both parties ahead of a crucial 2025-26 season.

Houston Rockets get: Cameron Johnson, No. 19

Brooklyn Nets get: Dillon Brooks, No. 10

In this deal, Brooklyn moves from No. 19 to No. 10 via the Rockets, and vice versa. Though Houston comes out on the player end of the deal in nabbing sharpshooter Cam Johnson for defensive stalwart Dillon Brooks.

At No. 8, Brooklyn could stand to gamble on a number of high-upside players such as Kasparas Jakucionis, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, Egor Demin, Noa Essengue and plenty more. And while they could do the same at No. 10, there’s a myriad of potentially more ready-made contributors with upside in wings like Carter Bryant, Rasheer Fleming, Cedric Coward and more.

Adding yet another lottery pick could also give them flexibility to climb even higher than No. 8 in hopes of nabbing a truly franchise-changing prospect.

The Rockets offload a veteran in Brooks — who adds a defensive punch — for Johnson who adds much-needed offense. Johnson saw a career year for Brooklyn adding 18.8 points per game on 39% shooting.

The Rockets lone negative this offseason was its lack of scoring punch, and Johnson could be a solid middle-ground swing between trading for a star, or simply adding a late-lottery pick.

Brooklyn also adds Brooks, who could easily be flipped for more value, or could add his veteran leadership as he did for Houston two seasons ago.