NBA Mock Trade: Nets Grab Star Bet from Pistons

Despite the drafting of five shiny new rookies at the 2025 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets still have several win-now players rostered. Some that are coveted league-wide.

The team won’t be projected to win a massive amount of games next season. Rather, it will re-finish as one of the league’s bottom teams, again earning another top pick. But as they saw in the 2024-25 season, every win — or loss — matters. And offloading its remaining win-now talent could help it to land a coveted top-three pick in what’s projected to be a three-man draft in 2026.

Below, we’ll evaluate a mock trade that could net Brooklyn further developmental assets while off-loading talent:

Brooklyn Nets get: Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart

Detroit Pistons get: Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams

In this mock trade, the Nets nab a still-young guard prospect in Jaden Ivey, while the Pistons make a win-now move in trading for a proven center in Claxton.

A 2022 draftee in Jalen Duren currently occupies Detroit’s front court, but Claxton packs a much more defensive-oriented punch. One that could help the Pistons to make real noise in the East with Boston, Indiana and more reeling. The Oklahoma City Thunder just won the NBA title with multiple, versatile 7-footers, meaning a tandem of both Claxton and Duren might just be the key to further Detroit success.

Additionally, Williams is added as a talented swingman, albeit one Brooklyn may not have major use of in the long run.

In adding Ivey, Brooklyn grabs a former top-five pick, one who’s never seen the reigns to Detroit’s offense with All-Star Cade Cunningham being drafted just a year before. He saw a season-ending injury last season, but seemed to be trending in the right direction in scoring 17.6 points per game on 46% shooting.

Having drafted several handler bets in Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf at the 2025 NBA Draft, the Nets are obviously in search of their initiator of the future. Or in the very least, want a malleable and offensively versatile squad.

Ivey would be a worthy gamble for any team on the trade market — if he's available — but especially for Brooklyn in their present position.