Nets Draft 5 Players in First Round—but Did They Miss the Mark?

The Brooklyn Nets are facing scrutiny for their 2025 NBA Draft haul—as many believe the franchise's selections do not justify its "ethical tanking" strategy from the 2024-25 campaign.

Brooklyn and its front office set a new league record by making five first-round selections Wednesday night, adding Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf to an already-young core.

Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports gave the Nets a D-plus grade, tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for his worst review of any team.

"For starters, Egor Demin at No. 8 isn't a huge reach, but it seemed like Khaman Maluach – who was a popular player linked to Brooklyn at that spot — would've made more sense," Salerno wrote on Friday. "Brooklyn drafted three guards with similar archetypes. None of them can shoot."

Salerno must be categorizing Powell as a forward, as the UNC product shot 37.9% from deep in his freshman season.

However, when it comes to Demin, Traore and Saraf, Salerno does have a point. None excel in the shooting department, but each brings individual traits that could revolutionize Jordi Fernandez's offense. Demin and Saraf are great facilitators—something Brooklyn desperately needed—and Traore's blazing speed adds another dynamic layer to the scoring attack.

"Brooklyn's best pick was drafting Danny Wolf -- a player who I scouted in person earlier this year. Wolf reminds me a lot of Houston Rockets star Alperen Şengün," Salerno continued. "The bottom line is, if you're going to take five (!!!) players in the first round, you should come away with at least a handful of starters. I don't know if that's the case here."

Given the Nets' backcourt voids, Demin may be in line to start as a rookie. Depending on where Noah Clowney is in his development, Wolf could be a day-one starter as well. If Brooklyn and GM Sean Marks found two instant-impact pieces (assuming the other three ascend into larger roles), the 2025 class will be looked back on more fondly.

Many media members have made very good points regarding the Nets' decisions, but two days after the players were chosen is too soon to definitively label Brooklyn's draft moves as near-failures.