Nov 17, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; The old Nets logo on the court prior to the game between the Cleveland Cavilers and the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Remembering Two Key Brooklyn Nets Lottery Picks

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Alec Elijah | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 6:30 PM ET

Since the NBA Draft started in 1985, the number one priority for teams is to land the No. 1 overall pick in hopes of shifting their franchise and locking in the best player of that respective draft. However, not every team can land the No. 1 pick, leaving the rest of the pack to shuffle through the lottery of the NBA Draft.

For some who are confused by what qualifies a lottery pick, it is a selection from picks No. 1 through 14 in the first round of the NBA Draft.

For the Brooklyn Nets franchise, which dates back to its creation in 1986 when they were the New Jersey Nets, the franchise has totaled 15 lottery picks so far, with one pending this upcoming 2025 NBA Draft as the Nets hold the No. 10 overall pick.

As Brooklyn prepares for the NBA Draft on June 25th, let's take a look back at two of the Nets' most memorable lottery picks since 2000:

Kenyon Martin (2000)

RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Kenyon Martin is the only No. 1 overall pick and the Nets' only other first overall selection outside of Derrick Coleman in 1990. He finished second for Rookie of the Year voting for the 2000-01 season, logging 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He played four total seasons with the then-New Jersey Nets, making his only All-Star appearance in his fourth year in the league with New Jersey during the 2003-04 season.

Brook Lopez (2008)

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Brook Lopez, who is still currently playing in the league, was the Nets' 10th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft coming out of Stanford. He put together an impressive nine years with the Brooklyn Nets before heading west to the Los Angeles Lakers for a season, before settling with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he would go on to win an NBA Championship in 2021. During his time with the Nets, Lopez logged his only All-Star season in the 2012-13 season and averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in nine seasons on the team.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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