What Jordi Fernandez Representing Nets at NBA Draft Lottery Really Means

Coming off his first season as a head coach, Fernandez led Brooklyn to a 26-56 record—which is actually quite impressive considering the circumstances he inherited. Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson, the team's two top offensive weapons, each missed substantial time due to injury. The Nets didn't own a single pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and had one of the worst rosters in the entire league.

Still, Fernandez managed to not only win games, but also surpassed Brooklyn's preseason projected win total of 20. He turned Keon Johnson into a key contributor on both ends of the floor, experimented (and succeeded) with Trendon Watford as a primary facilitator, all while helping Ziaire Williams begin meeting his long-awaited potential.

Fernandez proved himself to be one of the brightest minds the NBA has to offer, giving Brooklyn the home-run hire it had been seeking. Now he's set to lead the Nets into the upcoming draft cycle, a pivotal moment in the franchise's rebuild.

Even if they don't land a top-five selection or manage to pry Giannis Antetokounmpo away from the Milwaukee Bucks, the superstar search may not necessarily need to happen. Why? Because Brooklyn already has a superstar as its lead man.

Obviously winning the right to draft Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey—as well as potentially adding the "Greek Freak," a two-time MVP—would give the Nets a "face" on the floor, the rebuild doesn't become pointless if neither of those things happen. Fernandez, a player development guru, already had his fingerprints all over the 2024-25 roster. Imagine the possible improvement the likes of Johnson, Watford and Williams may show with another offseason under Fernandez?

The construction of next year's rotation begins with next week's draft lottery, but the construction of the Nets' future success began last summer when they hired Fernandez.