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

Who was the Brooklyn Nets Best Lottery Pick?

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Alec Elijah | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 2:30 PM ET

Over the course of the Brooklyn Nets franchise history, they have been able to land 15 different NBA Draft lottery picks, with another set to be drafted during the 2025 NBA Draft as the Nets occupy the No. 10 overall pick.

Dating back to 1986 when the Nets selected their first lottery pick with Dwayne "Pearl" Washington, with the 13th overall pick in that year's draft, to their most recent lottery pick, who was Derrick Favors in 2010 the Nets have seen a plethora of players be selected all with their own story and outcome.

As we get closer to the 2025 NBA later this month, let's look back at some of the contenders for best New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets' lottery pick over the years:

Derrick Coleman (1990)

The New Jersey Nets' first time landing a No. 1 overall pick was back in 1990, and with that selection, they took Derrick Coleman, who very well could be the best lottery pick the Nets have had for their rookie year. Coleman was named the 1990-91 Rookie of the Year, after putting up 18.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks during that season. He wound up putting together a solid five seasons with the Nets, logging one All-Star appearance in 1994.

Kerry Kittles (1996)

RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Kerry Kittles gave the New Jersey Nets seven out of his eight NBA seasons, making the All-Rookie team in his first season, logging 16.4 points and 1.9 steals. While he never made an All-NBA team or All-Star appearance, he still goes down in Nets history as one of the best shooters drafted in the lottery, tallying 14.3 ppg while shooting 37.8% from behind the arc lifetime.

Kenyon Martin (2000)

RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The Nets most recent No. 1 overall pick, Kenyon Martin, finished second in Rookie of the Year voting for the 2000-01 season, and logged his lone All-Star appearance in his fourth year with New Jersey. He put together an impressive average of 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks in his four years with the New Jersey Nets.

Brook Lopez (2008)

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Brook Lopez spent nine seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, logging his only All-Star game in the 2012-2013 season. He logged a total of 562 games for Brooklyn and averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

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

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