Could the Nets find a way to trade up in the 2026 NBA Draft?

The Brooklyn Nets came away from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with the No. 6 overall pick despite going into the event tied for the best odds to get the No. 1 pick. There has been plenty of speculation over who Brooklyn would take with the pick or if they will even attempt to trade back, but could the Nets make the most of this draft by trading up?

“Brooklyn should make up for its bad luck on lottery night by pushing in a big pile of chips to target Cameron Boozer as a frontcourt linchpin and marketable face of the franchise,” ESPN’s NBA insiders wrote when explaining why the Nets should trade up. Some around the league have argued that the Nets would be better served either getting more picks by trading back, but this seems to be the case of them not missing out on the premier players in this class.

“Despite making history by selecting five players in the first round of last year’s draft, the Nets lack a clear team identity and need a player with Boozer’s polish on and off the court,” ESPN’s NBA insiders continued. “The price to move up in this draft could be steep given the NBA’s draft reforms, which go into effect in 2027, but Boozer proved to be a high-reward, low-risk prospect during his sensational freshman season.”

If the Nets were to move up in the 2026 NBA Draft, ESPN’s NBA insiders would suggest for them to execute a swap with the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 3 pick. In the swap, ESPN predicts that Brooklyn would send the No. 6 pick to the Grizzlies along with first-round picks in 2028 and 2030 so that the Nets would have the chance to select Duke forward Cameron Boozer.

Boozer is coming off one of the most impressive freshman seasons in college basketball history as he averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 55.6 from the field and 39.1% from behind the three-point line. Given that Boozer is considered to be a generational prospect, it makes sense why ESPN would suggest that the Nets put forth all of the chips to get someone like him in the building already.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could the Nets find a way to trade up in the 2026 NBA Draft?