Should the Nets trade up to take Cameron Boozer in the 2026 NBA Draft?

The Brooklyn Nets have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after the Lottery unfortunately slid them down three spots from their original No. 3 pick. Brooklyn was likely hoping for their pick to land in the top-4, but since the Lottery didn’t go their way, is it worth it for the Nets to trade up to get one of the best players in the class?

“I understand the lure of moving up three spots to pick Boozer or Caleb Wilson, especially after Brooklyn positioned itself in the bottom of the standings in two straight seasons but won’t have a top-five pick to show for it,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks wrote when explaining whether the value is there for Brooklyn to trade up.

ESPN’s NBA insiders proposed that the Nets could trade three first-round picks, including the No. 6 pick, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the No. 3 pick, giving them the right to choose presumably between Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. The insiders believe that the Nets should do the trade to make up for the bad luck, but Marks seems to be against the idea.

“But the Nets sacrificing two future unprotected picks of their own is not worth the risk. Unloading two of the three Knicks unprotected picks acquired in the Mikal Bridges trade might be the smarter play,” Marks continued. “Memphis, meanwhile, would need to weigh if two future first-round picks are worth the risk of not drafting Boozer or Wilson.”

Boozer is coming off one of the best freshman seasons in college basketball history after averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 55.6% from the field and 39.1% from behind the three-point line. Most mock drafts have Boozer being selected with the No. 3 or No. 4 pick so if the Nets want to make sure that they can get him, they would likely have to get to No. 3. However, trading up may not be worth it for Brooklyn.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Should the Nets trade up to take Cameron Boozer in the 2026 NBA Draft?