Entering the 2022 Draft, the Brooklyn Nets have just one draft pick — the Philadelphia 76ers’ selection in the first round. As is the norm for most NBA contenders, the Nets have traded away the majority of their draft compensation for win-now players. Brooklyn can also defer Philadelphia’s pick to next year’s draft, leaving the Nets bare. They currently have no second-round choices and few assets to acquire one.
But on Draft Night 2021, the Nets were in a different spot. On the heel of a long playoff series against the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn had a staggering five selections in the Draft; two late first-round picks and three late second-rounders as well.