The NBA Draft Lottery is over, and as expected, some teams rose or fell from where they were expected to land.
One of the teams that did not secure a higher pick despite having better odds at doing so is the Brooklyn Nets, and the NBA World appears to be mourning with them.
NBA World Bemoans Nets’ Draft Lottery Fate
Three teams failed to win more than 20 games during the 2025-26 season, all from the Eastern Conference. These three teams were tied with 14 percent odds to land the 2026 number one overall pick.
The Washington Wizards, with a league-worst 17-65 record, secured the first overall pick. The Indiana Pacers (19-63) fell out of the top four, which means their pick goes to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Brooklyn Nets, with a record of 20-62, slid to just outside the top five and will be picking sixth at the draft on June 23.
This turn of events is disappointing for the Nets, and many people in the NBA world are sympathizing with them.
“Once again the Nets get screwed. Hard to even express the disappointment I’m feeling right now. This franchise can’t turn itself around,” one person said.
Once again the Nets get screwed
2025 6th ➡️ 8th
2026 3rd ➡️ 6thHard to even express the disappointment I’m feeling right now. This franchise just can’t turn itself around.
— NetsFrequent (@Nets_Frequent) May 10, 2026
The sentiment that the Nets were stiffed of their pick was shared by others, with another person saying, “I feel terrible for Nets fans. Praying for losses all season to get a good draft pick and they get absolutely screwed in the lottery. That’s tough.”
“The Nets traded three first-round picks and one first-round swap to regain control over their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks so they could tank. They move down a combined five slots in those two lotteries. Absolutely brutal,” CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn said.
The Nets traded three first-round picks and one first-round swap to regain control over their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks so they could tank.
They move down a combined five slots in those two lotteries. Absolutely brutal.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 10, 2026
“This fall is much more disappointing than last year’s for the Nets. Brooklyn did everything in their power to get as high of a pick as possible, achieving max odds for this draft, yet after falling 2 spots last year, they fall 3 spots this season outside of the top-4 in a draft widely seen as having 4 elite prospects,” one person said.
“118 total losses for Brooklyn the past two seasons. Have not gotten a top-5 pick either year,” one person pointed out.
“I’m so done man. We literally haven’t got any [expletive] luck in 20 years,” one passionate fan posted.
I’m so done, man. We literally haven’t got any fucking luck in 20 years.
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) May 10, 2026
As several people have posted, this is the second time in as many years that this has happened to the Nets.
Unlike this year, though, they had fewer odds of landing a top-four pick in last year’s lottery. They were projected to acquire the sixth pick at the lottery, but slid to eighth. They managed to get a decent player by drafting Egor Dёmin, a 6-foot-8 point guard out of BYU.
In his maiden season in Brooklyn, Dёmin played 52 games, averaging 10.3 points on 39.9 percent shooting (38.5 percent on 3-pointers). He also put up 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
This year, sliding from third to sixth stings more, given that all the prospects are considered elites. The Nets could still land a future All-Star at this position, but it defintely feels like they are missing out on a sure thing in the likes of AJB Dybansta, Cameron Boozer, or Darryn Peterson.
