What happened the last time the Nets won the NBA Draft Lottery?
The Brooklyn Nets are just a few days away from the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery that could determine whether they can draft the best player in the Draft. While every team in the Lottery is hoping to earn the first overall pick and select Duke forward Cooper Flagg, it's interesting to remember the last time Brooklyn won the Lottery.
Following the conclusion of the 1999-00 season, the Nets, then in New Jersey, finished with a disappointing 31-51 record despite going into the season with a 40.5 over/under win total. The Nets went into the 2000 NBA Draft Lottery seventh in the standings, but managed to win the Lottery with just a 4.40% chance of getting the first overall pick.
With the No. 1 pick, the Nets selected forward Kenyon Martin Sr. out of Cincinnati after a senior season for the Bearcats in which he averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 56.8% from the field and 68.4% from the free-throw line. Not only did Martin lead Conference USA in field-goal percentage, but he also led the conference in blocks per game en route to winning the Associated Press Player of the Year.
After being drafted by the Nets, a move that was described as the franchise picking "maturity over potential," Martin went on to spend his first four seasons with the organization. From 2000 to 2004, Martin averaged 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per contest while shooting 46.7% from the floor and 66.3% from the charity stripe.
During his time with the Nets, Martin earned the second-most votes for the 2000-01 Rookie of the Year award, received some votes for Defensive Player of the Year from 2002 to 2004, and earned the lone All-Star selection of his career in the 2003-04 campaign. Martin's time in New Jersey coincided with some of the best years for the Nets franchise as they made the playoffs in three of those seasons, including NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.
Monday will be an important day for the Nets organization given that the team committed to a full-scale rebuild last summer by trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for a bevy of first-round picks. The odds (9.0% chance of getting the first overall pick) are stacked against Brooklyn to win the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, but if they do, Flagg could have a similar impact on the franchise that Martin had over two decades ago.
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