Nets 2025 NBA draft big board 3.0: Best players at pick No. 8

USA Today

28-05-2025

Nets 2025 NBA draft big board 3.0: Best players at pick No. 8
The Brooklyn Nets came away from the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with the eighth overall pick, something that the franchise was hoping wouldn't happen heading into the event. However, Brooklyn went into the Lottery knowing that they could have come away from the Lottery with a less-than-ideal pick and now, they have to move forward with different plans for who to use that pick on.
The Nets had ideas of getting lucky enough to get the first overall pick, giving them the ability to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg, but that outcome did not come to fruition. Be that as it may, the 2025 class still has some players after Flagg that have the potential to become impact players at the next level and Brooklyn has to make sure that it does its homework.
This will be the first time since 2023 that the Nets will have multiple first-round picks in the same draft so they have a chance of adding multiple players that can fit into the framework of the team's current rebuild. Here are five players that would be a good fit for Brooklyn at the eighth overall pick, assuming that they are not trying to trade the pick in an effort to move up:
Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma
Fears, listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, seems to be one of the players that could go anywhere from the fifth overall pick to the 10th overall pick due to his profile that gives plenty of reasons to either believe in his ceiling or his floor. Fears is one of the youngest prospects in this class and while that is a good thing for a prospect to be, it could also mean that his game is far from being what it could be when he is ready to contribute.
Fears' game gives credence to the fact that he could be one of the better combo guards in the league at some point due to his ability to get whatever shot he wants while also having the ability to set up his teammates with some incredible passes due to his vision and ball-handing. However, Fears did shoot 28.4% from three-point land on 3.9 attempts per game so the hope is that his shooting gets better so that he can use the entirety of his bag on a nightly basis.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman writes:
"Once Dylan Harper is off the board, teams interested in adding more backcourt creation, rim pressure and playmaking will focus their attention on Jeremiah Fears. Scouts are anticipating the 18-year-old drawing top-five consideration, particularly after he averaged 22.3 points and 4.8 assists over Oklahoma's final nine games. Workouts will give Fears a chance to ease some concerns over his three-point numbers. His 38 made threes still indicate clear shotmaking ability, and he was a 42.6 percent mid-range shooter."
Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
Maluach, listed at 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds, had a promising freshman season that rightfully made many around the NBA excited about what he could do at the next level thanks to his size and shot-blocking ability. Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 71.2% from the field and 76.6% from the free-throw line, but he had the worst game of his first season at Duke at the worst time.
In the National Semi-finals against the Houston Cougars, Maluach showed all of the weaknesses of his profile as he put up just six points and one block in 21 minutes played. Maluach disappeared against a physical, veteran Houston team and while Maluach showed plenty of promise that will not take him out of the top-10, the hope is that he wouldn't have lows like that in the NBA.
Wasserman writes:
"Combine measurements confirmed what scouts were expecting: Khaman Maluach has incredible length (7'7" wingspan, 9'6" reach) and large hands for finishing. His quickness, speed and vertical results weren't overly impressive, though the Pelicans and others will presumably put more stock inti their eye tests on his mobility and 80 dunks."
Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke
Knueppel, listed at 6-foot-6 and 217 pounds, projects to be the kind of player that will be a floor-spacer for whatever team he goes to given his ability to shoot the basketball during his freshman season at Duke. While Knueppel doesn't seem like the kind of player that will be able to create shots for himself and others, his shooting ability is vital for any team looking for more shooting.
Knueppel, whom Wasserman compares to Nets forward Cam Johnson, could be the kind of guy that allows Brooklyn to build around whoever comes to the roster that will have the ball in their hands, especially if Johnson ends up getting traded somewhere else this summer or during next season.
Wasserman writes:
"Every team figures to have some level of interest in Kon Knueppel's shotmaking, efficient scoring and easy fit. The question is who'll see upside through the athletic limitations. Viewed as a safe pick with a valued, bankable skill in shooting, Knueppel also flashed strong driving ability and high-level, ball-screen playmaking reads."
Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
Jakucionis, listed at 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds, could be attractive to the Nets on the basis of being a bigger guard that is able to handle the ball and make things happen for himself and his teammates. During his freshman season at Illinois, Jakucionis displayed his ability to play through contact and use his size to his advantage, especially in terms of scoring and passing.
Wasserman compares Jakucionis to Chicago Bulls guard Coby White and the comparison makes sense when you consider that White had some of the similar questions coming into the league when it came to whether he could overcome his inability to create space on a consistent basis.
Wasserman writes:
"There is some divide among scouts trying to weigh Kasparas Jakucionis' shotmaking skill and playmaking feel versus his lack of burst and separation ability. Top-10 teams may see too much risk, but later in the lottery, his positional size and shooting-passing combination should create enough translatable versatility."
Derik Queen, C, Maryland
Queen, listed at 6-foot-10 and 246 pounds, showed plenty of promise towards the end of the NCAA regular season and boosted his stock significantly with what he did during conference tournament time and the NCAA Tournament. What would make a selection of Queen interesting is how the Nets foresee him fitting alongside starting center Nic Claxton, who will be entering the second year of his four-year, $97 million contract next season.
Queen is compared to Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun by Wasserman and it's easy to see why with the way that Queen moves on the offensive end of the floor with some sneaky athleticism to boot. However, it seems like Queen came away from the Combine with less regard for his skillset given the fact that his overall athleticism is worse in terms of numbers that it looks on tape.
Wasserman writes: