A single ping pong ball separated the Nets from Cooper Flagg, so now what?
Monday night's NBA Draft Lottery results — the Nets' season-long tank resulting in just the No. 8 overall pick — was like a punch in the gut to the team's fans.
It's a blow they probably should have seen coming. But that doesn't mean it will hurt any less or they'll get over it any quicker.
After Nets general manager Sean Marks and team governor Joe Tsai made the difficult decision to rebuild — trading away Mikal Bridges and reacquiring their own natural 2025 and 2026 first-round picks at great cost — they suffered through a tough 26-56 season to earn the sixth-best odds to win the lottery.
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The odds didn't pay off. The Nets' fall to eighth not only ended any shot at Cooper Flagg, but the lottery results hurt any trade offer they could make for Giannis Antetokounmpo while simultaneously helping any potential Spurs package.
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