Brooklyn’s Draft Decision Could Shape Ben Saraf’s Role

Brooklyn heads into the NBA Draft on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday holding the sixth pick, after finishing the 2025/26 season with the league’s third-worst record. For months the Nets hoped lottery luck would lift them into the top four and give them a shot at forwards A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Khaman Maluach or Caleb Wilson, but instead they are likely to be forced into a tougher choice that could affect Israeli guard Ben Saraf and teammate Danny Wolf.

With the top four teams said to have no incentive to trade, Brooklyn may simply have to take the best player left on the board. The most likely name now is point guard Michael Brown Jr., a 20.2-year-old Louisville product who averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals, and who told Sport5 that the Nets told him, “There’s no such thing as too many playmakers.” Brown, who is 1.93 meters tall, said Brooklyn believes he can impact the team immediately.

That would create more competition for Saraf, because the Nets already drafted three point guards, four guards and four playmakers last year. Still, Saraf’s size, 1.98 meters, and his defense could help him beat out Traore for minutes, even if Brooklyn again adds a lead guard. Wolf’s standing is also fluid after the trade for Julius Randle, with Noah Clowney now ahead of him and more forward minutes only opening if Michael Porter Jr. is moved.

Brooklyn is also exploring trade options and could end up with three first-round picks in the same night. One possible target is Spanish center Aday Mara, a 2.21-meter big man from Michigan and a projected top-8 to top-11 pick. Mara, who was compared to a future Marc Gasol, would fit Jordi Fernandez’s system and could solve Brooklyn’s need at center after Nic Claxton was sent to Chicago. A source in Spain said, “Jordi knows Aday perfectly,” and added that he could become one of the NBA’s five best centers within four or five years.