How the Nets could get Giannis AND Cooper Flagg to Brooklyn

How the Nets could get Giannis AND Cooper Flagg to Brooklyn

Nets fans are hoping they get lucky tonight in the Cooper flag sweep stakes. They currently have the six best odds to win the NBA draft lottery. Our New York Post Nets beat writer Brian Lewis is on to talk about how winning the number one pick could turn this franchise around. Mr. Lewis, long time no see, sir. How you feeling? All right. I’m feeling good. How you been, man? Uh been great, man. Been a uh unreal basketball season. And before we even talk about these draft uh chances and these uh the lottery, there’s some news that kind of broke just now where Giannis Antmpo is open to explore playing outside of Milwaukee. That’s music to a lot of people’s ears. Do you think that this Giannis news could impact what the Nets are going to do with whichever draft pick that they do draw tonight? I mean, it it has the potential to impact it greatly. Listen, they have a lot of draft capital, the most draft capital in the league. That is something that they have been acrewing capital for for some time just on the off chance just so they’d be prepared if the right guy asked out or was willing to leave. And he is the right guy. This is the target that they have been eyeing. uh if and there’s there’s a lot to go before that happens, but if he were to ask out, it would have an impact on how they use the draft capital. Now, I’m not necessarily saying that that’s the end all beall in deciding who they’re drafting or even if they have that pick, but what happens between Giannis and Milwaukee will definitely have an impact on how much capital they have, how much capital they’re willing to offer, and might even impact Yes, definitely. What ends up happening with this lottery pick, the first one that they’ve had in 15 years. A lot of people are keeping their eyes and ears on that Giannis situation. I think bringing him to Brooklyn makes sense. You get a proven champion, a proven superstar, and I feel like a cornerstone piece when it comes to turning a franchise around. But let’s say it doesn’t happen. Let’s say maybe he stays in Milwaukee or he or Milwaukee or he goes elsewhere. They still have a 9% chance of winning the number one pick. Cooper Flag is projected to go first overall. I guess after watching, you know, parts of the season, the Nets are a lot further along in their rebuild than a lot of folks will give them credit for, but do you think that Cooper Flag is the guy that can get this franchise going in the right direction? I mean, there’s not a team in the league that Cooper Flag wouldn’t help. I mean, he fits any offense. He fits alongside any other player. uh his defense was considered NBA ready at 18. So he’s the closest thing that you have to a can’t miss as there is in this draft class. Uh so yes, I mean obviously there’s no team in this lottery that wouldn’t be ecstatic to get Cooper flag and he would turbocharge their rebuild. He’s a can’t miss, but let’s say they do miss out on him. uh they’ve got a chance to where they can pick anywhere from first to 10th. So, if they do miss out on the Cooper Flag uh sweep stakes, is there any other guys that you like that you feel as though could be a guy that could step in and turn the franchise around? I mean, this is a loaded draft class. It is a loaded draft class. And look, if they get Dylan Harper out of this, that’s a resounding success. And I’m not I’m not just saying that because I graduated from Ruters. This is a guy who when you watch him play, I mean, there are a lot of comps. There are a lot of players that he’s been compared to. To me, when I’m watching him, I look and I see a Kate Cunningham, right? I mean, bigbodied point guard. He would easily have been the number one pick last year. Um, I think Edgecomb is probably the best athlete in this draft and probably the best wing defender in this draft. That’s definitely a guy who would be what I would consider to be a resounding success. But there I mean, there are a couple players who would change their trajectory if they were fortunate enough to get him. I mean, I think I think Trey Johnson is the best scorer in this draft class. Malawatch is a guy who I mean he’s young and he’s really raw because he just started playing but everybody loves his character, loves his coachability. You love the measurables and the length. Now granted, he he would take several years to become the kind of player that he can be, but I think he’s a guy who you could look whatever four years down the line and look back and wherever he gets drafted, wherever that is, fifth, sixth, seventh, whatever, people could be wondering how on earth did he ever fall that far because how is he how was he not the number one pick? He has that kind of potential. Brian, I mentioned how far they are or ahead in their rebuild. They got a great chance tonight to bring in a cornerstone piece. Shawn Marks has been recognized as one of the top eight GMs in the NBA. Do you feel like they’re one player away from at least uh contention of a playin spot? Well, I mean, it depends on how they decide to build, right? It depends on what’s available to them. I think if you are, which I think is obviously the most likely circumstance, if Giannis is not in Brooklyn, if Giannis is either in Milwaukee or Giannis is in Miami or Houston or wherever, uh I think they’re more than content to be patient because next year’s class, where they only have currently one firstrounder, is also loaded. And I think the idea of giving up what they had to give up to get number one, their number one pick back in 2026, I I think they’re more than content to draft this year, draft next year, and whatever you want to call that, retooling, tanking, whatever term you want to put on it. If they do that, I mean, you’re incentivized not to go all in if it’s for the wrong guy, right? So, I think they would definitely be patient and concentrate on getting another high lottery pick in next year and then go all in with all of those young guys, add some free agents then around it, kind of like what Houston did to get to where Houston is today. Now, if the right guy, and I believe Giannis is the right guy, and I believe they think Giannis is the right guy, if he were to become available, then what you’re looking at is you’re looking at trading the veteran assets that you have and a lot of draft capital to get Giannis and an appropriate co-star, whomever that is. Because the whole point of having Giannis would be to give him the freedom to go out and build a team around his unique talents, which is what, as an example, Carmelo Anthony was suggesting that he do. If that were the case, you’re talking about going allin and building a playoff team immediately. So, it depends on which avenue they end up taking.

Brian Lewis, The Post’s Nets beat reporter, joins Brandon London to discuss Brooklyn’s chances of winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery and whether the franchise could put together an enticing package to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks?

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