2017 NBA Draft
Picks
RD 1: Jarrett Allen (22nd overall)
RD 2: Aleksander Vezenkov (57th overall)
The Nets came into the offseason with three picks, 22, 27 and 57. We’ll touch on the 27th pick later, as it was involved in another move made by the Nets.
They also had $3.425 million in ‘cash considerations’ to buy an additional second-rounder. The market was supposedly high for second-round picks this year, and the Nets opted to keep the money. For comparisons sake, the Warriors have purchased the 38th pick in back-to-back drafts. In 2016, the pick cost them $2.4 million to trade up and select Patrick McCaw. In this year’s draft, it cost them $3.5 million to do the same thing, and select Jordan Bell.
McCaw’s future looks incredibly bright, as well as Jordan Bell’s. It would have been nice to see the Nets add another young piece in the second-round, but Sean Marks said their targets were already taken.
Moving on.
Drafting Jarrett Allen came as a big surprise. Many expected him to be selected before the 22nd pick, but the Nets were absolutely thrilled to see his stock decline on draft night. Leading up to draft night, rumors began to swirl around the Nets looking to move higher up the draft board. Donovan Mitchell was reportedly a target, but Marks said the team was looking to move up and select Allen.
“He was a lot higher on our board, he was a guy we targeted. We certainly looked to move up in the draft to get him, and actually we didn’t have to move up,” said Marks.
Adding Jarrett Allen to the mix gives the Nets a young, developing big man who can run the floor and block shots. He’s only 19, and the front office was blown away by his progression at the University of Texas.
As for Vezenkov, he’ll spend a couple of years playing overseas. The Nets were looking to add to their small collection of draft and stash players, and did just that. He can shoot the lights out, and he seems to be a fit for Atkinson’s system, if he can defend. The Nets will monitor his progress carefully.
Draft Grade: B
Had the Nets used their cash considerations on another player in the second-round, this grade would be higher. Instead, the money was dispersed amongst the players on the roster. I’m all for the guys getting paid, but this move made me scratch my head.