Brook Lopez was one of 15 lottery picks for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets.
The inaugural NBA Draft Lottery dates back to 1985. Since then, the Nets have made 15 selections in the lottery, with their first coming in 1986. Here’s a closer look at each of those picks and their tenures in New Jersey/Brooklyn.
2010 – Derrick Favors (3rd Overall)
Favors was the most recent lottery pick for the Nets back in 2010. He only appeared in 56 games for the then-New Jersey Nets before being traded to the Utah Jazz in a package for Deron Williams at the 2011 trade deadline. Favors averaged 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in almost 20 minutes per game for the Nets during his rookie year. He went on to play nine seasons with Utah before retiring after the 2021-22 campaign.
2009 – Terrence Williams (11th Overall)
Williams was taken with the 11th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after four years in college at Louisville. He spent his first season and a half with the Nets, posting averages of 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds across 88 appearances. Williams was traded to the Rockets in December 2010 and was eventually waived in 2012. He had short stints with the Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics before finishing his career overseas.
2008 – Brook Lopez (10th Overall)
Lopez spent the first nine years of his career with the Nets after being selected 10th overall in 2008. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2008-09, and made his first and only All-Star Game in 2012-13. Lopez played 562 games for Brooklyn and averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 32.2 mpg. He played one season with the Lakers before heading to Milwaukee in 2018-19, where he would go on to win an NBA Championship in 2021.
2001 – Eddie Griffin (7th Overall)
The Nets selected Griffin and traded him to the Rockets on draft night, where he would spend his first two NBA seasons, before the Rockets released him in December 2003. He signed with the Nets shortly after his release, but Griffin sat out all of 2003-04 because of rehab and never played a single minute for the franchise. Griffin went on to play three seasons with the Timberwolves from 2004-2007. Griffin passed away from a car accident in August 2007.
2000 – Kenyon Martin (1st Overall)
Brooklyn’s most recent first overall pick, Martin spent his first four seasons with the Nets and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2000-01. Martin averaged 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks across 283 appearances for the franchise, and was named to his only All-Star team in year-four. He suited up for the Nuggets, Clippers, Knicks and Bucks before retiring after the 2014-15 season.
1997 – Tim Thomas (7th Overall)
Thomas is another lottery pick that was drafted by the Nets but never played a game for the organization. He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers where he spent his rookie season, then had stops in Milwaukee, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas and the LA Clippers.
1996 – Kerry Kittles (8th Overall)
Kittles played seven of his eight professional seasons with the New Jersey Nets. He made the All-Rookie team in 1996-97 after averaging 16.4 points and 1.9 steals, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year. Kittles appeared in 496 contests as a Net, posting 14.3 ppg while shooting 37.8% from 3-point range.
1995 – Ed O’Bannon (9th Overall)
O’Bannon heard his name called by the Nets in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft, but his time in the league was short-lived. He played most of his two years as a pro in New Jersey before being dealt to the Dallas Mavericks in February of 1997. Across 109 games for the Nets, O’Bannon averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.
1994 – Yinka Dare (14th Overall)
Dare, the Nigerian-born 7-footer who played his college ball at George Washington, played his entire four-year career with the Nets. Dare amassed averages of 2.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.1 minutes across 110 games played.
1991 – Kenny Anderson (2nd Overall)
Anderson enjoyed perhaps his most productive basketball with the Nets, where he played five and a half seasons from 1991-1996. The lefty point guard played all 82 games and made his lone All-Star appearance in 1993-94, when he averaged 18.8 points and a career-best 9.6 assists. He spent time with Boston, Portland, Indiana, Atlanta, Charlotte, Seattle, New Orleans and the LA Clippers in his 14-year career.
1990 – Derrick Coleman (1st Overall)
The Nets got five great years from Coleman after drafting him first overall in 1990. He was named the Rookie of the Year by putting up 18.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 74 games, made back-to-back All-NBA Third Teams from 1992-93 to 1993-94, and appeared in his lone All-Star Game in 1994. Coleman also played for the 76ers, Hornets and Pistons before retiring in 2005.
1989 – Mookie Blaylock (12th Overall)
Blaylock played his first three NBA seasons with the Nets from 1989-1992. Blaylock appeared in 194 games for New Jersey, recording averages of 13.0 points, 5.9 assists and 2.2 steals. Blaylock would go on to play seven seasons with the Hawks, where he led the league in steals twice and made several All-Defensive Teams. He finished his 13-year career as a member of the Golden State Warriors after the 2001-02 season.
1988 – Chris Morris (4th Overall)
Chris Morris made the All-Rookie Team and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting for the Nets in 1988-89 after averaging 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. Morris played seven of his 11 pro seasons in New Jersey, recording at least 10.0 ppg and 1.0 spg in each campaign. He moved on to the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns for his final four years in the NBA before retiring in 1999.
1987 – Dennis Hopson (3rd Overall)
Hopson played three seasons for the Nets from 1987-1990, with his best statistical year coming in 1989-90 at age 24. Hopson averaged a career-best 15.8 points and 1.3 steals during his final season in New Jersey. He spent his last two years with Chicago and Sacramento before finishing his professional career overseas.
1986 – Pearl Washington (13th Overall)
Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington only managed three seasons in the NBA, with his first two coming as a member of the Nets. In 140 games with New Jersey, he posted averages of 8.9 points, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals. He spent his final year with the Miami Heat before calling it quits after the 1988-89 season.
