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The Brooklyn Nets selected LSU G Cam Thomas with the No. 27 pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The Brooklyn Nets fell short of their championship aspirations in 2020-21, largely due to injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden at unfortunate times. Kevin Durant did his best to get the team to the Finals, but came up short against the eventual champions Milwaukee Bucks. With Durant looking like the best player in the league, the Nets should be contenders provided they can stay healthy.
With Brooklyn’s “Big 3” taking up the entire salary cap, there’s not much room to maneuver for the Nets. They’ll bring back Joe Harris, Landry Shamet and DeAndre Jordan but will have to make decisions in Spencer Dinwiddie and Blake Griffin. Brooklyn is willing to pay the luxury tax for a championship team, but will have to hope its draft picks pan out in the event it loses some rotation players. The Nets are favorites to win the 2021-22 NBA title at +200 according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Brooklyn Nets 2021 NBA Draft picks
No. 27, first round: Cam Thomas, G, LSU
No. 29, first round (via PHX): Day’Ron Sharpe, C, UNC
No. 44, second round: Kessler Edwards, F, Pepperdine
No. 49, second round: Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton
No. 59, second round: RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State
Fantasy basketball outlook
Cameron Thomas — Cam Thomas is a proven scorer, averaging 23 points per game his freshman year with LSU, bringing plenty to offer to an already extremely talented Nets team. Thomas was the leading scorer for 20 of the Tigers’ 29 games last year, with his biggest performance coming against Texas A&M when he dropped 32 points in just his seventh game. With how well he can score, expect him to be making a solid case for himself in Brooklyn’s lineup along with the “Big 3” who will all be coming back next year.
Day’Ron Sharpe — Sharpe is going to get good minutes off the bench and will rack up some easy points when playing with Brooklyn’s star trio. He’s going to be a force on the boards and will deliver fantasy value there, but won’t offer much in other areas. His defense needs some work, but Sharpe will be good for a block per game. Playing with the Nets helps his fantasy value for sure, but don’t expect a major return for his price in DFS lineups.