Could the Nets, Kings engage in a trade prior to the 2026 NBA Draft?

The Brooklyn Nets head into the 2026 NBA Draft with the No. 6 overall pick after coming away from the Lottery with some bad luck to say the least. Brooklyn will still be able to bring in a talented player with the No. 6 selection, but there is reason to wonder if the Nets could explore picking from a different spot, especially with other teams looking to move up.

"Sources tell HoopsHype the Kings are trying to trade up for Acuff. But what would they even give up? They're sitting on bad contracts and thin draft capital," Cyro Asseo wrote for HoopsHype in his latest aggregate mock draft. Asseo, like many other mock drafts, has the Nets taking Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 6 pick, but he also mentioned that the Sacramento Kings seem to be interested in Acuff as well.

"If I'm the Nets, I'm passing on that offer unless Sacramento mortgages its future," Asseo continued while noting that the Kings may be attempting to move up from their No. 7 pick. While the Nets are ranked in the first tier of teams with assets heading into the draft, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks , he has Sacramento in the third tier because they do not have extra draft capital to send Brooklyn's way.

When it comes to the draft, it will typically take about one or two second-round picks to move within a spot or two, but the Kings have just two future second-round picks to trade at this moment. Granted, if Sacramento offered the Nets the No. 7 pick and two second-round picks, that seems like a good deal for Brooklyn, especially if they're okay with taking a player projected to go after Acuff, such as Tennessee forward Nate Ament , for example.

At this point in the pre-draft cycle, the Nets will essentially be choosing between Acuff, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler , and Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. based on most mock drafts in the NBA space. Time will tell if Brooklyn is open to trading up or down, but if they are, they could look to the Kings as an option, especially since they seem motivated to go after Acuff to be part of their rebuild.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could the Nets, Kings engage in a trade prior to the 2026 NBA Draft?