While all the talk surrounding the Nets has been about the team either moving for Damian Lillard or moving up in the NBA Draft, they very well could decide to do neither and stand pat with the hand they have.
The Nets have worked out dozens of prospects — their names guarded as tightly as state secrets by general manager Sean Marks — amid persistent chatter they are exploring various options for moving up in the draft.
The Nets are slated to go into Thursday night’s draft at Barclays Center with three picks, including back-to-back first-round selections at No. 21 and No. 22.
The highest-ranked prospect confirmed to have worked out for the Nets is Brandin Podziemski — a 6-foot-4 guard from Santa Clara projected to go as high as 19th by The Ringer (and 25th by Hoopshype).
And while the Nets have a glaring need for shot creators and shot makers, Podziemski has a skill set that fits.
A 43.8 percent 3-point shooter (on 5.8 attempts per game) as a sophomore, he’s likely the most accurate deadeye shooter in this entire draft.
“If he played at North Carolina or Duke or something like that, he might not have been as much of a [sleeper],” ESPN Draft guru Jay Bilas told The Post. “But he’s really a good player, and I think he’s going to be a first-round draft pick.”
The Nets also reportedly have worked out the likes of Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis — another West Coast Conference product — UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, Xavier’s Colby Jones and Andre Jackson Jr. of reigning national champion Connecticut.
But Bilas rated Podziemski a hair above the rest, partly because of his varied offensive game.
“That’s about where I have him — in the early to mid 20s,” Bilas said. “He can score, good playmaker, and he rebounds his position. He’s only like 6-4, but he can really rebound. And he’s got really good range as a shooter, handles it pretty well, and he can score off the dribble and he can make plays for himself and for other people.
“I think he’s one of the better shooters in the draft. … He’s good on catch-and-shoot, good off the dribble jumpers. I think he can be a better defender, but he’s good athletically and I think he tested really well at the Combine. … He’s a really good prospect.”
What the Nets need
Podziemski’s shooting would serve the Nets well.
The Nets had built a potent offense behind stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and were second in the NBA in 3-point shooting last season through Feb. 10, behind only the eventual champion Nuggets.
But from Feb. 11 on — after the Durant and Irving trades that reshaped the roster around Mikal Bridges — they plummeted to 21st.
Dorian Finney-Smith — who shot 39.5 percent and 39.4 percent from deep the prior two seasons in Dallas — fell off to just 30.6 in Brooklyn, and has drawn interest from other teams in trade talks.
Joe Harris will start next season at 32, with increasing tread on his tires and decreasing effectiveness.
Combo guard Seth Curry is an unrestricted free agent who is highly unlikely to re-sign.
And starting point guard Spencer Dinwiddie has never been a good shooter.
Podziemski spent six weeks preparing for the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago with former NBA guard Travis Diener, a fellow Wisconsin native.
The work paid off with a solid performance in Chicago that boosted his draft stock.
His reputation as a sharpshooter preceded him, and, according to Podziemski, may have overshadowed some of his other strong suits.
Podziemski always has been a strong rebounder for a guard, and he says his playmaking is underrated. The passing he flashed in a 10-point, eight-assist, seven-rebound scrimmage at the Combine backed that up.
“[They see me] as more of a catch-and-shoot guy which I think I’m way more,” Podziemski said at the Combine. “I think I’m a true point guard. I tell people that I’m a hooper that can shoot, not a shooter that can hoop.”
‘There’s no secret’
The run-in to the draft won’t be the first time Podziemski has had to prove people wrong.
He played at a program that hadn’t been a hotbed for NBA talent. There was a 26-year gap between draft picks from former Nets coach (and Naismith Hall of Famer) Steve Nash to Thunder 2022 first-round pick Jalen Williams. Now the mid-major could have first-rounders in back-to-back drafts.
And as a white player born to white-collar parents, Podziemski says he’s had to fight the preconceived assumption that he couldn’t play at an elite level.
“Yeah, 100 percent. Being a white guy in the NBA. I mean, there’s no secret you’re a minority, right?” Podziemski said. “It’s harder for you, just as teams target you, on defense especially. You’ve got to have that confidence and that swagger and toughness about you to be successful and be in the league for a long time.”
Podziemski’s defense will need improvement, as Bilas said, but the 20-year-old has shown enough athleticism to suggest there is room for that defensive growth. Posting an impressive 39-inch vertical leap at the Combine helped his stock.
The list of players Podziemski said he has emulated — including Knicks standout Jalen Brunson — is telling.
“I watched a lot of Manu Ginobili, Luka [Doncic], Jalen Brunson, Jrue Holiday, [Donte] DiVencenzo,” Podziemski said. “…I take little bits and pieces of them, all guys that are athletic, but people criticize them for their athleticism maybe, but are still super-high IQ and figure out ways to make the team better.”
Podziemski made Santa Clara better, averaging 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
As potent a shooter as Podziemski is, he knows he needs to improve his finishing at the rim and get better in the midrange at the next level.
“I mean, just going into the [pre-draft] process, I looked at my shot chart from this past season, and a lot of it was from floaters at the rim or from the 3,” Podziemski said. “Just getting that midrange area more efficient. … And then actually finishing at the rim and not relying on floaters so much.”
The Nets still are believed to be exploring options to move up before Thursday or on draft night.
But if they keep one or both of their first-round picks, Podziemski could be an intriguing option if he’s still on the board.
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