As the 2012 NBA Draft begins Thursday night, the Brooklyn Nets look mostly like bystanders. They don't have a first-round pick, and have to wait until nearly the end of the second round (57th overall) to have a pick at all. This is hardly the way to impress free-agent guard Deron Williams and to build talent to add to a roster in need of help as the team moves to Brooklyn's brand-new Barclays Center for the 2012-2013 NBA season.
There have been lots of whispers that the Nets are looking to move into the first round somehow, though no real substantive reports of the Nets targeting a specific pick have surfaced.
Says NBA.com:
"The Nets have the cash to buy into the first round if they see a player they like slip into the 20s. But general manager Billy King has maintained that his team is looking for veterans to convince Deron Williams that this team can win now. So the trade market must be explored on Draft night and as free agency gets underway."
The Nets might surprise and move into the first round, but it looks as though this will be a mostly unproductive night for Brooklyn.