The Losing Edge: 7 NBA teams that should be lining up to tank for Cooper Flagg

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets got off to an early start in the "Fade for Flagg" sweepstakes by trading star Mikal Bridges for five first-round picks. Considering that they would have had the third pick in this year's draft had it not been for the James Harden trade, moving their best player should make them worse enough to be one of the three worst teams next season.

That would ensure that they share the best odds of landing the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft, giving them a chance to select Flagg. While the Nets did re-sign starting center Nic Claxton to a 4-year, $100 deal, they seem willing to trade everyone else on their roster. Doing so would help them further strip their roster of talent while adding more picks to their stockpile. It's the right move, especially since they didn't appear to be close to competing for a championship or even the playoffs.

If they can add to the five firsts that they have already gotten from the New York Knicks, they could put themselves in a good position to rebuild. Still, the length of a rebuild would depend largely on how fast they are able to land a star prospect and by bottoming out, they put themselves in a position to potentially draft Flagg.