The Brooklyn Nets are praying for luck at Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery. They're turning to one of their all-time great players, Vince Carter, to bring them some.
The Nets announced on Thursday that Carter will be their lottery representative in Chicago. Carter recorded a message to Brooklyn fans breaking the news.
“What's up, Nets fans? Vince Carter here. I'm excited to be representing the Nets at the draft lottery this weekend. I'm hoping I can bring us some luck. Stay tuned. Go Nets,” he said.
🫡🫡🫡 https://t.co/Wt5ZHkXQp0 pic.twitter.com/rc4YiqAmwV
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) May 7, 2026
Carter played five seasons with the Nets from 2005 to 2009. He finished his tenure with three All-Star appearances, averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals on 45/37/81 shooting splits over 374 appearances. His 8,834 points rank third on the Nets' all-time scoring list, trailing Brook Lopez and Buck Williams.
The Nets retired Carter's No. 15 last season, making him the seventh player in franchise history to have his jersey raised to the rafters. He'll now represent the team during one of the most pivotal days in franchise history.
Vince Carter representing Nets at 2026 NBA Draft Lottery
Class of 2024 inductee Vince Carter speaks during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Symphony Hall Springfield.
David Butler II-Imagn Images
After finishing with the NBA's third-worst record, the Nets have a 14.0 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick and a 52.1 percent chance of picking inside the top four. They cannot fall lower than seventh.
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The Nets have held top-eight lottery odds 10 times in the franchise's history. Of those years, they've fallen from their pre-lottery position four times, jumped twice and stayed put four times.
The Nets held the NBA's worst record (16.67 percent odds of winning) in 1990 and won the lottery, selecting Derrick Coleman with the No. 1 pick. They finished with the seventh-worst record (4.4 percent odds of winning) in 2000 and jumped to No. 1, selecting Kenyon Martin.
The Nets haven't had such luck in recent years. They held the NBA's worst record (25.0 percent odds of winning) in 2010 but fell to the No. 3 pick, missing out on John Wall and selecting Derrick Favors. They held the sixth-worst record (9.0 percent odds of winning) last year and fell to the No. 8 pick, selecting Egor Demin.
The Nets have not had a homegrown superstar in their franchise's history. They picked in the top 14 of the draft 24 times before last year. Those players have combined for just seven All-Star appearances with the team.
Buck Williams (drafted in 1981) is the Nets' only lottery pick to represent the team in multiple All-Star games. Coleman (1990), Kenny Anderson (1991), Martin (2004) and Brook Lopez (2013) each earned a single All-Star selection.
This year's draft offers Brooklyn an opportunity to land a franchise cornerstone, with highly-touted prospects such as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Winson up for grabs.
The Brooklyn Nets are praying for luck at Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery. They're turning to one of their all-time great players, Vince Carter, to bring them some. The Nets announced on Thursday that Carter will be their lottery representative in Chicago. Carter recorded a message to Brooklyn fans breaking the news.