The Brooklyn Nets may have found a key formula for drafting difference-making wings. According to Reddit user MikeConleyIsLegend, forwards with a 7-foot-2 wingspan have consistently produced high-impact players in the NBA draft since 2016. The list includes Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Williams, and Bilal Coulibaly.
In the last nine years, six of these drafted players have become stars, despite varying levels of star power. With the 2025 NBA Draft just around the corner, two prospects with this exact wingspan – Cedric Coward from Washington State and Rasheer Fleming from Saint Joseph’s – are available for the Nets to target.
Coward is expected in the first round, while Fleming could be taken anywhere from 20-25. The Nets’ abundance of draft capital allows them to take a chance on either prospect, potentially continuing this trend. Adding Coward or Fleming would strengthen the forward room, which already features Cam Johnson, Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson, and Noah Clowney.
Source: https://www.si.com/nba/nets/news/why-nets-should-target-7-2-wingspan-wings-recent-first-round-hits-tell-the-story