Nets general manager Sean Marks was spotted at Rutgers’ exhibition game against St. John’s at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Thursday scouting top 2025 draft prospects Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. B.J. Johnson, Brooklyn’s new assistant GM and longtime head of scouting, was also in attendance, along with Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri. The game was played in front of a crowd of 4,200 and there were reportedly 20 NBA scouts in the building. Harper and Bailey did not disappoint in their first taste of live action, scoring 20 (8-of-16 shooting) and 25 points (4-of-9 from 3-point range), respectively, in Rutgers’ 91-85 loss. Both showcased deep bags and shot-making ability beyond their years. The Nets are expected to tank this season for a reason. It is extremely early, but Harper and Bailey appear to be the real deal, and they are just two prospects in what is projected to be a loaded 2025 draft class. Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in 2025, scored 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting in Duke’s Blue-White Scrimmage last week. If the Nets find themselves high enough on the draft board next summer, there is a good chance they could land a franchise-altering talent. Two of those talents just happen to be in their backyard, which makes scouting them much easier. According to basketball insider Adam Zagoria’s conversation with an anonymous NBA GM, Bailey, 18, could challenge Flagg for the No. 1 pick next June. “He’s [among the] top-3 youth players in the world,” the anonymous GM said of Bailey. “Everyone has Cooper Fever, [but] he will challenge Cooper for No. 1. It’s not clear cut.” The Nets had no picks during the 2024 NBA Draft but own four first-round picks and multiple second-round picks in 2025. Brooklyn is also expected to have somewhere between $70 and $100 million in cap space next summer. Marks was seen at the Sydney Kings vs. South East Melbourne Phoenix game in September, watching Alex Toohey and Malique Lewis, two members of the NBL’s Next Stars developmental program. “If they want to, they’ve certainly got four first round picks,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks said. “They’ve got their own which could be potentially a top three top four pick. They’ve got a New York pick, likely probably an Oklahoma City pick. They’ve got a pick that is coming from Milwaukee if it doesn’t fall in the top four, they are stacked as far as draft equity.”