Drake Powell Wastes No Time: From Draft Night to Brooklyn Spotlight in 48 Hours 🌆🔥
In the blink of an eye, Drake Powell has gone from a teenage defensive phenom in Chapel Hill to one of Brooklyn’s most buzzed-about new players. Just 48 hours after being selected with the No. 22 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft via a three-team trade involving the Hawks, Clippers, and Nets the 19-year-old former UNC Tar Heel is already making waves in his new home.
Powell, a 6-foot-6 athletic wing out of Pittsboro, North Carolina, has hit the ground sprinting, not just running. From team intros to community events to early on-court workouts, he’s showing Brooklyn fans and NBA execs exactly why the Nets made him their guy.
A Draft Night Surprise and a Brooklyn Welcome
Though initially selected by the Atlanta Hawks, Powell was quickly rerouted to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that shook up multiple rosters. He joins a young, versatile core that includes fellow first-rounders Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf part of a bold youth movement spearheaded by GM Sean Marks.
“Drake’s defensive versatility and athleticism give us a dynamic wing to build around,” Marks said during Powell’s introduction at Barclays Center.
A Legacy of Defense and Grit
Powell didn’t have eye-popping stats at North Carolina (7.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.4 SPG), but anyone who watched him knew the real story. He won UNC’s Defensive Player of the Year award and had a 43-inch vertical the best leap at the NBA Combine. Add a 7-foot wingspan and 39.5% catch-and-shoot efficiency, and you’ve got a prototype 3-and-D wing in the making.
As @_utilitysports posted, “Super toolsy 3&D wing bet. Love this pick for Brooklyn. A+.”
Already Embracing Brooklyn
Less than a day after his presser, Powell made headlines again with a surprise appearance at a youth basketball camp in Brooklyn, signing autographs and talking with kids about hard work and perseverance.
“He’s already connecting with the community,” noted @HighSchoolOT.
Meanwhile, the Nets social media team launched a highlight reel of his UNC days, filled with chasedown blocks, catch-and-shoot threes, and fast-break dunks, captioned simply: “Welcome to Brooklyn, Drake!”
The video lit up the fanbase. “If he develops a handle, he’s gonna be SCARY,” one fan tweeted. Another wrote, “A walking clamps emoji.”
Summer League Awaits
With NBA Summer League tipping off July 12 in Las Vegas, Powell is wasting no time. Nets insiders report he’s already working on defensive agility and improving his shot off the dribble.
“He’s a sponge, soaking up everything,” said a team source. “He’s one of those guys who lives in the gym.”
With the Nets’ wing rotation in flux, Powell will compete with Ziaire Williams and other young talent for meaningful minutes this summer. His immediate role may be undefined, but his potential is crystal clear.
A North Carolina Star Still Rising
Even as he transitions to the NBA, Powell’s Chapel Hill roots run deep. He joins fellow Tar Heels Cameron Johnson and Day’Ron Sharpe in Brooklyn a trio of UNC defenders who now call the Barclays Center home.
“It’s special to share this with Cam and Day’Ron,” Powell said. “They’ve been texting me, ready to show me the ropes.”
From Pittsboro → Chapel Hill → Brooklyn, Powell’s journey has been fast but fueled by discipline, humility, and elite tools. Whether it’s Summer League minutes or a spot in the regular-season rotation, the opportunity is now.
And if his early Brooklyn days are any indication, Drake Powell isn’t just another draft pick he’s a future fan favorite in the making.
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