Which NBA team rolled the dice on the former Tar Heel?
Day’Ron Sharpe was the most recent UNC basketball product to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, taken 29th overall in 2021. Since then, he’s been playing for the Brooklyn Nets.
Now, Sharpe may be joined by another Tar Heel—Drake Powell—who appears headed to Brooklyn as well.
Powell was chosen with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, but that selection is reportedly part of a trade deal that will send him to the Nets. The deal isn’t finalized yet, but all signs point to Powell starting his NBA journey in Brooklyn.
This marks Powell as the third first-round pick made by Brooklyn in this year’s draft, part of an aggressive five-pick haul. The Nets clearly have a thing for UNC talent, with Sharpe and Cam Johnson already on the roster.
For Powell, joining the Nets could be a golden opportunity. Renowned for his elite defense, he still has room to grow offensively—but Brooklyn, currently in a rebuild, may offer the perfect environment for development and early playing time.
UNC fans will be eager to see Powell succeed, especially given the perception that Tar Heels have recently struggled to make an impact in the pros. With Powell becoming a first-round pick and heading to Brooklyn, that narrative might be starting to shift.
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