Nets to be without lottery pick against Pacers

The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the premier teams to watch when it comes to some of the younger stars in the league, given their vast number of first-round picks over the last few seasons. The likes of Egor Demin, Danny Wolf, Nolan Traore, amongst others were the names to make their debuts last season, and this year brought another name to the Barclays Center: Mikel Brown Jr.

Brown was selected with the sixth pick in the 2026 NBA draft and has been a key fixture for Jordi Fernandez this season, appearing in both of Brooklyn's opening matches, in which he's averaged seven points and four assists. These numbers are a far cry from what he was producing during his lone year at Louisville, but they're not exactly bad for someone who is still adapting to life in the NBA.

Brown to miss Sunday's match against the Pacers

But it appears that Brown's playing streak will come to an end on Sunday night, as according to the NBA's injury report, the Nets have listed him as OUT due to a back injury.

However, there's no reason to worry about the rookie's condition, as according to ClutchPoint's Erik Slater, Brown's absence against the Pacers is purely a preventative measure.

Injuries haven't been unusual for the rookie; he suffered a minor ankle injury earlier in the year, but it seems to have subsided.

Tip-off between the Nets and Pacers is slated for 6:00 p.m. EST.