Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson (right) poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the 28th pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on June 23, 2026, in New York. The Timberwolves then traded Jefferson’s rights to the Brooklyn Nets.
Associated Press
AMES — Ninety-five days separated former Iowa State star forward Joshua Jefferson from being “devastated” to feeling “fortunate.”
The former unwelcome emotion stemmed from a severe ankle injury suffered in in the NCAA Tournament, which forced him to watch as the Cyclones’ season was cut short in the Sweet 16 by Tennessee.
The latter emotion enveloped Jefferson late Tuesday night when the Minnesota Timberwolves — on behalf of the Brooklyn Nets, via a trade — called his name with the 28th pick of the first round of the NBA Draft.
So it’s been a whirlwind three-month journey for the versatile 6-8 All-American who chose to be on site for the draft at the Barclay’s Center, which conjured a mixed bag of anxiety and excitement.
“Going to the draft was just a non-negotiable for me, because even if got a green room invite or not, I was confident I’d be called in the first round,” Jefferson said Saturday during a Zoom call. “So it really ended in a great night, (but) that night has a lot of nerves in it because you don’t know where you can end up. There (are) a lot of things that can happen, but I was fortunate to get picked on the first night.”
Jefferson’s accustomed to meeting uncertainty with decisiveness. He couldn’t practice most of the summer when he joined ISU two seasons ago because of a knee injury sustained late in the previous season with St. Mary’s. Then Jefferson broke through as a senior last season, averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists to position himself as a potential first-round pick before the ankle injury struck mere minutes into the Cyclones’ NCAA Tournament run in March.
“When I made the move (to ISU), that was always the goal, to get to the NBA,” Jefferson said. “If it happened the first year at Iowa State, prefect, but realistically it will probably take two years. And they just put me in a position to succeed right out of the gate, with body composition and the on-court training. They just did everything right within those two years to help me become an NBA prospect.”
Jefferson could carve out significant minutes as a rookie if his playmaking ability translates to the next level as expected. But for now he’s limited to individual workouts, as he can’t practice with the Nets until the trade with the Timberwolves is formalized early next month — mere days before summer league play begins in Jefferson’s hometown of Las Vegas.
“Right now it’s just staying in shape on my own and then mentally preparing myself for that first game (in the pre-summer league California Classic in Sacramento),” he said. “Kind of sucks that I won’t have some of the reps that the guys are getting right now within the system, but I’m trying to get as many mental reps as I can, learning the terminology. So Vegas is just try to go in there and compete and win as many games as we can.”
Brooklyn will enter the 2026-27 season in rebuilding mode after winning just 20 games last season. Frontcourt stars Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle — who was acquired in the trade with Minnesota — give the Nets centerpieces to build around, so Jefferson will look to capably contribute amid a wide-ranging competition for rotational minutes.
“Overall, they’re really high on me,” said Jefferson, who added that Brooklyn’s front office made it clear they want the ball to still be in his hands frequently at the next level. “They think I’m a great fit within their team (and) I think that’s why they traded up to pick me. So a lot of gratefulness for them believing in me so much.”
Rob Gray covers Iowa State University athletics for The Gazette, as well as state wrestling, state track and the Drake Relays. He can be reached at robgray18@icloud.com