Draft season is lying season.
It’s ill-advised to read too much into the tea leaves.
But everything the Nets do — and everything league insiders say — points toward GM Sean Marks picking the best available player Tuesday at Barclays Center.
And more and more, that’s looking like it could be Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr.
In this generational class with a host of elite lead guards, two among Brown, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. should still be on the board at No. 6.
And of the trio, Brown — with deep range, an elite passing bag and a risk-taking mentality that must get reined in — appears to be the likeliest pick and to have developed the closest relationship with the team.
“Yeah, it’s definitely a relationship built there,” Brown said. “Talking with them constantly, with Mr. Marks and Coach Jordi [Fernández], the biggest thing that he emphasized — if I get selected to go there — is building that relationship with Jordi.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to have a great connection from point guard to point guard. Head coach [Fernández] played point guard as well. So to be able to pick his brain on a lot of things and learn his system and to be able to come in and make an impact right away was big.”
Speaking of point guards, ex-Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks — now an ESPN insider — told The Post that taking three first-round guards last year shouldn’t deter them from taking another, because that’s where the value sits at No. 6.
While they’ve looked at moving up, getting into the top four may be cost prohibitive, and Brown may have the most star upside outside that group.
Acuff has both visited with and worked out for the Nets and is the most polished offensive guard in the class, but his defense is a concern.
“Every team you go to make you play defense, so you do different defensive drills,” said Acuff. “You’ve got to show you can defend a little bit.”
Wagler worked out for the Bulls (who have the fourth pick) and the Clippers (who’ll select fifth), then canceled a scheduled workout for Brooklyn.
“I already worked out for the Bulls, and then I was going to the Clippers. That’s four and five. Just hearing from them and kind of just knowing where I stood, I kind of knew I didn’t need to work out,” Wagler said. “Still meeting with teams and talking to them … but I just felt like I didn’t need to work out, honestly.”
Houston guard Kingston Flemings told ClutchPoints he hasn’t met or worked out with the Nets, who’ve also been linked with Tennessee forward Nate Ament and Michigan behemoth Aday Mara.
But the Ament buzz has the feel of misdirection.
And all the signs point to Brown — as do the mock drafts.
“It’d mean a lot. Big city. It’s the big city, bright lights. A lot of big-time names come out of Brooklyn, so to be able to represent that means a lot,” said Brown, confident of handling the spotlight of being the face of a New York rebuild.
“I would handle it. I’m very calm and down to earth. I’m about this basketball stuff. I keep the main thing the main thing. The focus is to try to win a championship.”
After suffering the ignominy of watching the Knicks actually win a title, Brooklyn needs to move from two years of tanking to building a foundation that can compete.
This pick will be the biggest brick in that foundation.
To that end, the Nets met with Brown at least three times — including a workout in Brooklyn and visiting his family in Orlando.
“It’s definitely unique,” Brown said of the visit. “Obviously there’s definitely been interest there, as there is in almost every single other team. But yeah, definitely, it made an impact. They got to talk to my mom and my dad. It was a great conversation.”
Will it be the start of a great relationship?
