The Brooklyn Nets are back in the NBA rebuilding sphere again. After a run with the experiment of adding Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Mikal Bridges trade was the final nail in the coffin. However, the net returns for the Nets aren’t something to scoff at. Thanks to the trio and James Harden, Brooklyn is overflowing with draft assets and rotational players.
This is the same franchise that was without draft picks for over half a decade and still made a viable playoff roster in the 2010s. For Sean Marks, working that kind of magic again isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Only this time, he has as many as nine future first-round picks in his arsenal. That is without counting whatever returns quality wings like Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson fetch Brooklyn in the future.
From a managerial and front-office standpoint, Brooklyn is in a very good spot. But the issue lies competitively. Since the early 2000s, the Nets haven’t fielded consistently excellent teams for any long stretch. With another rebuild underway, it seems unlikely that the trend is changing. However, this time, Marks has a clear plan in mind.
Sean Marks is confident in seeing the rebuild through
For Marks, rebuilding is the clear objective, especially with the recent hall from the New York Knicks. By trading away Bridges, the team got essentially six first-round picks.
Additionally, they could convert future firsts from the Phoenix Suns into their own. As a result, the incentive to tank is even higher, with better draft positioning up for grabs.
But Sean doesn’t believe the process will take much time. He believes the team can kickstart the process in third gear with a clear objective and get where they need to go. “This build, do I think it’s going to take time? I mean, I think we’ll be strategic in it. But I do think being in this market, with this amount of draft assets, we’ve done it before. And so again, I think, not that it’s going to be expedited by any means, but I don’t think it’s a long process, either.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets Updates
For months, the Mikal Bridges trade was a big question mark for Brooklyn. Reports of teams offering up to four first-round picks made the rounds. The Nets’ insistence was seen as negligence. For the last few years, names like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have given Brooklyn five first-round picks.
It was hard to believe an offer to rival four first-round picks could become available. However, the team dealt with a steady hand, and when the opportunity came, they chose “sustainable success”, as Marks points out.
“I think you have to look yourself in the mirror as an organization and sort of say what’s the best path for us moving forward here, and how do we do this and how do we have that sustainable success that we want. So when you’re able to [add] that amount of draft assets over the course of the last year, I think that’s going to help us in our trajectory long term.”
What’s next for the Brooklyn Nets?
The Nets weren’t a particularly competitive team a season ago. They should take a further step back without their undisputed best player. Instead, the focus can shift to developing guys like Cam Thomas and Nicolas Claxton, who could factor into their plans. Moreover, Sean Marks might not be done adding to his war chest.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets Updates
As mentioned above, the team still has two quality wings on its roster who could, at the very least, fetch 1 first-round pick apiece. Next year’s draft is already in speculation as an all-timer, with generational prospect Cooper Flagg leading the hunt. As Marks predicted, Brooklyn could quickly be back in the mix of competitive teams.
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