A year ago, Sean Marks probably imagined spending this weekend of July 4th enjoying the success of Brooklyn, delighting in the hits (finals appearance, championship, whatever) to which came his superstar team. Season 21-22 was to be the culmination of a three-year journey, a dream come true. Instead, it has become a nightmare.
The Nets are publicly disbanding. Kevin Durant has requested a change. Kyrie Irving opted for his contract, in large part because the desperate Lakers were the only team interested in making an exchange for him. Last summer, Marks confidently stated that Irving and James Harden’s contract extensions would be done before the start of the training camp. “Signed, sealed and delivered,” Marks said. Today Harden is gone, while Durant and Irving could be next door.
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It’s been six years since Marks took over GM’s job in Brooklyn and make no mistake, his decisions this summer will define his tenure. It’s been a relatively smooth journey for Marks to this point. He inherited the NBA Titanic, a franchise that changed his draft options, and was successful with it. He drew talents like Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie at the end of the draft. It was Marks, along with Kenny Atkinson, who rehabilitated D’Angelo Russell. He led a 21-win team to the playoffs in his third full season, turning the Nets, not the Knicks, into the New York team chosen by Durant and Irving in free agency.
However, a title, once seemingly within reach, has never seemed so far away. Marks cannot be held responsible for the domino effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no strategy to prepare for a citywide vaccine warrant or any script on what to do when Irving decided to ignore it. Irving’s absence, and its aftermath, poisoned the Nets’ season before it began.
However, mistakes were made. There was Atkinson, 62 canned games in the ’19 -20 season, let go before Durant played a game for him. Atkinson could have been succeeded by Jacque Vaughn, the deeply respected veteran who was 7-3 replacing Atkinson in the season interrupted by COVID. Instead, Marks labeled Steve Nash, whose former MVP whose relationship with Durant — Nash spent some of his days parachuting at Golden State to work as a freelance assistant — helped him get the concert. It was a splendid rental, if not impressive. Nash has been fine, he’s been helpful, but in last season’s playoffs it was Ime Udoka, a former Nets assistant, who coached circles around him.
There was Harden’s trade. Harden had his moments in Brooklyn, especially early on, when Harden emerged in 2021 as a top MVP candidate. But Harden quickly became bitter in Brooklyn – Irving’s unavailability last season frustrated him – and even earlier Harden, one of the NBA’s top scorers, looked like a player who missed a step. With Harden the Nets became greedy. They wanted stars and were willing to sacrifice valuable role players (Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert) and a cache of draft selections to get one. Harden played less than a full game season in Brooklyn. Allen emerged as an All-Star last season in Cleveland, where LeVert, a steady scorer of 17 points per game, joined him. Marks landed Ben Simmons in a Harden exchange last February, also regaining some draft capital, but Simmons hasn’t played a game for Brooklyn and with the Nets suddenly open, he may never do so.
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Instead of presiding over a championship-level franchise, Marks is now faced with deconstructing one. He has set a high price for Durant, two All-Star level players and a bunch of draft picks, sources familiar with the Nets’ price told SI, although getting it could be difficult. Mass transportation is often a product of despair. The Clippers needed Paul George to sign Kawhi Leonard in 2019, so Oklahoma City were able to draw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks for him. Minnesota needed a defensive anchor to support a team with a pair of emerging superstars, which justified sending four first-round picks to Utah for Rudy Gobert last week.
Is there any equipment that Durant needs? Phoenix could. Chris Paul is aging and the Suns don’t seem interested in giving Deandre Ayton the maximum contract he’s looking for. Toronto would certainly offer a couple of their young players and plenty of choices. Beyond that, the market is murky. Complicated too: NBA rules say a team cannot have two players in maximum-level beginners extensions acquired by trade. The Nets have Simmons, who pulls other players (Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins) out of the mix.
There is a bolder move, a Marks may be forced to consider. Do not change Durant. The Nets were seen as a title contender before Durant’s change request lit a firecracker at the reception; SI Sportsbook had Brooklyn at over-600, behind only Golden State for the best odds of winning a championship. There is no market for Irving unless Dallas despairs or the Nets are willing to absorb Russell Westbrook from the Lakers. Returning to Durant carries a risk, but does anyone think Durant, with a four-year contract, would settle? Brooklyn will re-sign Patty Mills and Nicolas Claxton and swapped a first-round pick for Royce O’Neale, a three-man wing and D. There’s enough talent, more than enough, to win.
The responsibility lies with Marks. Building networks was once Marks ’legacy. Now it is up to you to decide if, when and how to break them. The honeymoon lasted six years and was full of success after success. For Sean Marks, though, the honeymoon is over.
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