Could Sean Marks be clearing room for a potential run at Kawhi Leonard?

In surprise move, Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks made more magic in trading for an expiring contract in Dwight Howard. He also drafted two projects. Could Marks be making a move for Kawhi Leonard?

It came as a surprise last week when the Brooklyn Nets traded disgruntled and vastly overpaid center Timofey Mozgov and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for the expiring contract of much more talented locker-room pariah Dwight Howard.

Sean Marks, a magician as general manager of the Nets, surprised many around the NBA with the move and looked like a genius again.

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However, to diehard Nets fans, the deal came off a bit confusing due to the fact that the Nets are trying to build a culture based on players having good character and being humble, trustworthy guys — everything prima donna Howard is not.

However, what if this is all part of the bigger plan? It has been reported that Marks is going to buy out Dwight Howard‘s contract and having Mozgov off the books clears the way for the Nets to have some flexibility with the cap this season and next.

How does this translate into getting Kawhi Leonard here? Let’s start with salaries. Leonard is set to make $20 million this season, with a player option for the 2019-20 season at around $21 million.

With the Nets having unloaded Mozgov, they only have one guaranteed contract after the 2018-19 season in Allen Crabbe, which will allow them to add two max free agents if they were able.

What do the Nets have that the San Antonio Spurs would want? That’s a great question! If you look at the state of the Nets right now, they have two expiring contracts that would be attractive to the Spurs in DeMarre Carroll and Jeremy Lin.

Those salaries combined would add up to a little over $28 million .

They could also throw in Spencer Dinwiddie or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to make the deal more appealing to the Spurs. However, the way Marks casts his spells and does his voo-doo on other general managers is almost Danny Ainge-like.

So in that regard, I do not see them giving away the farm like the legendary Billy King did.

Now that we have the salaries out of the way here’s why Leonard, even though a long shot, will be a Brooklyn Net.

The Spurs have said that they will not trade him anywhere in the Western Conference. They will only trade him to the East. Yes, I know there are some teams that are better suited to offer a better package then the Nets, but the reason why they won’t is due to relationships.

Let’s not forget that Marks worked directly under Spurs GM R.C. Buford for years and most of the Nets’ hires have been plucked directly from the Spurs’ tree. So, that will make the conversation easier to be had.

I also believe that sometimes GMs like to help each other and knowing that Marks took the worst job in sports (other than running the Knicks) with such a bare cupboard will make Buford look kindly on Marks.

If you add all this together, while also adding the small things like Marks having a great relationship with Kawhi’s uncle and advisor in West Orange, N.J. Or perhaps the Nets not trading up to take another bad contract with a better draft pick.

Perhaps even what Marks said on the radio this past week with New YorK radio hosts Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts, that they’ll see what July holds, maybe just maybe this is not just about the summer of 2019.

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Magicians are good at their trade because of misdirection. Maybe it’s time we start paying attention to the direction Marks the magician is not pointing to.