Brooklyn Nets: How Sean Marks rebuilt Brooklyn and claimed New York

Plan starts falling into place

DeMarre Carroll would also go on to have one of the best seasons of his career, proving to be a valuable acquisition on the court and in the Brooklyn Nets locker room.

A culture began to form in Brooklyn. They were a team that played hard each night, with the players thoroughly supporting each other.

Noticing his team’s trajectory, Marks moved into the 2018 offseason with a vision. The 2019 free agent class would be among the best in history and Brooklyn would need to clear cap space to be competitive in the market.

Marks traded Timofey Mozgov and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for Dwight Howard, who was later bought out. The deal would clear nearly $17 million for the following offseason, giving the Nets enough for two max slots.

With his eye on the 2019 free agent class, Marks made yet another savvy move to add to Brooklyn’s draft capital, acquiring Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur with a 2019 first-round pick from the Denver Nuggets for Isaiah Whitehead.

Marks then flipped Arthur to the Phoenix Suns for Jared Dudley and a 2021 2nd-rounder.

Brooklyn added two more young prospects in the draft, selecting Dzanan Musa 29th overall and Rodions Kurucs 40th overall.

With a young roster and financial flexibility, players around the league began to take notice. Jimmy Butler named Brooklyn as one of his three preferred destinations upon demanding a trade from Minnesota.

The 2018-19 season marked the turning point in Brooklyn’s rebuild. Following an 8-18 start, a players-only film session led by Jared Dudley sparked the young team. The Nets would go on to win 20 of their next 26 contests and propel themselves into the playoff picture.