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Nets: Spurs missing playoffs should reignite Gregg Popovich rumors

By Thomas Carannante

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 08: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs argues a call during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 08, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 08: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs argues a call during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 08, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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The NBA playoffs are underway and the Spurs are out … where are ya Gregg Popovich?!

If the Brooklyn Nets are going to explore the market for a new head coach despite the masterful work Jacque Vaughn has done with a largely unrecognizable roster, then general manager Sean Marks better be going for it all.

That means San Antonio Spurs boss Gregg Popovich needs to be in the crosshairs, and that needs to be the Nets’ undisputed top target. The NBA is now a league run by superstars, and the relationship those guys establish with a head coach is paramount in making everything work seamlessly.

Pop is an NBA legend, but he’s also a big player coach. We’ve seen the relationships he’s established with his guys over the years, and that’s led to unparalleled success. If anyone can keep the dynamic intact within the Nets locker room that will feature Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it’s Pop.

Now, with the NBA playoffs in full swing and the Spurs sitting at home for the first time since 1997, the Popovich-to-the-Nets rumors need to heat back up again.

Throw in the fact the Nets announced they’d be formally launching a coaching search after the their campaign ends, and what other option do they have? Mark Jackson? Jeff Van Gundy? Come on.

Those two guys have been in the rumor mill for years, and nothing has materialized. Let’s move on from that. Popovich isn’t exactly a realistic acquisition either, but when you consider the great era of Spurs basketball is over, perhaps the franchise wants to start anew. After all, Pop has the power to “manage his future the way he wants,” according to his latest extension with the team.

San Antonio stands to lose LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and others after next year, with DeRozan holding a player option for the 2020-2021 season. There aren’t a whole lot of eye-popping free agents hitting the market when this campaign concludes, so it won’t be easy for the Spurs to get more competitive.

That’s why we should be hearing more about Pop to the Nets. Marks won two titles with the Spurs and Pop years ago as a player and assistant coach. Throw in the fact KD actually sat down with the Spurs during his free agency, and we’ve got some legs to this.

The Spurs are on the decline, the Nets are trending upward, and all the little factors in between make this even more enticing than it was when the first rumors began to cycle.

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