Brooklyn Nets: What ‘change’ is Sean Marks hinting at in press conference?
By Mike Luciano
The Brooklyn Nets were playing with just one of their superstars at full health in recent days, as Kevin Durant was carrying a team hampered by James Harden’s hamstring injury and Kyrie Irving’s ankle problem.
Still, Sean Marks had to be disappointed with the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks bounced them in the semifinals.
Marks took this job when the Nets had no talent and no draft capital, and he helped build them into the NBA’s must-watch attraction in the span of a few short years, so he has earned the trust of Nets fans when it comes to roster building.
However, Marks didn’t seem pleased with the fact that Milwaukee was able to take them down, and he appears ready to make some very drastic moves in the name of surrounding their star players with depth.
In Monday’s postmortem on the season, Marks claimed that there is “going to be change” when referring to what the offseason may entail for this squad, as he promised a very close examination of every position on the roster in order to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
So…what should we be expecting here? What can he do?
Sean Marks on Nets offseason: "Inevitably, there's going to be change here."
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) June 21, 2021
What change will Sean Marks bring to the Brooklyn Nets?
The most obvious and glaring position of need is at the center position, as they were trying to plug Blake Griffin into that role despite his declining rebounding and poor defense. DeAndre Jordan didn’t even play in the postseason, and Nicolas Claxton likely is too skinny to play the 5 role full-time in the pros.
Perhaps they could once again scout the trade market in order to look for alternatives? The market is full of both stars and big men that could be looking for new homes this season, and the Nets might be able to oblige.
The free agent market could be another way that the Nets attack their lack of size. While they might not have as much cap space and will be unable to compete with some of the top dogs, the allure of competing for a championship while starting will have some allure for players on the open market.
Will the Nets trade Joe Harris?
Joe Harris went from a fan favorite and the best 3-point shooter in the league to a pariah who played well below what was expected of him all postseason long. Having signed a four-year contract last offseason and still in possession of a lethal 3-point shot, Harris could be traded if the Nets want to bring in a fourth star.
Harris might not be the only guard on the move, as Spencer Dinwiddie appears ready to reject his player option for next year and test unrestricted free agency. Is there a chance that the Nets could work out a sign-and-trade with Dinwiddie going the other way? Considering the Big Three are locked in, these look like the most likely moves.
While the Harden trade depleted their draft capital for the next decade, Brooklyn is in possession of four different draft picks in 2021, including their own first-round pick. What better place to add talent, either in the form of a young point guard who could come off of the bench or a big with the tools needed to develop into a starter in the future?
For the most part, the Nets will be running it back, as they have the best trio of star players in the league and a limited amount of financial wiggle room. However, Marks is a tinkerer who is always looking to make a move here or there. If he pushes the right buttons and manages to add that one game-changer, the Nets’ struggles in the paint could evaporate. A ring just might follow.
