Top Stories

Sean Marks Rumors

The day the Nets traded Johnson’s longtime friend Mikal Bridges and signaled their intent to tank, that put veterans such as Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder, Ben Simmons and Bojan Bogdanovic on the trade block.  But the latter trio are all playing on expiring deals, so they could be kept to preserve 2025 cap space. Moving Johnson and Finney-Smith seems logical, with the Johnson projected to fetch more in return.  “We’ve had some conversations with all the vets on the team because it does weigh on people,” Marks said last week. “And I don’t try to sort of breeze over that because it’s a family, and you want to say, ‘Hey, this is a close-knit group.’ It’s a close locker room in there, and when one of their own leaves, it hits home. 
1 day ago – via New York Post

, , Uncategorized

, , , , , , ,

“It’s the reality of pro sports, so I think you have to be upfront and honest with it. And I think everybody — not only on this team but, I would say, around the league — really realizes: Look, it’s pro sports. I’ve been in that locker room. I understand what it looks like and what it seems like and you do have to move on and so forth.  “But again, you want to be upfront, honest. And ultimately the goal for us is to find continuity, right? Whether that’s through a group of young guys building and growing here together, adding pieces in free agency when we have the opportunity to do so or trading for guys, which we can do. So, the flexibility for us is pretty exciting and intriguing moving forward.”
1 day ago – via New York Post

, , Uncategorized

, , ,

Nets 'were always prepared for a rebuild' before Mikal Bridges trade

Though Marks said the Bridges final deal came together quickly — technically true since Bojan Bogdanovic and Shake Milton weren’t even Knicks until Feb. 8 and March 5 — a second source told The Post the broad strokes had been offered as early as the Feb. 8 trade deadline. That likely means the five first-round picks and a swap. “We were always prepared for a rebuild. It wasn’t like, oh, let’s wait to be lucky to find the star that’s coming into free agency. We were always prepared to pivot in the other direction if we could see the right opportunity to do that,” a source said. “And who would’ve thought we could trade Mikal Bridges for five first-round draft picks? And who would’ve thought we were able to find that window of opportunity to get Houston to agree to get our picks back?
6 days ago – via New York Post

, , , , Top Rumors

, , , , , , , , ,

Nets GM Sean Marks has only spoken publicly once since the team traded Mikal Bridges, and team owner Joe Tsai not at all. But multiple highly placed sources peeled the curtain back on Brooklyn’s thinking, explaining its heel turn from chasing stars to embracing a rebuild as all part of game theory. “[The view had been] that if you’re in New York City, you can’t be a bad team, because the fan base is not going to support you. It’s such a big media market, if you’re a terrible team, everything gets very bad,” one source told The Post of the organization’s initial aversion to a rebuild. “But you also have to think about the long term. You cannot be a mediocre team for a long time. So you have to set yourself up to either be really good, and if you only see a path to be just mediocre in the near term, then you have to consider an option that can take you to a rebuild.”
6 days ago – via New York Post

, , Uncategorized

, , , ,

Finney-Smith will make $14.9 million next season and has a $15.4 million player option for 2025-26. The 31-year-old seems likely to opt out next summer aiming for one last payday. That means Nets general manager Sean Marks is all the more incentivized to deal him either now or at the trade deadline. Does Finney-Smith hear all the noise? Of course. “I mean, I’m human,” Finney-Smith said. “I’m human. So of course. I’ve got family and stuff always asking me what’s going on and s–t like that. But you know, I’m just honest. So, I’m human, so I’m going to pay attention a little bit. But I can say I’m wherever my feet are at. “I still get to do what I love. I could be in a tougher situation where I’m looking for a job. I know I’m gonna be good regardless. If I’m here, I’m here. If I’m not, I’m not. So I just try to be wherever my feet are at. So I’m a Brooklyn Net right now, and I’m looking forward to competing.”
1 week ago – via New York Post

, , Uncategorized

, , ,

When did you find out that the Mikal trade was official, and what was your first thought? Jordi Fernandez: “I think Sean (Marks) said it. I was going through a process. We know that we wanted to do something sustainable, and we wanted to win and build something very special. There were different avenues to do it, and this was a possible one. We just could not control what other teams would offer, so we would have to sit and wait. He had different avenues to get there. When the opportunity presented itself, he called me, and I knew before it came out to the media. I was very excited because I know how the NBA works, and I know how good you can get when you have assets, flexibility, and so forth. I’m just very excited.”
2 weeks ago – via HoopsHype

, , , Uncategorized

, , , , ,

Sean Marks: Mikal Bridges didn't ask for trade

Many came from the trade of Bridges, who Marks insisted never asked to leave. “It’s been reported that Mikal wanted to leave or requested a trade. That could not be further from the truth,” Marks said. “That’s just not in Mikal’s character. That’s not who he is, and that definitely did not happen. He was told by me when I called him and let him know that we’re at the 2-yard line.” The Nets got the Bridges trade across the goal line.
2 weeks ago – via New York Post

, , Top Rumors

, , , , ,