With Porter cap hold removed, the Brooklyn Nets plan begins to take shape

While the Brooklyn Nets begin to climb themselves out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference, general manager Sean Marks’ creative and strategic plan begins to take shape.

When Sean Marks took over the Brooklyn Nets general manager position back in February of 2016, he continued to preach patience.

Yes, the Nets were — and still are — one of the worst teams in the NBA, with little-to-no future assets after the 2013 draft-night trade that landed them Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry.

I promise that’s the last time I’ll mention that trade, as now, four years later, the Nets begin to showcase their new plan — one that owner Mikhail Prokhorov has bought into after watching his franchise fall to rock-bottom like a Jenga tower.

Now, in the summer of 2017, Sean Marks continues to show his creativity as general manager, taking what seemed to be an impossible task of climbing out of the Nets mess’ and bringing the franchise back to respectability.

The 41-year-old from New Zealand has seen it all in his nearly 18-month stint with the team; development league call-ups, trades, free agents and yes, salary dumps.

He’s begun to dismantle the roster, leaving only one player remaining with the team during the crowned “Billy King era:” Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

"“Ownership was behind us when I said, ’`This is how we’re going to do it,’ which is what I needed to hear,” Marks said during a Nets summer league broadcast. “We all signed up for this. We’ve got a long, long long way to go but we’re taking baby steps to get there.”"

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Marks sees the value is starting fresh, bringing in an entirely new staff from top-to-bottom, knowing the commitment to development and patience in his front office and with his coaching personnel.

It’s been well-documented the Nets aren’t major players in free agency. No, the Dion Waiters, Blake Griffins and Gordon Haywards of the world aren’t packing up their bags for Brooklyn.

Regardless of where you play, players want to win. It’s about a combination of system fit, culture, and commitment to winning (for most, in the short-term).

So, for Sean Marks, with no incentive to tank, he’s had to go a bit of an unconventional route, one that some NBA pundits believe has disturbed some front offices around the league: restricted free agents.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

Sure, the likes of Allen Crabbe, Tyler Johnson, Otto Porter Jr., and Dontas Motiejunas have not made it to Brooklyn, but they all signed an offer sheet. Whether it was for purely the money, the Nets sold each player on the vision of the franchise, the culture-setting pieces the team has, and how the development curve for each player is untapped.

"“Man it was a great feeling,” Johnson told Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. “You can tell by the conversations we were having that they were very interested in the sense of making me a focal point of this franchise, so I was definitely humbled by the belief they had in me. I was ready to go over there [Brooklyn]. Obviously I love Miami, but I was ready for Brooklyn. Who could’ve called the way this all played out this summer?”"

Marks sold Johnson, who is still with the Heat and recently eligible to be traded to the Nets (whatever stock you want to put into that), on the culture, the community, the basketball fit and how he could be someone the Nets could build around. He bought it.

Many fans say “Sean Marks struck out,” or “Sean Marks is a terrible GM in free agency,” but easily forget the bigger picture of where they’re starting from, and what it takes to land those marquee names at a reasonable price.

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The Nets made strategic moves bringing in a young D’Angelo Russell, utilizing an asset they have and a willingness they have to take on unwanted contracts in exchange for young assets and/or draft picks.

With nearly a dozen teams getting ready to pay the luxury tax this upcoming season, the now minimum $16.5 million in cap room the Nets have after the six-day matching period by the Wizards on Otto Porter Jr. shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity to acquire unrestricted free agents, but rather as a way to absorb deals from teams that are hindering their chances of competing today.

The Nets, coincidentally not competing in an era dominated by the Golden State Warriors. They aren’t competing for today, or next season, or even 2019-20 for that matter.

"“We came in knowing what we had and knew the hand we were dealt,” Marks told NBA TV during a Nets summer league game."

Marks fully understands the level of creativity needed to bring the franchise to a place where free agents see the team as one being one or two pieces away from competing in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

"“We’re in the talent-acquisition and building mode,” he continued to say on-air. “Because of our situation we have to be creative and curious. This hasn’t been done before, so my feeling is, let’s go against the norm and do things a bit differently.”"

And, they certainly are. In an era where teams are matching $100+ million offer sheets, hard-capping themselves, and paying an exorbitant amount in luxury tax, Sean Marks has the rest of the NBA right where he wants them.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Now, we just enjoy the ride and watch the man work.

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With Otto Porter cap hold removed, the Brooklyn Nets’ plan begins to take shape

By Christopher Lavinio | Jul 13, 2017

While the Brooklyn Nets begin to climb themselves out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference, general manager Sean Marks’ creative and strategic plan begins to take shape.

More from Hoops Habit