Brooklyn Nets: 5 takeaways from the 2018-19 NBA season

1. Sean Marks is deserving of praise

This team has come a long way in a such a short amount of time. The 2013 trade between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets may still be fresh on the minds of many around the league, but with the progress they have made, the Brooklyn front office can definitely say that bad memories of that deal are far behind them.

Since being named general manager in 2016, Sean Marks has gone above and beyond in his efforts to improve and build up this team. His ability to make moves that would benefit the Nets down the line, even when they required a willingness to readily part with immediate talent, have regularly paid off. Given the team’s lack of assets, what he has been able to do is even more impressive.

Marks’ foresight has helped Brooklyn build a foundation of young players over and over again. His defining moves include trading Thaddeus Young to acquire Caris LeVert, parting with Brook Lopez to bring aboard D’Angelo Russell and taking a chance by giving long-term deals to promising players who hadn’t yet found their way in the league like Spencer Dinwiddie or Joe Harris.

Through aggressive but smart machinations, Sean Marks has helped this team return to a competitive state and deserves as much praise as he can get for doing so.