Brooklyn Nets: How is Sean Marks Picking Up the Broken Pieces?

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks is already embedding his fingerprints into the franchise. Through the Nets’ offseason moves, it’s clear that Marks is picking up the broken pieces left from the Billy King regime.

The Brooklyn Nets appointed Sean Marks as general manager of the team on February 19, 2016. Prior to Marks’ arrival to Brooklyn, Billy King was the GM of the Nets. King’s most notable moves were the Deron Williams trade in February 2011, the Joe Johnson trade in July 2012, and the blockbuster deal with the Boston Celtics in June 2013. The Nets were in a win-now mode and they were ready to contend for a championship. Fast forward to today, most of the players from the Billy King regime are gone.

Now as Marks enters the Nets, he’s looking to make changes. Marks has a challenge to rebuild the Nets after the mistakes that King made. In order to know how the Nets got to where they are now, one has too look at the moves they made in the past. We now look at the notable changes to the Nets organization that ties to where they are today.

The Billy King Regime

Sep 26, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson (7) and center Kevin Garnett (2) and point guard Deron Williams (8) and center Brook Lopez (11) pose for a photo during media day at the Brooklyn Nets Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Three years ago, King made the most notable move of his regime. Rather, it’s one of the biggest trades in Nets history. Let’s take a look at how this trade changed the course of this franchise.

There were a lot of factors that led the Brooklyn Nets to be in that state. However, everyone knows the infamous trade in July 13, 2013, when the Nets, under King as GM, officially made the trade for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry.

As part of that deal, the Nets traded away several of their players and their 2014, 2016, 2018 first round draft picks. Brooklyn was clearly in a win-now mode. However, the players that the Nets acquired were way past their prime, while they traded their future picks away. It was a gamble that the Nets wanted to take.

More from Nothin' But Nets

Entering the 2013-14 season, Brooklyn, led by rookie head coach, Jason Kidd, looked to make a lot of noise with all the veterans they had. The Nets also had the highest payroll at the time, at  $102,608,995. Nonetheless, they took that gamble.

With expectations at an all-time high for the Nets, they finished the season 44-38, which was enough for the playoffs. However, this was a lackluster performance under the expectations they had. Their season ended with a second round exit against the defending NBA champs, the Miami Heat.

Ultimately, Pierce left the Nets in free agency to the Washington Wizards and Garnett was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Thaddeus Young the following year. Williams was waived at the end of the 2014-15 season. Within two years, the Nets team that had championship expectations, dissipated.

What does that say about the Nets under King? Well, no one can tell the future, but with Brooklyn making these big moves, they were in a win-now mode and failed to deliver. Now, the Nets are falling apart with no draft picks and no future to build around Brook Lopez.

Welcome to the Present

Feb 19, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets new general manager Sean Marks speaks to the media during a press conference before a game against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

After King was let go, the Nets hired Marks, who ran Basketball Operations with the San Antonio Spurs and was an assistant under Gregg Popovich. Marks presents a championship pedigree from the Spurs, so expect Marks’ mindset to rebuild the Nets back into contention once again.

Little by little, Marks started removing the fingerprints of King by waiving Johnson in a buyout agreement. Head coach Lionel Hollins was let go on January 10, 2016, after having a horrible record of 10-27. Jarrett Jack, another notable player, was waived on June 30, 2016.

Enter Kenny Atkinson, the new head coach selected by Marks himself. While Atkinson may be a rookie head coach, he has experience as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks. Budenholzer himself was an assistant under Popovich. With many of the higher-ups having roots tied to the Spurs, one can say the Nets are heading in the right direction.

Offseason Moves

Mar 12, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Seton Hall Pirates guard Isaiah Whitehead (15) celebrates against the Villanova Wildcats in the second half of the championship game of the Big East conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. Seton Hall won, 69-67. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

As the Nets ended the 2015-16 season with a 21-61 record, Marks took the drivers seat and decided to add more of his fingerprints to the team. Despite not having as much attention in the offseason, Marks pulled a clever trade with the Indiana Pacers for the 20th overall pick, Caris LeVert.

Marks also drafted the sleeper of the draft, Isaiah Whitehead, in the second round. Expect LeVert and Whitehead to make a lot of noise. Then, Marks decided to sign players like Jeremy Lin, Luis Scola, Greivis Vazquez, Trevor Booker and Randy Foye. These group of players are more then capable of succeeding in Brooklyn.

While Marks couldn’t sign Tyler Johnson (Miami Heat) and Allen Crabbe (Portland Trail Blazers), he showed that he is willing to do anything to rebuild the Nets and bring them back to the playoffs.

With the players that they have now at their disposal, the Nets should definitely make more noise then they did the previous seasons. While many say that Brooklyn won’t make it far this season, it is yet to be seen what Atkinson can do. However, with the players acquired this offseason and the youth of this roster, don’t say that Marks isn’t doing anything to rebuild this team.

While the Nets still have ways to go in order to contend for a championship, necessary moves are being made. Marks has his fingerprints all over this team. Now, it’s time to embrace the Marks regime and look forward to the future.

This article originally appeared on