Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks Says Rebuild Will Be ‘Opportunistic'

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks reflected on this season and the path ahead during his end-of-season media appearance. He stressed the need to be “opportunistic” in rebuilding the team and also praised head coach Jordi Fernández’s culture and consistency. 

Marks said: “It's always important to be grateful and thankful [...] Thanks for the work, thanks for the due diligence, thanks for being part of this and driving our culture and the roles everybody played from staff [and] players alike. [...] It was a loud, fun atmosphere here, and that's not easy to do when it wasn't win, win, win, win.”

Brooklyn effectively started a total reset following the New York Knicks’ trade for Mikal Bridges last summer. That completed the process that started when the big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden fell apart. Marks, who has been in his role as GM since 2016, hired Fernández to lead the new era of Nets basketball. This is the 42-year-old’s first NBA head coaching position. 

“We reinforced a lot of the good things from the season, specifically Jordi and the coaching staff, how they've really driven home a competitive environment, and I think that's been talked about a lot, and it's been parroted by our players, which is really important,” Marks said. “So when players are [...] saying how much they enjoyed playing for Jordi and the staff, and they loved the culture and the values that were implemented here, that goes a long way.”

The Nets finished the 2024-25 season with a 26-56 record. Now, the organization will continue to look towards the months and years ahead. This summer appears crucial. For the players, it’s a chance to keep improving. On a wider level, the Nets have four first round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft and $45-60 million in cap space. Brooklyn will have to make important free agency decisions — in both the restricted and unrestricted markets.

Marks said: “The summer is when we do our work, and that goes across the board for the whole organization. The front office does its work for the draft and free agency and so forth, and roster building, but also players. Player and coach development — those relationships start in the off-season.”

The Nets’ projected No. 6 selection, which could become even more favorable come the May 12 draft lottery, is Marks’ highest pick during tenure as Brooklyn’s chief decision maker. That said, the team could also choose to rebuild via trades or free agency. The New Zealand-born executive said that the Nets needed to be “opportunistic” and not get sped up.

“It’s just about being opportunistic as to how we build and when we go all-in again, so to speak, and there could be going all-in with [...] free agents or trades, but it also could be go[ing] all-in with systematically growing some homegrown talent. And we've done that in the past and grown some guys here, developed some guys here, as well as attracted top tier talent from elsewhere.”