Sean Marks isn’t letting the Knicks’ title push the Nets off their rebuild plan.
Brooklyn’s general manager made that clear when asked about whether another team’s success - especially across the city - would alter how he’s handling the roster. His answer was blunt, and it left no room for a pivot.
"No, not at all. I mean, we’re not, we’re not, we’re not going to be motivated or less motivated by what somebody else is doing," Marks said to the media in the aforementioned press conference after the team introduced the rookies from the 2026 NBA Draft.
"I think all we control is our path. I think we set out on this a couple of years ago, and I think I’m very happy with what the group has done."
That stance matters because the Nets are still in the middle of a rebuild, and the 2026-27 NBA season is expected to be a rough one. Plenty of people around the league think Brooklyn could end up near the bottom of the standings while waiting for one of its young players to take the next step.
The question of how long this process will last has followed Marks for a while. He has been pressed repeatedly over the last couple of seasons about whether he would ever shift from patience to urgency and start pushing harder for wins.
NetsDaily reported on Monday that Marks brushed off the idea of letting the Knicks’ championship change his thinking. The outlet also noted that “(As more than one NBA watcher has noted, the team governor and GM have been like “peas in a pod” when it comes to strategy.),” reinforcing how aligned Brooklyn’s leadership has been on the rebuild.
Meanwhile, the front office has still been active this offseason. Marks and the Nets traded for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, and he’ll join a group that includes sharpshooting forward Michael Porter Jr. and young guard Egor Demin.
Even with that move, the bigger picture hasn’t changed. Brooklyn fans who have been riding with the team from the start are getting restless, but for now Marks is sticking with the same roadmap.
In Other News...
Nets Letting Malachi Smith Go Says Plenty About Their Roster Plan
The roster churn around the bottom of an NBA bench is often more revealing than the headline moves, and Malachi Smiths latest stop fits that pattern. The guard has signed with the Toronto Raptors, according to a team release, after spending time with Brooklyn on a two-year contract that included a team option. Smith had been part of the Nets picture briefly enough to show they were willing to keep a flexible look at the back end of the roster.
For Brooklyn, the move says as much about roster management as it does about Smith. The Nets have been sorting through options and staying nimble with their contract spots, while Toronto now carries a crowded group with 20 players under contract. Smiths next opportunity appears to be tied to camp competition, which gives him another chance to stick but also leaves his place far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
New York Liberty Hit Another Rough Stretch Fans Cant Ignore
The Libertys latest stumble had the familiar feel of a team trying to steady itself while the details keep slipping away. Against the Sky, Natasha Cloud poured in 24 points and set the tone for Chicago, while New York spent much of the first half chasing the game after turnovers and rebounding issues put it on the back foot. Even so, the Liberty showed some fight after the break, getting steadier contributions from Han Xu, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu as they tried to claw back into the contest.
The bigger concern may have come in the middle of it all, when Jonquel Jones went down with an ankle injury before returning to the bench by halftime. There was no serious update after the game, leaving another layer of uncertainty around a stretch that already has fans looking for answers. For a Liberty team that has enough talent to change the feel of a night quickly, the question now is whether the effort in the second half can become something more lasting once the injury picture becomes clearer. [Read more 🡒]
Mikel Brown Jr. Could Decide How Far The Nets Really Go
Mikel Brown Jr. already looks like one of the more important players in Brooklyns long-term plan, and the Nets are treating his development as more than a summer-league storyline. He flashed real two-way promise in Las Vegas, where the organization got a glimpse of the point guard it hopes he can become, while also watching how his growth might fit into a team trying to stay relevant in the standings right now.
That creates a tricky balance for Brooklyn, which wants Brown to chase Rookie of the Year-level recognition without losing sight of the bigger picture around the play-in race and the future of its draft capital. The Nets also need help from Egor Dmin, Nolan Traor and Ben Saraf if they are going to support that competitive push, and how quickly those young guards come along may end up shaping just how far this group can realistically go. [Read more 🡒]