Sean Marks has spent the past several seasons promising Brooklynites that this massive rebuild will begin to take shape.
Listening to the Nets’ long-time general manager during Brooklyn’s 115-83 Summer League rout of Sacramento on Tuesday at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center might lead you to believe it’s happening sooner rather than later.
“Very excited about this group,” Marks said while watching last year’s eighth overall pick Egor Dёmin put up 16 of his team-high 22 points in the opening quarter.
“I mean, they’re young but they’re out there competing.”
Young is an understatement.
The first- and second-year players the Nets sent to their annual offseason tournament helped comprise the most youthful roster the NBA had seen in 20 years last season.
Though Brooklyn lost 62 games, it also got a good, hard look at its historic haul of five first-round picks from 2025.
Add in sixth overall selection Mikel Brown Jr. from June’s draft and the Nets have plenty of talent to build another postseason contender around.
Especially with the addition of veteran forward Julius Randle via a draft-day deal that sent center Nic Claxton off to Chicago. And the potential of bringing Michael Porter Jr. back long term if he and the Nets can come to an agreement at some point this year.
But it is the youth that will determine if Marks was prudent in gathering a plethora of picks while selling off superstars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder.
The development of these players under Nets coach Jordi Fernández has been gradual through the customary growing pains.
In Vegas, however, Marks enjoyed watching the fruits of the organization’s labor.
“They’re playing hard,” he gushed. “They’re playing the right way. You see the ball moving around. These guys are competing — diving on the floor for loose balls. They want to compete for something, so that’s exciting.”
Brown Jr. impressed in his second outing, putting up 16 points in 19 minutes to go with five assists and four turnovers.
This after producing 10 points in last week’s California Classic against Golden State and 20 last Friday in the Summer League opener vs. the defending NBA champion Knicks.
Nets general manager Sean Marks expressed his enthusiasm regarding the team’s youth movement during Brooklyn’s Summer League win over Sacramento on Tuesday. Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP
Brown sat out Saturday’s loss to Atlanta.
“What we’ve seen so far, not only in the California Classic Summer League, but in Vegas here, is just how he’s got those leadership characteristics,” Marks said of Brown.
“(He’s) taken a lot of the guys under his wing, and spent time with them away from the court as well, which is really unique for a young man like that,” he added. “Those things will translate to a really, really positive career.”
A career the Nets are hoping will result in the lottery pick being their point guard for the next decade or so.
Fernández, who received a long-term extension in April, has endured 118 defeats in his two years at the helm here.
Yet, Marks believes the long-time assistant via Denver and Sacramento can be in charge of this rebuild for years to come, if, of course, the Nets begin to contend for more than lottery picks.
“One of the things that’s really shined from Jordi and how he’s approached his first few years here has been just how honest he is with players,” Marks said.
“Jordy lets everybody know right off the get-go and and owns it. He’s honest with it. Honest about himself, honest about the mistakes that he makes. … That’s a special leader, and he’s been absolutely tremendous in these first couple years.“
Rookie Joshua Jefferson had nine points on 4-of-7 shooting against the Kings after making only one of eight field-goal attempts in the opener.
Ben Saraf led the reserves with 11 points and starters Drake Powell and Danny Wolf added 18 and 14 points, respectively, while logging at least 20 minutes apiece.
The Nets will close out the three-game Summer League slate ahead of a potential bid to the four-team championship round on Thursday vs. Houston.
Veteran forward Julius Randle will play a vital role in helping the youngest roster in the NBA develop this coming season. Photo: Abbie Parr/AP
NOTHING BUT NET: Randle, who spent five years in New York with the Knicks before playing in Minnesota the last two campaigns, will be providing veteran leadership to the youthful Nets in our borough. Whether Porter Jr. inks a deal to remain is yet to be seen, but Randle has already indicated his willingness to grow alongside Marks’ youthful group. “I look at how enthusiastic Julius is about coming back here and you know being in New York again, and so forth,” Marks said Tuesday. “He’s been on winning franchises. He understands what it takes. He’s a pro’s pro. He’s a powerful player — that’s something we’re looking for.” … Coming off an impressive finish to his rookie year, guard Nolan Traoré isn’t competing with the Nets this summer after undergoing surgery on his right knee earlier this month.