CBS Sports recently ranked all 30 NBA front offices. The Nets landed at No. 12 on their list.
The Nets’ front office, led by owner Joe Tsai, general manager Sean Marks, assistant general manager B.J. Johnson, and head coach Jordi Fernandez, was listed among “Tier 4″ teams deemed “smart but unlucky”. The Philadelphia 76ers (No. 10), Los Angeles Clippers (No. 11) and New Orleans Pelicans (No. 13) rounded out that group.
“If Kevin Durant’s foot was a size or two smaller, the Nets probably would have won a championship in 2021,” CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn wrote. “If New York doesn’t institute a vaccine mandate, the Nets might have won a championship in 2022. Play out the last five years 10 times and in a few of them, the Nets likely build a mini dynasty. If you’re going to blame Sean Marks for how the Durant era ended, then give him credit for it happening in the first place. He took over the worst team in the NBA with no control over its draft picks and turned it into a championship favorite in less than five years.”
Quinn credited Marks for “picking up the pieces” in the aftermath of the Nets’ failed Big 3 era, and for hiring Fernandez, who has the rebuilding Nets knocking on the Play-In Tournament with 25 regular-season games left. And with 31 draft picks over the next seven years, including four first-round picks and one second in the 2025 NBA Draft, he believes the Nets’ front office is in position to build a contender in Brooklyn.
“It’s going to take time to rebuild this thing, but Marks now has a boatload of future draft picks to work with,” Quinn wrote. “We’ve seen what he can build without that sort of head start, so the future looks pretty bright in Brooklyn.”
Bob Myers may be a name the Nets’ front office is monitoring, too. The former Golden State Warriors general manager, who helped the franchise to four championships during his 12-year tenure, could emerge as a key advisor for teams looking to establish or re-establish themselves among the league’s elite.
NBA insider Brandon “Scoop” Robinson linked Myers to Brooklyn and Philadelphia in a recent article. Myers helped advise the NFL’s Washington Commanders under new ownership this past season, and the franchise made its first NFC Championship game since 1991.
“His blend of executive acumen, player relationships and championship experience makes him an attractive asset to any franchise seeking stability and strategic vision,” Robinson wrote.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, arguably the best team in the NBA right now at 46-10, earned the top spot on CBS Sports’ list. Quinn wrote that the franchise has “done virtually everything right” since losing the Western Conference finals and Kevin Durant in 2016. The Thunder’s on-court product is undeniable.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls, who haven’t won a playoff series under general manager Arturas Karnisovas, were ranked last. They’re in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings entering Monday’s games, with a half-game lead over Brooklyn.