Across his nearly five years as general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, Sean Marks’ peers in the NBA front offices saw him as a patient, process-oriented, culture-building executive. It made sense for a guy who took over a 21-win team devoid of draft picks and salary-cap space. There could be no easy fix.
A return to relative respectability — playoff appearances in 2019 and 2020 — showed solid work.
As such, there has been a measure of surprise as the league has watched Marks lay down one of the greatest gambles in recent NBA history, betting the future of both the franchise and multiple careers that the uber-talented triumvirate of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden can win and win big for the Nets.