Today's team: Brooklyn Nets

2017-18 Record: (28-54, did not qualify for the playoffs)

Who's new: Shabazz Napier (free agency), Jared Dudley (trade), Ed Davis (free
agency), Kenneth Faried (trade), Dzanan Musa (Draft)
Who's gone: Dante Cunningham, Jeremy Lin, Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas, Darrell Arthur
The lowdown: The rebuilding of the Nets, which has taken an unconventional route
because of their lack of lottery picks, managed a few more weird turns in 2017-18.
Lin was done for the season after injuring his knee on opening night, and D’Angelo
Russell played only 48 games because of injuries. Yet the Nets received some
unexpected help from Spencer Dinwiddie, who replaced Russell in the lineup and
finished third in Kia Most Improved Player voting. DeMarre Carroll rebounded from a
poor final season in Toronto with a strong debut year in Brooklyn and former first-round
pick Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had some breakout moments. Otherwise, the Nets mainly
sputtered as expected, though respectfully so.

It’s hard to find a basketball egghead who doesn’t sympathize with and appreciate the
work of Nets GM Sean Marks. Hired in 2016 to rescue a wounded franchise that didn’t
have its own first-round pick for three straight years, Marks has done wonders -- all
things considered. That continued again this offseason.

Almost every transaction with Marks’ fingerprints was done with the future in mind. His
plan is simple: hoard young talent, hope one or two pan out, become a dumping ground
for bad contracts (to collect additional first-rounders) and clear the salary cap for the
summer of 2019.

Marks wants to position the Nets for free agency next summer because you never know
who might want to play in the big city. Kyrie Irving? Jimmy Butler? Someone else?

Even if the Nets strike out in free agency, they’ll have cap room to absorb a contract in
case a disgruntled or devalued star becomes available in a trade (which happens
regularly, with Kawhi Leonard proving that point). Cap flexibility plus developing young
talent can give an NBA team plenty of options, and as you know, the Nets haven’t had
many options since making a franchise-wrecking deal with the Boston Celtics five years
ago.

The good news is the Nets now control their future first-round picks and will likely be
back in the lottery. If that happens, Marks will have a chance to finally choose a
potential star.

The Nets had the next-to-last pick in the first round -- thanks to more shrewd
maneuvering by Marks -- which made this summer all about fiscal housecleaning,
starting with Dwight Howard.

The Nets traded for him and then quickly executed a buyout and his deal disappears off
Brooklyn’s books next summer. Meanwhile, the Nets escaped a $16.7 million hit in
2019-20 of Timofey Mozgov, who was sent to Charlotte in the deal (before he, too, was
dealt again).

Another future salary shredding was Lin, sent to the Atlanta Hawks for a plate of cheese
grits. That allowed the Nets to absorb the contracts of Faried and Arthur, who are on
expiring deals. Denver tossed in a protected 2019 pick to seal the trade (and Brooklyn
used Arthur to get Dudley from Phoenix).

That means the Nets are only on the hook in 2019-20 for Allen Crabbe and Joe Harris.
Harris was given a team-friendly two-year deal this summer, with the second year of his
deal going for $8 million.

If they decline the cap holds for a few players, the Nets could have more than $60
million to chase free agents. Of course, by doing that they’d risk losing youngsters
Hollis-Jefferson, Russell and Caris LeVert to free agency. Most likely, the Nets will find
a way to keep two (or all three) because those players likely won’t command big money,
even in a rising market next summer.

The Nets added talent on inexpensive, short-term deals by adding ex-Trail Blazers
reserves Davis and Napier. Davis is a worker bee and was the NBA’s No. 1 ranked
rebounder off the bench (7.4 rpg). Napier set career highs in scoring (8.7 ppg), 3-point
shooting (37.6 percent) as a key reserve for Portland. Both should crack the rotation
although there’s competition at those positions.

Curiously, the Nets took a pass on re-signing Okafor, a restricted free agent. Ordinarily,
he’d be exactly what the Nets were looking for: a devalued young player who, if put in
the right environment, would thrive and realize his potential. If the Nets, who are starved
for talent, don’t think a former No. 3 overall pick who’s only 22 wasn’t worth their time, it
doesn’t speak well for Okafor – who landed in New Orleans.

So that’s the extent of the Nets’ offseason. The names Faried, Davis and Napier
probably won’t put Brooklyn in position to push for a playoff spot next season. But their
contracts will soon allow the Nets to go star hunting next summer.

It should be an interesting time for New York City in July of 2019, with both the Nets and
New York Knicks projected to have millions to spend. It’s not exactly the Yankees vs.
Mets, but a borough fight is brewing nonetheless. We’ll see who handles their money
wisely.

One thing’s for sure: It’s hard to imagine Marks blowing that opportunity. In a short time
on the job, he got first-round picks, added young talent and cleared the salary cap.
That’s just shy of a miracle. Marks has managed to turn 50 cents into a dollar. We’re
anxious to see his next trick.