Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |
Nets GM Sean Marks acknowledged that the team will look into adding a 16th player on the roster during Wilson Chandler's suspension. The Nets have 15 players on guaranteed deals, but can add an extra player after the fifth game of Chandler's 25-game suspension.
When asked specifically about free agent Carmelo Anthony, Marks obviously declined to address the 10-time All Star specifically.
"I will say we will do our due diligence on everybody. We've looked at multiple players, we've brought in several players, whether it was throughout the summer for pickup and they've come in on their own accord," Marks said. "It's documented that guys were playing together in L.A. (with Anthony), so for us, I think we'll use our Exhibit 10s, we'll use training camp in which to try and figure it out, whether it's two-way spots and so forth. We'll use that to figure out where we go."
Brooklyn can offer a free agent a two-way contract and has 17 players under contract. So the club could add Anthony -- or another free agent - - during training camp, waive the player, and then re-sign him five games into the season. Marks said that adding a player in training camp isn't a priority and suggested that the club would wait to see which players are waived by other teams during training camp/preseason.
"We'll be watching the market all over the place. If it's somebody we can bring into camp, great. If not, I think we will definitely do our due diligence," the Nets GM said.
Here's Marks on a few other topics during his pre-training camp press conference:
Nets not concerned with taking over New York
Marks was asked about the idea that the Nets can take over New York in the wake of signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
"We've never been focused on winning over New York, or being the team in New York. We've got different goals than that. I think if you go out and build something that's sustainable, you put an entertaining group on the floor that's passionate and competes every night, people will automatically gravitate toward that."
On the teams' goals in general, Marks said, "I think we would be in the wrong business if we said our goal is to be sort of sustainable and along for the ride of mediocrity. None of those words exist with us. We're gonna compete at the highest level, and we expect the ultimate goal. That is why we're all in this business. Whether that comes whenever, but we're definitely not gonna limit ourselves and say we have to do it then or we have to do it here. Part of the fun with all this is the journey along the way."
On the idea that the Nets' fanbase can expand now that they have star-power
"I think that's hopefully going to be a product of what we put on the court, how our guys play together, how our guys compete. Nothing's changed just because you have star-level talent. Nothing's changed in this city. If you don't compete, if you don't play at a high level, it's just probably not gonna work. So I think what Kenny and I have said from day one is we're pretty demanding of the guys, the expectations, and these guys demand that of each other. Not just the new guys coming in, but the guys that are the holdovers for the last few years."
The NBA is a players' league
Durant said he chose to sign with Brooklyn without speaking directly to Nets management or the coaching staff. He also said one of the reasons he signed with Brooklyn was to play with Irving, his close friend. As we've seen over the past few years -- and particularly last summer -- stars teaming up together has given the players the power in team building, something Marks noted on Tuesday.
"They're dictating really more than GMs, more than coaches, how and when and where they want to go and so forth. I think it's been an interesting summer in that regard," Marks said. "All we can do is put out the best environment that we see fit for these guys; coach them, develop them, do what we do as well as we do and hopefully these guys gravitate and want to be a part of it."
Culture is always evolving
From the outside, it will be interesting to see how/if Durant and Irving change the way the Nets play, and other norms they've established over the past few seasons under Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Here's what Marks said when asked about maintaining that culture with all of the new players on the roster:
"It's no less important now than it ever has been. I think this is now a challenge for everybody here. Everybody's been around and has been driving this culture together. This is not one or two guys, it's an army. Between the whole group here, from players to staff to everybody, they'll be driving this culture. It's going to be an interesting challenge. It's going to be nice to see guys come in from other organizations and see what they bring to the table, because by no means was our culture perfect. Culture's always evolving. Everybody's culture should be evolving. To be quite frank, if you're not, you're probably staying stagnant, everybody else is going to be passing you by. So it's going to be important how we implement a little bit of a new culture, how we implement the new guys, new coaching staff, new staff from all around into this. And then how they start driving it and what they add to the culture."
Marks talks Kurucs
Rodions Kurucs was arrested earlier this month for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend, per reports. Kurucs is due back in court on the matter in late October. Marks was asked about the situation on Tuesday:
"I'm pretty limited on what I can share, but to be honest, those allegations we take extremely serious as a franchise. That goes from ownership, myself to all staff throughout here, we do take them seriously. We're definitely going to let this play out in court. We'll support the NBA in their investigation, and obviously, we'll support the authorities and how that goes. My conversation with Rodi was more along the lines of we're here for support. You're part of our family. We're here to support you and your family, and we're here when you need us. If you need to talk, you need to cry, whatever it may be, we're all here for you."