The Brooklyn Nets haven’t had meaningful cap space to operate with since their blockbuster summer in 2019, when they successfully signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency.
But Nets general manager Sean Marks now sees that kind of major offseason splash as far less feasible in today’s NBA landscape.
Reflecting on how the league has evolved financially and structurally over the past six years, Marks noted that both the salary cap rules and player movement dynamics have shifted significantly, making it unlikely – if not unrealistic – for teams to replicate what Brooklyn did in 2019.
“I do think it’s important to have guys under contract that you control the contracts. You drafted them, you developed them, and they got to their second contract under your watch,” Marks explained, via Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
He emphasized that building a team through internal development – rather than chasing stars in free agency – is becoming the more sustainable model under the current CBA.
“It’s difficult when you’re trying to acquire max-level talent on max contracts,” Marks added. “Those days are probably gone, of going and getting two or three max free agents. Those are gonna be more difficult to do.”
In other words, the Nets – and the league at large – are entering an era where superstar shopping sprees may be replaced by smarter, long-term planning and roster control.
Nets Notes: Offseason, Johnson, Claxton, Draft https://t.co/yi33lqtuNW pic.twitter.com/2vVULSaEJo
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 15, 2025
