Wait and see. That's the position Brooklyn Nets fans find themselves in with the team's miserable 2023-24 campaign nearly in the books. However, the grace period can only last so long for General Manager Sean Marks. For many fans, it's already run out.
Marks has come under fire after reportedly rejecting a Houston Rockets offer for Mikal Bridges that would have returned Jalen Green and several Nets first-round picks from the James Harden trade. Since then, Green has been among the NBA's top stories. The 24-year-old ranks third in the league in scoring over the last month, averaging 29.2 points per game on 49/42/78 shooting splits.
Meanwhile, Bridges has struggled mightily, averaging 16.9 points on 39.6 percent shooting over his last 19 appearances.
Are the Nets eyeing Donovan Mitchell?
Both developments put immense pressure on Marks, who is in his eighth year as GM, to build a contender in the near future. The first step will be finding a high-usage star to take the offensive burden off Bridges. Many have speculated that New York native Donovan Mitchell could be the player the Nets have their eye on.
The Cleveland Cavaliers star, who has well-documented interest in playing in New York, will enter the final year of his contract next season and has been noncommittal about signing an extension. Despite this, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert recently said the organization thinks Mitchell will remain in Cleveland past next year, per Larry Lage.
“We’ve been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract,” Gilbert said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city… He loves the situation in Cleveland because our players are very young and we’re just kind of putting the core together that he’s clearly the biggest part of.”
The Cavaliers have impressed this season despite a slew of injuries to Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. Cleveland sits third in the Eastern Conference, posting a 45-29 record and the NBA's eighth-best net rating. Despite the success, Mitchell remained noncommittal on signing an extension when asked about Gilbert's comments on Friday, per Cavs Insider.
“I got a lot of things to focus on outside of that right now,” he said. “I’ve got to focus on myself, getting back for this group, focus on us getting over this stretch, continuing to be ready when it comes time… So, I’ll handle that when it comes, and I understand you gotta ask that question and I’m gonna give you the same answer.”
Donovan Mitchell remained non-committal on signing an extension with the Cavs after Dan Gilbert's comments:
"I got a lot of things to focus on outside of that right now… So, I’ll handle that when it comes… I'm gonna give you the same answer."
(Video via @CavsInsider_FN) pic.twitter.com/pDbU5PpzAJ
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 30, 2024
Will the Knicks and Nets enter a bidding war?
After fizzling out in the first round against the New York Knicks last season, Cleveland's playoff outcome will play a major role in Mitchell's decision. The Knicks and Nets should be at the front of the line of suitors should the star guard decline to sign an extension.
The Knicks have a pool of talented players, including Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanović, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride, to build a package with multiple first-round picks. However, they already have star point guard Jalen Brunson leading their offense. New York passed on trading for Mitchell during the 2022 offseason. It's unclear if they would pull the trigger this time around and build their roster around two undersized guards.
On the other hand, the Nets have a glaring need for a high-usage lead scorer. Brooklyn could build a package around 6-foot-8 sharpshooter Cam Johnson and/or breakout guard Cam Thomas. The team has seven tradable first-round picks, including three distant unprotected firsts from Phoenix (2027, 2029) and Dallas (2029), which should be highly coveted.
The Nets have significantly underwhelmed this season, posting the NBA's eighth-worst record (29-45). However, the letdown campaign has not hurt their confidence in their ability to attract marquee players, something I discussed with the New York Post's Brian Lewis on my podcast, Bleav in Nets.
“They feel they can recruit players. That 100% is their belief… They believe that guys will want to play in New York… Between talking with agents and players, they have a feeling they can attract players.”
–@NYPost_Lewis on Nets' plans
Full pod here: https://t.co/Ky6TJpzOki pic.twitter.com/nJBjM2uKor
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 22, 2024
With eight games remaining, Brooklyn's season is coming to a merciful close. Once it does, the front office and fans' attention will shift toward the playoffs, where the Cavaliers' outcome could decide where the Nets focus their efforts this summer.
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