One of the more encouraging aspects of the Nets’ 10-14 start has been organizational camaraderie. Guys in the locker room seem to genuinely care about each other. As do the coaches, who established a clear vision for the team from Day 1 under Jordi Fernandez.
Brooklyn’s early-season success is no fluke. It has been a product of the culture Fernandez has created just seven or so months into the job. It is the type of culture that can lead to great things going forward. But these Nets are way ahead of schedule. Many assume that it is only a matter of time before the front office pulls the rug out from beneath them in service of a grand plan.
Players who signed contracts during the offseason become eligible to be traded on Sunday. Multiple reports suggest that general manager Sean Marks is open for business. Rumors say any player on the roster could be dealt. The Nets own their first-round pick in a loaded 2025 NBA Draft class, but according to Tankathon, would not be on the clock until pick No. 15 if the season ended today. That is bad news for a rebuilding team vying to add elite young talent.
The tank that many expected the Nets to commit to entering the season is almost upon us. Cap space must be cleared. Tough decisions will be made. And that could be a tough pill to swallow for a close-knit group that created so much momentum for itself through 24 games. Brooklyn could look completely different by the league’s Feb. 6 trade deadline. If that happens, for the guys who actually compete at least, it will feel like starting over from scratch.
“We love our group. I love my group,” Fernandez said. “So, I keep working with them every day going into the game like they are our group, and they will be our group. Whatever happens that I cannot control, I cannot be talking about it or worrying about it because that’s not my job.”
The NBA will always be a business first. Trades happen and always will. However, that does not make things any easier for the men who have to live through it. Veteran guard Shake Milton has played for four teams since the start of the 2023-24 season. He has more experience than most on Brooklyn’s roster when it comes to getting moved around, and the sense of uncertainty that comes with it.
“You have to realize that some of it is out of your control,” Milton said. “It doesn’t really make any sense to worry about it or overthink it or anything like that. You have to think about what you can do to make sure your situation is good. Continue to put in the work. Be the best version of yourself. Every day, show up, and just be grateful. When you think about it, we get to play basketball. It’s not like we have a real job or anything like that. We’re not outside doing construction. We get to play ball. Being grateful for that makes it easier.”
In simpler terms, it is what it is. Worrying about trades will not prevent them. Players and coaches still have jobs to do. For the sake of maintaining sanity, it is better for the Nets to focus on that.
“Just the nature of the business. It’s a part of the league,” Nic Claxton said. “Happens every year, all around the league. Of course, I’ve seen it a lot, but just you have to keep the main thing, the main thing. We all have a job to do here as long as everybody’s here. We all just got to lock in and take it, game by game, practice by practice.”
