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Nets GM Sean marks says Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving era ‘didn’t work’

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Sean Marks speaks with reporters at Barclays following the NBA trade deadline.
amNewYork/Christian Arnold

BROOKLYN — Nets general manager Sean Marks stood in the crowded press room at Barclays Center trying to explain the events of the last four days. Brooklyn went from a team loaded with superstar talent to one where the headliner was Mikal Bridges and Ben Simmons. 

Three years where Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving became the kings of the borough, Marks stood in front of a gaggle of reporters and conceded that the 7-11 era didn’t work for the Nets. 

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“I look at it internally and say well, it didn’t work. Let’s be honest there,” Marks said hours after the NBA trade deadline pased. “We did not reach the full potential of where we thought we could get to our hopes and honestly beliefs. But again, you know, I look back and we’ve done a lot of thinking and soul searching on this and we said, well, you know, we did everything we possibly could to maximize this organization’s potential, you know, to have ourselves in the conversation for a championship.”

It’s no secret that the aspirations that Marks had when he swayed Durant and Irving to come to the Nets never came true, and the organization is in a peculiar spot as they look to the future. The Nets GM tried to remain positive in his message on Thursday and remained limited in his comments about what led to the dramatic ending between the Nets and Durant. 

Marks called the decision to trade Durant “very difficult,” but in his position he had to make the decisions best for the club.

“Those decisions are not easy. They come with a lot of thought, a lot of process, a lot of systematic debriefs and discussions that go along with that,” Marks said. “But at the same time, to be able to move Kevin to a place where he will have success and they will enter into their championship window; and for us to bring back these two players in that particular trade and the draft assets, that gives us a clear pathway now to continue to rebuild and maybe not set the reset button so to speak.

“Because we have a group in there that’s very competitive and want to get out there and want to compete at the highest level, but this has given us a clear pathway on how to continue this.”

The Nets general manager declined to comment on why Durant wanted out, leaving that for the player to answer for himself when he meets the media in Arizona. 

Things quickly shifted after Kyrie Irving requested a trade last week and then the team dealt him a few days later. Durant went radio silent after the deal and ducked reporters at Barclays Center on Monday night.

Marks acknowledged he did try to convince Durant to stay.

“I mean, you can certainly try and convince guys and you put your best foot forward and say here’s what the roster looks like, here’s what we’re trying to do. But at the end of the day, I think this works out for all parties included,” Marks said.

For more Nets coverage, visit amNY.com and our affiliate site at TheBrooklynGame.com

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