Nets listed as one of the first teams on NBA players no-trade list
The Brooklyn Nets were one of the teams listed as being on some players' no-trade list in a recent survey published by The Athletic.
The Brooklyn Nets are still in the early stages of their rebuild as they look to become a contender in short order after having one of the greatest "what-ifs" in NBA history. Along the way, Brooklyn has had to prioritize the development of the younger players on the roster. Despite the fact that the Nets appear to be making the right moves, some players don't want to be a part of the franchise.
In a poll published by The Athletic earlier this week, the Nets received 5% of the votes for the first team that would be on a player's "no-trade" list out of 120 votes casted. This survey understandably drew attention for the fact that 35. 8% of the players chose the Memphis Grizzlies as the first team on their "no-trade" list so it seems like Brooklyn isn't that unpopular in comparison.
The Nets began a new era two years ago when they hired Jordi Fernandez away from the Sacramento Kings to be the head coach of a team that was looking to get back to championship contention sooner rather than later. Once Fernandez was hired, general manager Sean Marks wasted little time by trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for multiple first-round picks that Brooklyn could use to hasten the rebuild. Despite the fact that the Nets are doing what most around the NBA expect teams to do when it comes to rebuilding, the on-court results haven't been pretty as Brooklyn has posted a 46-118 record over the past two years.
In the meantime, the Nets have made sure to have clean cap sheets for years to come while also putting their younger players in a position to get plenty of experience early on. Ultimately, with Brooklyn being one of the boroughs of New York City, players looking for a big market to play in could be attracted to the Nets just for that reason, even if the wins won't be happening for awhile. With that being said, there are still some players who look at Brooklyn as a team they don't want to be part of, but Marks and Fernandez are hoping to turn that around soon.