Can the Brooklyn Nets Return to Contention by 2025?

The franchise's rebuild could generate a quick turnaround.

Feb 19, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets new general manager Sean Marks (left) in a suite with team owner Mikhail Prokhorov during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In his early days with the Brooklyn Nets, general manager Sean Marks was tasked with overhauling one of the worst situations in the NBA. He inherited a lackluster roster with bloated contracts sprinkled throughout and a distinct lack of draft capital.

That was in 2016. Three years later, Brooklyn managed to secure their first playoff berth in four seasons while adding Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving following a postseason exit. Marks righted the ship quickly, and may have the tools at his disposal to generate an even faster turnaround almost a decade after he was hired.

Thankfully for Brooklyn, they're far more equipped this time despite still being projected to fall among the league's worst. After hiring what many believe is a superstar head coach in Jordi Fernandez, trading Mikal Bridges for a large chunk of the New York Knicks' future and boasting a massive amount of cap space next summer, the Nets could find themselves back in contention as soon as 2025.

Marks is an extremely shrewd operator, and should be fully trusted to navigate what will be a difficult first year of Brooklyn's re-tool. He's done it once before, and has provided zero evidence to suggest he would be unable to replicate his previous success. The last time he found himself in this situation, he assembled one of the most talented trios in NBA history in year five. While the Nets' big three was a failure, the mere ability to acquire that kind of talent is impressive.

So yes, if Marks can hit a couple more home runs, Brooklyn could very well be viable in a somewhat top-heavy Eastern Conference just one year post-Bridges trade.

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