Joe Tsai sounds ready to start over.
To build the Nets the old-fashioned way — by accumulating assets and developing young players.
The way the Nets have operated in recent years hasn’t worked, and the owner seems intent on changing the plan coming off a dismal 32-50 campaign that resulted in the hiring of a new coach, Jordi Fernandez, after Jacque Vaughn and Kevin Ollie were dismissed.
“I want to build a winning mentality and culture that’s sustainable,” Tsai said at the J.P. Morgan’s Global China Summit in Shanghai on Friday. “Those two are very different things. If you just want to be win-now you could ruin your future by trading away all of your assets, but I think what I want to do with the Brooklyn Nets is take a longer-term approach and build a sustainable, winning culture.”
That hasn’t happened since the Nets moved to Brooklyn.
They haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since the move.
There was the ill-fated trade with the Celtics for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett — which happened under previous owner Mikhail Prokhorov — that led to Boston drafting current stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Superstars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden came and left quickly, and Ben Simmons has spent far more time in street clothes than on the court since he was acquired in the Harden trade.
Going the high-priced star route has not worked out.
“In New York, the Brooklyn Nets is at a crossroads in a way,” Tsai said. “We didn’t do as well as we expected last season. We didn’t make the playoffs. But we hope to revamp the team and make sure that we can compete in the long run.”
What that means for this offseason is uncertain.
Does it mean trading for a star like Donovan Mitchell is out of the question?
Does it mean unloading star wing Mikal Bridges for draft picks?
The Nets don’t own any picks in next month’s draft, not ideal for a team coming off a 50-loss campaign.
Clearly, changes have to be made.
Tsai said as much.
Now the Nets need to put those words into action.
But patience will be required.
The owner made it seem like he’s willing to wait to see results.
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