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Getty Sean Marks answers questions during a 2016 news conference at the Barclays Center.
The Brooklyn Nets have opted to delay until 2023 the Sixers NBA draft pick they received in exchange for All-NBA guard James Harden. The pick would have been 23rd overall in this year’s draft. Having already lost their 2022 first-round draft pick to the Houston Rockets due to Harden’s acquisition in January 2021, Brooklyn has no pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Still, Nets general manager Sean Marks and his front office may find a way to fit into this year’s draft via trading. That remains a possibility as they have continued to hold workouts for draft prospects, including Scottie Pippen Jr., son of Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen. According to the NCAA, Pippen Jr. was one of the top scorers in college basketball, ranking 14th in the nation with 20.4 points per game.
According to fortyeightminutes.com, Pippen Jr. was one of six draft prospects the Nets were practicing for on June 8th. The others included Davion Mintz, Marcus Bingham Jr., Justin Minaya, and Davion Warren.
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Kenny Atkinson is hired as Hornets Next Head Coach
When Nets head coach Steve Nash was hired to replace former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, the decision to do so was a bit of a head scratcher. Mostly because Atkinson was one of the reasons the Nets had regained relevance after guiding them back into the playoffs for the first time since the Joe Johnson era in 2018.
After retiring as Nets head coach in 2020, Atkinson spent time as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. And just two years after retiring from the Nets, Atkinson has decided to take the reins of another franchise as he will be the Charlotte Hornets’ next head coach, according to ESPN.
“Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson has agreed to a four-year deal to become the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, ESPN sources told Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday,” ESPN reports.
“The Hornets had narrowed their search down to Atkinson and Mike D’Antoni. Both candidates have already had two meetings with management, including general manager Mitch Kupchak, and then met with owner Michael Jordan this week.”
Kyrie dispels rumors of friction between him and Atkinson
Atkinson and the Nets agreed to part ways in March 2020. Following his departure from the Nets, there was speculation that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant’s troubled relationship with their former head coach played a role in his exit. Kyrie was quick to silence those rumors on a 2021 episode of Durant’s podcast, The ETCs.
“I want to give Kenny Atkinson credit because some people came out and said, ‘Yo, Ky and KD fired Kenny.’ You see, that was completely wrong. Kenny was great for the group he served and I was very grateful for what he gave us throughout the season when we played,” Irving said of The ETCs via The New York Post.
“I want someone, I need someone who understands that I’m human first. It’s not disrespect to Kenny or any other coach I’ve played with; It’s just Steve Nash coming in at that moment and then moving on to putting together a great coaching core that would make us more successful.”
The Nets are struggling to build a roster that rivals the NBA’s top talent. With the clock ticking in their championship window, it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be.
READ MORE: Nets Kevin Durant uncovered shocking trade value: report
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