clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Bobby Marks recalls THE trade and how "everyone" was aware of the risks

By Net Income

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Brooklyn Nets

In an interview with Chris Mannix, Bobby Marks talks about how the Boston trade evolved back in June 2013, starting with a relatively small deal and ending with the blockbuster that changed the fortunes of both the Nets and Celtics franchises. He examines how it evolved, the motivation for the deal, the acknowledgement of the risk and the role the imminent departure of Doc Rivers played in the talks.

In short, Marks confirms what a lot of league sources have long claimed, that the Nets got spun up by the prospect of landing two Hall of Famers who could turn the Nets into a championship.

"Everyone in that room, there wasn't a person who was holding out on the deal," Marks told Mannix. "We knew the consequences that were going to come about if it didn't work out. We knew there was possibly a two-year window with the players that we had brought in. Everyone in that room knew the risks. We knew the risks financially, we knew the risks on the court and what potentially long term they could be."

Although Marks says everyone in the room supported the deal --and that it was a Nets proposal-- other sources say at least one Nets official, Milton Lee, then the GM of minor league operations, was skeptical and said so.  Without directly saying Nets ownership wanted the deal done, he notes, "From an ownership standpoint, they just wanted to win. And if it was bringing in the star players, that was the goal to do so."

Marks also confirms what NetsDaily has reported: that the original deal was smaller and centered on Paul Pierce for Kris Humphries.  NetsDaily has reported the original deal was Humphries and the 2016 pick for Pierce ... and that it has been concluded the Tuesday night before the Thursday draft night.  Marks worked that deal with his Boston counterpart, Mike Zarren and Pierce's agent, Jeff Schwartz, according to league sources.

After that, it got out of hand.  "It escalated to getting Garnett involved," Marks said. "And that really took off when Doc (Rivers) went to the Clippers. So you knew you had a window there to possibly get Kevin."  Rivers, seeing a long rebuild ahead, got out of his Celtics contract not long before the Nets trade.

The Nets former assistant GM also confirmed that the "Stepien Rule" prevented the Nets from protecting some of the picks and noted the rationale for sending three picks to Boston.

"I always said it was almost like three separate deals," Marks told Mannix. "You had the Pierce deal, the Garnett deal, and then basically you had the Gerald Wallace deal where they had Boston taking him back, and taking his money on, and stuff like that. So when people think about it was just Pierce or Garnett and there were three picks going out, you have to also bring in the Wallace factor, too, for them to take back that money."

Bottom line for Marks now? Does he understand fans' complaints. " You've got potentially a franchise-type player in Ben Simmons this year, and also a pretty good draft. So I get that."

More From NetsDaily