Oh yeah, Mikhail Prokhorov knows who Sean Marks is. They're negotiating.
Both Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports and Mike Mazzeo and Marc Stein of ESPN reported overnight that, as Yogi Berra said, "it's not over till it's over." After various reports that Marks, the 40-year-old assistant Spurs GM, had turned down the Nets offer --and Mikhail Prokhorov feigned ignorance of him, two reports overnight said the two sides are talking.
First Woj...
After the Brooklyn Nets made an initial contract offer to Sean Marks to become the franchise’s general manager on Tuesday, team officials and the San Antonio Spurs’ assistant general manager continued discussions on deal terms and organizational responsibilities on Wednesday, league sources told The Vertical.
And Mazzeo and Stein...
I'm told the Nets, meanwhile, are ramping up the money and promises offered to top GM target Sean Marks to convince him to leave Spursland...
Sources told ESPN.com that the Nets are well aware Marks is wrestling mightily with the decision after emerging as the team's top choice. Sources said Wednesday that the Spurs remained hopeful of convincing him to stay put.
Then, Thursday morning, Chris Broussard tweeted the latest...
Nets' negotiated late into the night with Sean Marks about their GM job. Resolution expected within next 24 hours, source says.
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) February 18, 2016
No one is (yet) saying Marks is taking the job, but as one league source told NetsDaily Wednsday, the Spurs assistant GM had been "excited" about the Nets job even before the first interview, saying he believed the job was his, then went through two interviews, the most recent last weekend.
Marks now has all the leverage in the world, the source continued. The Nets want to avoid the embarrassment of having their top choice turn them down; the Spurs want to keep him; and he now has a much higher profile than he had as recently as last week, enhancing his job prospects in general.
A second league source suggested to NetsDaily that the Nets and Marks might be talking money ... and length of contract. Indeed, Woj suggested that the Spurs are offering him a better financial package...
The Spurs have significant plans for Marks’ future and are working on increasing his financial package should Marks decide that he wants to stay with the franchise, league sources said.
Woj added that if the Nets and Marks can't reach an agreement, Brooklyn will move on to Arturas Karnisovas, the Nuggets assistant GM and former Seton Hall star.
- Sources: Sean Marks, Nets continue discussions about GM position - Adrian Wojnarowski - Yahoo Sports
- Brooklyn Nets growing concerned about luring Sean Marks from San Antonio Spurs - Mike Mazzeo and Marc Stein - ESPN
- Nets Expected To Turn To Arturas Karnisovas If Deal Can't Be Reached With Sean Marks - RealGM