David Alridge: Expect Kawhi Leonard to give Nets and Sean Marks a ‘fair shot’

David Aldridge isn’t one to dismiss the possibility that your Brooklyn Nets will get a shot at Kawhi Leonard next July. In fact, he believes that Leonard, just traded to Toronto, will give the Nets a “fair shot” in free agency.

Responding to a Nets fan’s question, Aldridge wrote of the possibilities, referring to Sean Marks San Antonio connections...

Marks is his own man and his staff has its own tale to tell Leonard and his representatives. The Philadelphia 76ers, for example, had a good shot at Leonard in part because of Leonard’s relationship with Sixers coach Brett Brown -- a relationship that was formed while Brown was an assistant in San Antonio. Unless Marks rubbed Leonard the wrong way somehow in the 210 [area code], and there’s absolutely no evidence I know of indicating that, I think Leonard will give the Nets a fair hearing next July.

Indeed, as we’ve been reporting, the Nets staff is filled with former Spurs types, almost all of whom were around in 2014 when San Antonio last won it all. Marks was an assistant coach on that team and was being groomed as possible replacement for either Gregg Popovich or R.C. Buford before the Nets stepped in and gave him their GM job.

Back in May, Frank Isola, then of the Daily News, reported that Sean Marks has great rapport with Kawhi Leonard’s uncle and advisor, South Orange, N.J.-based Dennis Robertson. And Stephen A. Smith said that Marks and new Nets scout Tiago Splitter are plotting to steal Leonard away from San Antonio.

Indeed, as we noted more than once, there are a TON of former Spurs employees working out of the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn. We counted 10, all of them having spent some time with Leonard.

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