Nets Reportedly Aren't Eying 'True Long-Haul Tank' amid Giannis Trade Rumors

The Brooklyn Nets "aren't planning for a true long-haul tank," according to ESPN's Jeremy Woo.

That's the sense Woo got from other teams around the NBA.

"Brooklyn, currently lacking a centerpiece-caliber player, is in position to swing for upside with this pick regardless of where it falls in the lottery as it figures out what the next iteration of its team will look like," Woo added. "The Nets can afford to wait until the right star becomes available to shift gears."

From the moment Brooklyn received four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap from the New York Knicks for Mikal Bridges, most expected it's a matter of time before general manager Sean Marks makes an aggressive play.

Through subsequent deals, the amount of draft capital Marks has amassed is almost comical.

Marks was first hired in February 2016, when the Nets were navigating the fallout from how badly Billy King mismanaged the roster.

Back then, the front office had no other choice but to labor through a prolonged rebuild. There was little in the way of young talent, and King had sacrificed a lot of draft picks in bad trades.

Now, Brooklyn doesn't need to spend multiple seasons in the NBA wilderness if it doesn't want to.

The New York Post's Brian Lewis reported in March that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo "has been and remains Plan A for the Nets."

Should Antetokounmpo request a trade this summer, The Athletic's John Hollinger argued Brooklyn would be in a great position. In addition to sending a ton of first-round picks to Milwaukee, the Nets can create a lot of salary cap space that would allow them to absorb a bad contract from the Bucks' books.

The same logic can be applied in other scenarios where a disaffected star is seeking an exit.

Marks presumably learned some lessons from the failed superteam experiment with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Constructing the roster with that same process in mind would be foolhardy.

But having a centerpiece such as Giannis or another marquee name would give Brooklyn a foundation for becoming competitive again.