LAS VEGAS — Months earlier than the Nets determined to rebuild, Jordi Fernandez — even again when he was interviewing for the head-coaching job with basic supervisor Sean Marks — knew Brooklyn would possibly commerce Mikal Bridges.
And he was all for it if that was the trail to sustainable success.
“I imply, Sean mentioned it, that I used to be going by way of a course of,” Fernandez mentioned. “We all know that we needed to do one thing sustainable and we needed to win and construct one thing very particular. There have been completely different avenues to do it, and this was a doable one.
“We simply couldn’t management if one thing [big came], what different groups would provide, so we’d simply have to take a seat and wait. And he had his completely different avenues to get there. When the chance introduced itself, he referred to as me. I knew earlier than it got here out to the media, and I used to be very excited as a result of I understand how the NBA works and I understand how good you may get when you’ve got belongings, flexibility and so and so forth. So I’m simply very excited.”
After the Nets suffered by way of a 32-50 season — their worst since 2017-18 — Marks and proprietor Joe Tsai not solely moved on from interim coach Kevin Ollie however had been mulling pivoting right into a rebuild.
Fernandez — who’d been voted the NBA’s greatest assistant by Marks’ counterparts — was instructed as a lot throughout the interview course of.
“It’s crucial to be upfront if you’re hiring a coach — or any workers member for that matter — for them to know there’s a wide range of completely different pathways we are able to go down,” Marks mentioned. “We knew the flexibleness that we had when it comes to the roster, the cap, the salaries that now we have, this [outcome] may very well be one among them. We’re not going to draw back from that. So, he knew nicely forward that this was an avenue that we may very well be happening and has purchased in utterly.”
Brooklyn employed Fernandez on April 22, and agreed to commerce Bridges simply over two months later, on June 25.
Each the commerce and the haul the Nets received again from the Knicks — 5 first-round picks and a swap qualifying as that “one thing large” Marks was holding out for — shocked all the NBA.
However not Fernandez.
“As a result of I don’t have social media, I had individuals texting me throughout dinner. My telephone was blowing up, and I already knew as a result of my boss referred to as me and he instructed me,” Fernandez mentioned at Group Canada’s coaching camp. “So, very, very excited. Clearly on board with the trail that we’re taking, and I believe that’s gonna simply take us to that stage that we need to get to.”
That’s not attributable to any lack of respect for Bridges on the a part of Fernandez, who will coach Canada in Wednesday’s tuneup towards Group USA after which within the Paris Olympics.
It’s simply an admission of the place the Nets sit of their rebuild.
“I had loads of respect for Mikal. I had it earlier than I received the job, but in addition after I set to work with him for the weeks that I used to be with him,” Fernandez mentioned. “I can solely say superb issues about him. He’s a real professional and he’s a participant that’s thought of the most effective gamers on this league. That’s why we received what we received for him.
“He’s going to be in a profitable workforce, so I’m completely satisfied for him. We’re gonna be constructing one thing very particular, so I’m very completely satisfied for us. … I simply know what’s in entrance of us, what’s the adversity that we’re going to face. My job goes to be to be a problem-solver and make these guys work, make this system, construct a tradition and id and that’s how we’re going to go along with it.”
