LAS VEGAS — Months before the Nets decided to rebuild, Jordi Fernandez knew there was a chance Brooklyn would trade Mikal Bridges, even as he and general manager Sean Marks were interviewing for the head coaching job.
And if that was the path to sustainable success, he was all for it.
“Like Sean said, I’m going through a process,” Fernandez said. “We wanted to do something sustainable and we wanted to win and create something special, and there are a lot of different ways to do that and this was one of them.”
“If something happens, we have no control. [big came]You just had to sit and wait because you don’t know what other teams are going to offer you. And he had another way to get there. When the opportunity came up, he called me. I knew before it was in the media. I was very excited because I know how the NBA works and I know how good you can be if you have the assets and the flexibility and all that. So, I’m very excited.”
After the Nets suffered their worst record since the 2017-18 season, going 32-50, Marks and owner Joe Tsai not only fired interim coach Kevin Ollie but also considered pivoting toward a rebuild.
Fernandez, who was voted the NBA’s best assistant by Marks’ peers, was told that during the interview process.
“It’s really important to be up front when hiring coaches and staff, letting them know there are different paths forward,” Marks said. “We knew there would be flexibility with the roster, the cap, salaries. [outcome] It could be one of those things. We don’t shy away from it. So he was very aware up front that this was a path we might go down and was totally on board with it.”
Brooklyn hired Fernandez on April 22 and agreed to trade Bridges just two months later on June 25.
The trade and the big money the Nets got back from the Knicks (five first-round draft picks and a swap, the “big thing” Marks was hoping for) sent shock waves throughout the NBA.
But Fernandez is different.
“I don’t do social media so someone texted me during dinner, my phone was ringing and then my boss called me and he let me know so I already knew,” Fernandez said from Team Canada’s training camp. “So I’m very, very excited. I obviously agree with the path we’re on and I think it’s going to get us to the level we want to get to.”
It’s not because Fernandez, who will lead Canada in a warm-up against the U.S. team on Wednesday and then at the Paris Olympics, has any disrespect for Bridges.
This is just an admission of where the Nets are in their rebuild.
“I had a lot of respect for Michal, I knew that before I took the job and even after working with him for a few weeks,” Fernandez said. “I have nothing but great things to say about him. He’s a true professional and is considered one of the best players in this league, which is why we were able to acquire him.”
“He’s going to be on a championship team, so I’m happy for him. We’re going to build something special, so I’m excited. … I know what’s ahead of us, what adversity we’re going to face. My job is to be the problem solver, make the players work, build the program, build the culture and identity. That’s what we’re going to do.”
