Nets GM Sean Marks opens up on Ime Udoka's reports, players' input in Nash's dismissal / News - Basketnews.com

Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks attended the media and explained how the franchise decided to part ways with Steve Nash and what he's looking for in his successor.

Credit: NBA Credit NBA

A few minutes after Steve Nash was fired by the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Ime Udoka's name immediately appeared in the rumors, with Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski even stating that his arrival was only a matter of hours.

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Nets general manager Sean Marks strongly denied that in a press conference.

Asked about those reports, Marks responded with two words: "Absolutely not."

That didn't stop some journalists from testing the waters, however, with Marks being asked about the importance of franchise culture in choosing the new coach.

Addressing what he's looking for in the next Nets head coach, he said: "A leader. We're looking for that for our group. We're looking for somebody to have poise, charisma, accountability."

"It doesn't matter who you hire, whether it's a new coach or a trainee, you find out about that person's background, past relationships, current relationships, all of that to make sure you're getting the right person."

Marks talked about Brooklyn's title aspirations and head coaching search, stressing that the franchise's decision in the next few days "will be a catalyst for a turnaround."

The Nets' GM said Steve Nash told him that players were not responding to him.

"Over the course of the last days we’ve been talking and talking and I think it came to a head. There’s a reason we made this move when we did. The organization does very, very thorough due diligence on anybody and you arrive at the best possible outcome," Marks pointed out.

However, Marks said "there was zero input from any of the players" on the decision to let Nash go. "The players were not consulted. They were told ahead of time that this was the direction we were going to today."

He also admitted Kyrie Irving's last postgame presser "didn't go well" and added that "at this point, we don’t want to cause more fuss right now, more interaction with people. Let's let him simmer down and I guess let's let cooler minds prevail."

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