Carter’s jersey retirement, which some felt was long overdue, was teased on Brooklyn’s social media accounts Tuesday in the form of a 14-second audio clip from his game-winning 3-pointer against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 8, 2006. He finished that game with 42 points. He once said that shot against the Raptors was one of the greatest moments of his career.

Carter, a former fifth overall pick out of North Carolina in 1998, wound up playing an NBA-record 22 seasons with Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and Atlanta. He was voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 in April.

“It’s pretty dope, man, because it’s forever up there,” Carter said in a short video shared on the Nets’ social media accounts on Wednesday. It’s Nets [No.] 15, Carter. Can’t use it again. Doesn’t get any better than that.”

Carter’s jersey will be hung in the rafters next to Jason Kidd’s, another Hall of Famer who he shared a backcourt with for four seasons in New Jersey. Kidd’s No. 5 jersey was retired at Barclays Center on Oct. 17, 2013.

“I think about coming into the league, trying to be the best player you can be,” Carter said. “And then you go through a trade, and you get a new life. Especially playing with Jason Kidd, who is a Hall of Famer, legend, up in the stands as well.

“And I heard a story from Gary Sussman talking about how J Kidd, after I hit that shot in Toronto, he felt that I was a guy he can trust. And he would jump in the foxhole against anybody at any time. So, for me to get that opportunity again to be a part of the franchise, to be a go-to guy was a breath of fresh air. And it was fun to play with that guy because he made the game easy for me as well.”

Carter, 47, currently serves as a basketball analyst for YES Network. Known by the nickname “Vinsanity” because of his generational athleticism, he averaged 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game during his stint with the Nets from 2004-09 while shooting 44.7% from the field and 37% from 3-point range.

The 6-6 guard finished his career as an eight-time All-Star and was named to an All-NBA team twice. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999 and retired with 25,728 career points, which ranks 21st all-time in NBA history.

“Congratulations on having your number retired next to my No. 5,” said Kidd, who currently serves as head coach of the Mavericks. “We got 5 and 15. You made the game so easy, maybe too easy. But again, congratulations. You’ve had an incredible career. I think you played for 40 years, somewhere around there. Well deserved, but understanding you were one of my best teammates in New Jersey and, again, made the game easy. You made me look good, so thank you, congratulations.”

The Atlanta Hawks, a team that qualified for the league’s Play-In Tournament with a 36-46 record in the Eastern Conference this season, emerged as the biggest winners and will be on the clock first at Barclays Center on June 26. They had just a three percent chance of securing the No. 1 pick entering Sunday afternoon.

The Washington Wizards (15-67) will pick second, followed by the Houston Rockets (41-41), and that is where the latest outpour of frustration in Brooklyn emanates from.

The Nets went 32-50 this season, missed the playoffs and just hired a first-year head coach in Jordi Fernandez. Houston’s No. 3 pick was originally theirs. However, general manager Sean Marks relinquished control of the pick in the James Harden deal in 2021, the same year where he sent Sekou Doumbouya and an unprotected 2024 second-round pick to the Rockets, leaving the Nets without any picks this year.

Back then, Marks probably figured those 2024 picks would not have much value. After all, a core trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving was supposed to compete for championships indefinitely. It was an ideal situation on paper. They were supposed to stay together. But fans are well aware of why that situation fell apart and hindsight is always 20/20.

Nets fans knew a major payment for the Harden deal was imminent but after an awful 2023-24 campaign that saw the team finish with the ninth-worst record in the NBA, not having the draft capital to replenish the roster with younger, cheaper talent is a frustrating reality. It stings even more considering the first-round pick Houston controls had just a 20.3% chance to move into the top-three.

What worsens matters is that Brooklyn has already seen where this road could lead. The Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers both drafted elite talent in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Damian Lillard with draft capital that the Nets traded away. This year’s draft projects to be one of the weakest in recent memory, but a few diamonds will surely emerge from the rough, and Brooklyn finds itself completely out of the mix for now.

Marks reportedly had an opportunity to rectify the situation. According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, the Nets rejected a deal proposed by the Rockets in January that would have swapped the remaining picks given to Houston in the Harden deal for the Phoenix Suns picks owned by the Nets through the Durant deal.

Along with the Nets’ first and second-round picks this year, Houston also controls Brooklyn’s first-round pick in 2026 and has the right to swap picks in 2025 and 2027. Meanwhile, Brooklyn owns Phoenix’s unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 and has the right to swap picks in 2028.

There were also reports that Marks rejected an offer from Houston around the February trade deadline that would have gotten back this year’s pick, others from the Harden deal and a blossoming star in Jalen Green in exchange for Mikal Bridges. It was reported at the time that the Nets viewed Bridges as an untouchable asset that they wanted to build with.

While Sunday’s draft lottery revelation was certainly uncomfortable for Nets fans, it is not all doom and gloom. Again, this year’s draft is supposed to be weak. There is no consensus No. 1 prospect as of today and it would not be too surprising if multiple teams want to move out of their current draft position as the draft process matures. If Brooklyn does become infatuated with a certain prospect, there is likely a deal that could be pursued to trade into the draft. Marks, speaking to reporters after Fernandez’s introductory news conference last month, said fans should not rule out the idea of Brooklyn acquiring a first-round pick, or any pick, in June.

Ironically, one team that may be looking to make a deal on draft day is none other than the Rockets. Houston appears to be in win-now mode and some NBA insiders believe it could be looking to trade the No. 3 pick for a veteran player that could aid in its ascension.

With that said, perhaps the Nets and Rockets revisit negotiations regarding a deal centered around Bridges come June. Crazier things have happened. The timing may be better for both teams at this point.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Thursday that Steve Hetzel will serve as Fernandez’s lead assistant while Juwan Howard and Jay Hernandez will round out the front of the bench. The Nets have not officially announced any of these moves.

Hetzel boasts a decade of experience as an NBA assistant, including the past three years on Chauncey Billups’ staff in Portland.

Howard, who was reportedly hired by Fernandez last week, played 19 seasons in the NBA and won two championships as a player with the Miami Heat. He spent six seasons as an assistant in Miami under Erik Spoelstra before becoming the head coach at his alma mater, Michigan, where he led the Wolverines for five seasons before being dismissed in March.

Hernandez, who was hired as an assistant by former head coach Jacque Vaughn last year, will be retained by Fernandez. His focus is player development, and he reportedly has a close relationship with Cam Thomas.

It was also reported that Kevin Ollie, Will Weaver and Ronnie Burrell will not return to Brooklyn next season. Ollie served as interim coach following the All-Star break. It is unclear at this time whether assistant Corey Vinson, who has history with star forward Mikal Bridges, will be retained by Fernandez.

Fernandez is the fourth full-time head coach hired by general manager Sean Marks, following Vaughn, Kenny Atkinson and Steve Nash.

Mike Conley Jr. of the Minnesota Timberwolves won the award with 51 first-place votes, while Jalen Brunson of the Knicks rounded out the Top 3 with 29 first-place votes.

While Bridges ultimately finished in second place, him being named one of 12 finalists obviously speaks volumes about how his teammates, and others around the league, continue to view the forward even after a disappointing season in Brooklyn.

“You could say it was a failure,100%,” Bridges said. “It’s tough, you know? Especially seeing the teams that are in there [the playoffs] and you just know the talent we have and things like that… It’s definitely tough. Didn’t want this, but you got to learn from it. You got to be better. That’s the biggest thing I take from it.”

The 27-year-old averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists while appearing in all 82 games for the Nets. At one point, some thought he was close to earning his first career All-Star nod.

However, as Brooklyn’s season went on and losses continued to pile up, his production took a dip, the heavy minutes he was routinely asked to play seemingly took a toll, and there were fans who questioned if he even wanted to remain a Net going forward, considering the success Brunson and his other former Villanova teammates were having over in Manhattan.

A lot of it was just smoke. Bridges’ teammates never questioned his loyalty, his abilities, or his desire to win.

“Because of how he played at the end of the last season, everybody went, ‘look at him,’ and had their questions and suspicions, but at the end of the day, I’m proud of him,” Cam Johnson said. “I’m proud of him, and I’ve seen strides in his game, I’ve seen strides in the way he sees and reads the game and his ability to play with the ball in his hand and his shot-making and his overall level for the game is increasing, ever-increasing. So, there’s no worry, there’s no doubt, there’s no — people are so quick to be like, ‘Oh, maybe he’s not who we thought he was.’ And whatever that may be, he’s only getting better. I got full faith, and everybody went through the same thing the second half of the year.”

Bridges admitted he let his emotions get the better of him at various points this season. Heading into 2024-25 with a new head coach in Jordi Fernandez, he knows he has to improve his mindset and showcase better mental toughness.

“I get really super frustrated,” Bridges said. “At least I know in my heart what it was for, you know? It’s not in no selfish way, I just want to win. I definitely have to be better. That’s another thing I’m taking [away from] this year. With the goals and when things get tough, you might get hit with an uppercut and how are we going to react to that? I think I did a good job of that, and I think it’s just personally on wanting to win so bad. So, when any little thing didn’t look right or went wrong, it ticked me off even more. I think just being better mentally.”

Johnson and rookie Dariq Whitehead were the only two Nets players in attendance, though Fernandez told reporters he had already been in contact with most of the current roster.

As the image of Johnson and Fernandez began circulating on social media, it became clear that there is a sizable faction of fans that do not view the forward in a favorable lens.

There is a reason for that.

Johnson, 28, averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 58 games this season while shooting 44.6% from the field and 39.1% from deep. It was his lowest-scoring season since his 2021-22 campaign with the Phoenix Suns. His overall field goal percentage dropped after shooting 46.8% over his first 25 games after being traded to Brooklyn last season. And although his 3-point shooting efficiency slightly improved compared to then, it was still under 40% — which does not scream floor-spacing sniper by any means.

The 20-plus games Johnson missed because of various injuries were out of his control. But fans expected more production out of a player who signed a four-year, $94.5 million extension last offseason. Even worse, Johnson did not have a defined role toward the end of the Nets’ season. He came off the bench in 11 of the final 18 games he appeared in.

“It’s part of it,” Johnson said. “Nobody ever says anything will be handed to you, anything will be easy, adversity won’t come up, so it’s part of it. You just got to take it, keep it pushing, keep working, and focus on tomorrow, focus on what we can do today.

However, Johnson recently told reporters that he remains confident in himself and the team, even if some fans in Brooklyn have lost confidence in him.

“I feel like the pieces are there,” Johnson said. “I feel like the base is there. I feel like it’s possible, it’s accomplishable. Obviously, we failed in our mission this year, point-blank period, no way around that… That’s all part of the process. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, you just got to get better and focus on what we can do going forward. And that’s where my head’s at right now, how we can elevate the organization, how we can be better on the court, off the court and get back on track to where we think we should be.”

Johnson will earn a base salary of $22.5 million in 2024-25. He will not be a free agent until 2027-28.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we can get better, seeing where we might have lacked this year and where we have areas to improve and trying to attack them for the future,” Johnson said.

Former Michigan coach Juwan Howard agreed to a deal to become an assistant on newly-appointed Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez’s staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Michigan fired Howard last month after five seasons with the Wolverines. The former Fab Five star makes his return to an NBA staff after spending six seasons as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra before making a move to the NCAA. Howard played 19 seasons in the NBA and won two championships as a player with the Heat (2012-13).

Howard’s tenure at Michigan ended with a 82-67 record. The team reached the Elite Eight in 2021, when he was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year. Howard and the Wolverines also won the Big Ten title that year. The team made two NCAA tournament appearances (2020-21) under Howard’s tenure.

He now heads to Brooklyn to assist a team that missed the postseason after finishing with a 32-50 record in the 2023-24 season. Howard will be an assistant alongside Steve Hetzel, who joined Brooklyn’s staff after three seasons with the Portland Trailblazers. 

Simmons, who has been rehabbing in Miami since undergoing a microscopic partial discectomy to alleviate the pinched nerve in his lower back, appeared in just 15 games this season and 57 total since being acquired by the Nets three years ago. He was sidelined indefinitely on March 7.

It was Simmons’ second surgery since being traded to Brooklyn in 2022. He averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists this season in limited action and is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp.

The 27-year-old d is owed a guaranteed $40.3 million on an expiring contract next season.

“All signs point toward him being available for the start of next season,” Marks said. “With Ben it’s very unfortunate. We looked like we were a completely different team when Ben was healthy out there. So, it’s paramount that we get him back and we get him healthy. And I think Ben wants it just as much, if not more than anybody else. But time will, time will tell on him and how he progresses through summer. There’s no reason to think he won’t be, though.”

Whitehead’s rookie campaign was cut short after he underwent season-ending surgery to address a stress reaction in his left shin in late January.

The 22nd overall pick out of Duke appeared in just two NBA games this season. He averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebound, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals across four regular-season games with G League affiliate Long Island.

Whitehead is expected to be ready for Summer League in July, according to Marks. The 19-year-old was seen at Jordi Fernandez’s introductory news conference on Wednesday without a walking boot.

“Whether or not he plays the entire summer league or not, that’ll be TBD,” Marks said. “But the plan right now is he’s in the gym every day. He was in here [Wednesday] morning, so hopefully he’s getting himself ready and robust enough to play in summer league.”

The only issue with that is, the Nets do not own any picks in this year’s draft, which will be held at Barclays Center on June 26. The Houston Rockets acquired Brooklyn’s 2024 first-round pick through the infamous James Harden deal in 2021. That same year, the Nets sent Sekou Doumbouya and an unprotected 2024 second-round pick to Houston in a bid to lower team payroll.

While the 2024 NBA Draft lottery will not be held until May 12, the Nets’ first-round pick owed to Houston this offseason could be as high as ninth, according to Tankathon. For a team that finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs, not having the draft capital to replenish the roster with young talent is a troubling thought to some — especially considering the franchise is entering 2024 with a first-year head coach.

However, when speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Marks hinted that Brooklyn may have an ace somewhere up its sleeve as the draft draws near. He said fans should not rule out the idea of the Nets acquiring a first-round pick, or any pick, in the upcoming draft.

And if Brooklyn can pull it off, whether by flipping current assets, sending out cash considerations or other means, Marks said the team would likely take the best player available on its draft board.

“I think we look at the draft the same way every year,” Marks said. “If there’s somebody in there that, wow, they’re slipping, can we get in there at that particular pick? That would be important for us just to go and say, ‘Hey, we, we got the 20th pick, we got the 44th pick.’ That doesn’t do us any good. For us this year, it’s going to be more strategic. It’s about, ‘Is the player available at that pick? How do we get in there?’ So those conversations will be happening relatively soon, and they’ll be happening all the way up until [we’re potentially] on the clock.”

However, if the Nets do not make a move on draft night, fans should not fret. The team already has three developmental projects on its hands in Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead and Jalen Wilson, who were taken with the 21st, 22nd and 51st picks in 2023.

Those three players, all 23 or younger, need attention and minutes to properly develop under Fernandez. The same goes for Cam Thomas, 22, whose offensive production stood out in his third NBA season. And Marks seems to believe that Thomas’ best has yet to come.

“I think Cam had a heck of a year,” Marks said. “I’m not saying anything that anybody didn’t see for themselves. I really was intrigued about the responsibility Cam took in his own development, in terms of we all knew he could go get a bucket. We all knew the confidence that he plays with which, some of that you just, to be quite honest, it can’t be taught, right? So, it’s innately who he is and how he’s built. But it’s him being a facilitator out there, him playing with others, him making other people look good. And I think we saw that over the course of the year, taking a little bit more emphasis on the defensive side of the ball, too, scrapping for loose balls, getting in there for defensive rebounds. So, I got to give Cam a lot of credit because his game has developed over the course of last year.”

While the idea of throwing another young player into the fray is enticing, it is important that the Nets do not lose focus on maximizing the young talent already on the roster. Losing sight of that will only make the team’s rebuild, in whatever form that may take, far more drawn out.

Drafting is fun. But in-house development is how you build a championship contender.

“You never know how your players are going to take that leap, some take it quicker than others,” Marks said. “So, the hope with some of these guys on this roster is that they can take that leap maybe quicker than us. I never want to limit them to that. I think we know from 2016 to 2019, this roster looked a whole lot different in three years. So, the opportunity to do that in Brooklyn is certainly a viable one when you’re able to build and you’re able to build quicker than in some other markets. It’s a big market, it attracts stars, per say, if you want to do that. But let’s not lose sight of developing our own and having success and continuing to draft well.”

“Like everybody says, we want to be top-10 offensively, top-10 defensively,” Fernandez told reporters during his introductory news conference on Wednesday. “With the roster we have, we’ll be able to do that.”

Fernandez, who was officially introduced as the Nets’ next head coach on Wednesday, views the core of the current roster as a group he can grow with for years to come. And because of Fernandez’s ability to build meaningful relationships and his extensive background in player development, general manager Sean Marks believes he is the right coach to get the most out of them.

The Spaniard just became the fifth-youngest head coach in the NBA at 41-years-old and the third European head coach in NBA history. That helps him stand out. And oftentimes, young players want to see something fresh and exciting in their head coach.

“The stories that we heard about Jordi just sort of resonated with us, on and off the court, like who he is as a person. Then you get to meet him and then you do the Zoom calls, and then you do the group chats and so forth, and you understand, ‘Wow, this guy really is authentic’,” Marks said.

“That is who he is. And I think who you guys saw on stage today is just who Jordy is. Very calm, very poised, direct, but has a massive care factor. And I think that’s really important when you’re looking for somebody who can get the most out of a group of young men, group of players.”

The Nets’ roster will likely look much different by the time training camp rolls around, but Fernandez understands that. And as promising as youngsters such as Thomas, Clowney, Wilson and Whitehead are, when a team is coming off a 50-loss season, really no one on the roster is safe, and Marks made that clear during Fernandez’s interview process.

“Yeah, we were brutally upfront with each other,” Marks said. “We know the roster is going to change and tweak; they always do and so forth. But I think we’re in complete alignment with how we’re going to continue to build this thing and who we’re going to build with.”

Having Nic Claxton back in the fold would help Fernandez immensely in his inaugural season. The center, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, averaged 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 blocks this season and is expected to command a new deal that pays around $18-20 million per year.

Claxton told reporters at exit interviews earlier in the month that he will take time to weigh his options. Marks made it known on Wednesday that re-signing Claxton is currently the Nets’ top priority. And Fernandez sees untapped potential in the 25-year-old, too.

In Claxton, the Spaniard envisions a future Defensive Player of the Year.

“For us, he’s a priority this summer, and the way we can play through him,” Fernandez said. “Obviously he’s great in pick and roll, he’s quick to the rim, he puts pressure on the rim, but also his ability to play the dribble-handoff game which lately in the NBA is a style that is very efficient. And it helps with ball movement. So, when everybody touches the ball and everybody’s involved, everybody’s happier. You’re harder to guard because there’s more — you’re not that predictable to just play pick-and-roll. So, he fits perfectly, what we want to do moving forward.”

Of course, players will not develop properly without the right coaching staff in place, beyond Fernandez. As of Wednesday, Fernandez’s only reported assistant hire was Steve Hetzel, who had served on Chauncy Billups‘ staff with the Portland Trail Blazers for the past three years.

Assistants Will Weaver and Corey Vinson were present at Fernandez’s introductory news conference on Wednesday, but it is unknown at this time whether them — or anyone else from the old regime — will be retained by Fernandez as he builds out the rest of his staff.

“I think that’s something that Jodi’s working through now, and who is he going to bring in,” Marks said. “And I think he’s being very reflective on looking at where’s areas that I need help on? Where can I improve and who can help me do that? And I think with any good coach or any good leader, that’s what they should be doing, is hiring for areas where maybe you’re not so good at or not astute at or you don’t want to do, right?

“For a guy like Jordi, he has to be able to look at himself and say, OK, what do I need? Where are my faults? Where am I not quite up to speed here? Does that mean I need an ex-head coach on my staff? If so, great. If it’s not, then I need to focus on player development.”

After the Nets finished 32-50 this season and missed the playoffs, delivering a winning brand of basketball to Brooklyn will be Fernandez’s top priority going forward. But now that the pageantry of his hire is behind us, what matters most is if the Spaniard actually has a concrete plan to get the job done.

Within Fernandez’s first 100 days as Nets head coach, he promised fans will see a shift in culture, for the better. It starts with kindness, as cliche as that may sound, and creating an environment that players, coaches and potential free agent acquisitions want to be a part of.

“Working with a group of people, you need to get to know everybody and get to touch everybody, and then from there you can organize everybody,” Fernandez said during his introductory news conference on Wednesday in Brooklyn. “I trust that building relationships is extremely important — that’s how you get connected.

“And it’s not just me with the players. It’s myself with the coaching staff, the front office, with every single department, strength and conditioning, health, sports performance, the business side, the community. So, I think if you do care and you spend the time to do it, in the long run it’s going to work out. You know, everybody says I build relationships. The reality is I know I’m not good at it, I’m bad at it. What I can tell you is that I try, and I care, and that’s a good start.”

Between the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, what is expected to be a chaotic free agency period for the Nets, and everything else a first-year head coach must do to find comfort ahead of his inaugural term on the sidelines, this summer projects to be a busy one for Fernandez. How the 41-year-old balances it all will be monitored closely in the coming months.

76ers head coach Nick Nurse, who Fernandez succeeded as Canada’s men’s national team head coach, stepped down from the position last summer because he was stretched too thin after being named Doc Rivers’ replacement in Philadelphia. For Nurse, a more focused approach entering his first season with the 76ers was better.

“I just knew how much work there was to do in the first six months,” Nurse said. “Hiring a staff, getting to know the players, getting to know the 100 people around the building, all the things you have to do leading up to your first year to get things in place the way you want them to be as quickly as possible, was the reason why I had to step away.”

However, being able to coach in the Olympics is a “dream come true” for Fernandez, and Nets general manager Sean Marks would “never take the opportunity to play for or coach a national team” from him.

Fernandez believes coaching in the Olympics will ultimately make him and the Nets better, and Marks agreed. He will have six weeks to prepare and coach in the Olympics but is expected to report back to Brooklyn around mid-August.

“The more opportunities Jordi has behind the clipboard, the better,” Marks said. “For us, it’s going to be a matter of making sure our summer program is an incredibly robust one. The staff is in place here. We place a high-level importance on summer league and training camp and having this gym available to all of our players and development over the summer. So, making sure our staff is here and that Jordi is in alignment with what they’re working on the whole summer. So just the communication back and forth.”

And by the time Fernandez is settled in this fall, what kind of on-court product should Nets fans expect?

“We’ll have a team that’s extremely competitive on both sides of the floor,” Fernandez said. “A team that is connected, so that means that they care about each other, and a team that is selfless — that will put the team first. I think this will give us the identity that we need. As you guys know, the NBA with 82 regular-season games and then postseason is going to be a challenge. There’s going to be ups and downs, but like I said, if we’re able to fight, if we care about each other, if we put the team first, we’re going to be very good in the long run.”