Sean Marks turned a salary-clearing veteran trade into sharp-shooting UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau eight seasons later.
The Brooklyn Nets traded a second-round pick in 2018, but it returned several seasons later, and they used it to draft Tyler Bilodeau.
Brooklyn attached a future second-round pick to trade Jeremy Lin to the Atlanta Hawks, which absorbed his $12.5 million remaining salary. The pick was moved in three separate transactions over the season, before landing back in general manager Sean Marks' possession.
Marks chose Bilodeau, a 6-foot-8 forward out of UCLA, with the 43rd overall pick to round out his 2026 draft haul. He averaged 15.5 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting an elite 43.2% from the three-point range in two seasons with the Bruins.
Brooklyn signed its lone second-round pick to a two-way deal, likely spending most of his rookie season with the G League affiliate Long Island Nets.
The 6-foot-8 forward offers size and shooting the Nets need after finishing last season tied for last in three-point percentage (30%) with the Sacramento Kings.
Three-point shooting is the rookie's specialty, but he said he's prepared to show what he can do in other aspects of the game.
"That's what I'm known for, shooting, but I think I score on all three levels," Bilodeau told YES Network. "I think I'm really good at punishing switches, using my size and strength, but I also want to be seen as a good defender and rebounder as well."
It's impressive how Marks has traded old picks, only to get them back several seasons later as rookie additions. He did the same with the Houston Rockets in the 2024 offseason.
He sent four first-round picks (2025, 2027 and two conditional 2029 picks) to Houston for 2025 and 2026 firsts. Marks went on to draft two immediate contributors in back-to-back drafts, giving fans a bright future to look forward to.
He drafted Egor Dëmin eighth overall last year and Mikel Brown Jr. sixth overall this year.
Dëmin looked like the most promising player over the summer. He added muscle, which helped him become a consistent downhill scoring threat and improve his scoring efficiency.
He scored 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in the California Classic opener against the Kings. Dëmin, known for his outside shooting, struggled (2-for-8), but his rim pressure prevented him from having a bad night.
Brown had a successful freshman campaign for the Cardinals despite a lingering back injury forcing him to miss the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. He averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals across 18 games.
Marks got back a second-round pick he dealt in 2018 and turned it into Bilodeau, who could become a valuable young contributor for Brooklyn's future.
