Nets have two clear choices in how to approach critical offseason

The rebuilding Nets have spent years — none more painful than this one — accruing assets.What would it take for the front office to cash them in this summer? In a rare moment of transparency, GM Sean Marks in essence said a superstar could turn them into a contender.

Otherwise, the Nets are keeping their powder dry. “You’ll always have those opportunities.Whether we do or not, when we go in, those are questions that I cannot answer,” Marks said the day after the Nets wrapped up a 26-56 campaign. “If you’re going after max-level talent, they have [to] automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team.

This can’t be like ‘Let’s go get this [guy] and lock ourselves into being a six or seven seed.’ When we go all in, you’re going in to compete at the highest level and contend.” There are a host of players like Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant or Domantas Sabonis that could get moved.But changing the team’s trajectory sounds like Giannis Antetokounmpo or bust.

Or more accurately Antetokounmpo or tank. The Nets’ first lottery pick since 2010 — along with first-rounders from the Bucks, Knicks and Rockets — will be the foundation of their rebuild.They paid Houston dearly to reacquire their own selections this year and next, a steep price for the right to rebuild at their own pace through consecutive generational draft classes. In a fluky summer where nobody can spend big except the Nets (who’ll have $45 million in cap space even after the holds for their own free agents and four first-round rookies), the Nets could have a free run at free agents like Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga, Santi Aldama, Quentin Grimes and Ty Jerome. But could isn’t the same as should.

Those solid-but-unspectacular signings — like the aforementioned trade targets — would just lift a play-in team into the sixth or seventh seed, not contention. Contention means Antetokounmpo — or more likely, a slow build and stacking another lotte...