The Brooklyn Nets are no longer spending as extravagantly as they once did and their announcement of staff promotions on Monday is just the latest example.
Steve Jones, formerly the team's manager of video operations, replaces veteran assistant coach John Welch, who departed for Sacramento. Trevor St. Agathe, formerly an intern with the team two seasons ago, replaces veteran strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Bettle, who left for a similar position with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mike Jones was elevated to Steve Jones' old job, while Nick Resavy will take over for Mike Jones as the team's video coordinator.
Two seasons ago, the Nets spared no expense, paying out an NBA-record $197 million in salary and luxury taxes. They made Lawrence Frank the highest-paid assistant coach in league history, while also employing two assistant general managers, Bobby Marks and Frank Zanin.
But after losing $144 million in basketball-related business in 2013-14, the Nets have been cutting back. And after paying $122 million in luxury taxes over their first three seasons in Brooklyn -- including a record-high $90 million in 2013-14 -- the Nets aren't expected to pay any in 2015-16.
Marks, an expert capologist, was not retained, nor replaced in title after his contract expired this summer, with young up-and-comers Matt Riccardi and Matt Tellem combining to handle much of his duties. Steve Jones certainly doesn't have the experience of Welch, while St. Agathe certainly doesn't have the experience of Bettle.
That's not to say these new guys won't do a good job. Not at all.
But fiscal responsibility didn't seem like much of a concern when owner Mikhail Prokhorov purchased majority control of the team in the summer of 2010 -- and it does now.
No big-name, big-money, outside-of-the-organization hires? Yeah, things are different.
The Nets hope that different is better for the organization over the long haul.