Terance Mann grew in his six seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers from a second-round pick working to earn a roster spot to a trusted bench wing playing 20+ minutes a night for Tyronn Lue.
He is ready for something new. After a brief half-season stop in Atlanta (he was part of the Bogdan Bogdanovic trade), he was sent to Brooklyn as part of the three-team Kristaps Porzingis trade. While the spin from pundits was that Brooklyn took on Mann as the price to get the No. 22 pick in the draft (the Nets selected Drake Powell), Mann sees an opportunity in Brooklyn and is eager to seize it, he told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
“It’s going to be crazy to play in an environment like that, something new. I’m one of the oldest guys on the team, want to be a leader, show those guys what it takes to win. I’ve been with those guys a ton [this offseason] and they’re super hungry, willing to learn basketball. It’s going to be fun. I’m excited for the challenge and I feel like I was built for this. I’m in my prime right now and ready to show the world what I’ve really got outside this role I’ve been playing for the last six seasons.”
Mann also talked about moving on from Los Angeles.
“I was super excited to be traded the first time, I kind of felt like my time in LA was up and it was time for me to get out of there. I did six seasons there as a second-round pick and a lot of guys don’t get to do that so, I really felt excited to get traded to the East Coast and to an organization like Atlanta. The coaching staff was great, and we had a good time.”
In his last full season with the Clippers, Mann averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds a night, starting 71 games and playing 25 minutes a night. He’s a career 37.2% shooter from 3.
More importantly, he’s the kind of veteran professional the Nets should want next to their young players, a guy who put in the work to improve his game and become a quality NBA rotation player. A guy who understands how to be a pro.