The Nets hosted the NBA draft Thursday, but general manager Sean Marks’ moves sure looked like he had an eye toward free agency as well, clearing space for a run at Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Free agency starts June 30, and one highly placed source told The Post it will be “transformational” for the Nets. Draft-night trades cleared $2 million in cap room, bringing the Nets within $2 million of having the money needed to chase their dream duo.

After years of cautioning against skipping steps, Marks for the first time admitted the Nets have reached a point where taking a huge swing in free agency wouldn’t be skipping steps but the next logical leap.

“I definitely don’t think it’s skipping steps right now,” Marks said. “But I think we’re also at a different place as an organization right now. Three years ago? Certainly, I would’ve thought that would’ve been skipping steps.

“But now where you have a group of young guys coming up that have proved to the league that they’re NBA players and well worth it. And now you see who comes to pair up with these guys.”

If everything goes right, that could be Irving and Durant.

Or Irving and Kawhi Leonard, according to ESPN. Either way, it’ll be a dominant duo capable of transforming the Nets into contenders.

Two highly placed sources told The Post the Nets will have no qualms about taking Irving whether or not they get another star. But all their moves have pointed toward clearing the space for two — if they can land them.

The Nets already traded away two first-round picks — No. 17 this year and next year’s first-rounder — in order to get Allen Crabbe’s contract off the books. Thursday, they shipped the No. 27 pick to the Clippers to not only get back into next year’s first round, but also to get them closer to their dream summer.

ESPN reported that in addition to the Clippers, Leonard likely will visit the Nets and Knicks, and possibly the 76ers as well. But Irving — and possibly Durant — may be more likely.

“I think every year you look to see how you can continue to build,” Marks said. “Sometimes teams are able to make those quantum leaps. Other times you have to not skip steps and just take the slow road and continue to build. We’ll be able to make those judgments in a few week’s time.”

The start of free agency June 30 promises to be exciting in Brooklyn.

If the Nets renounce all six of their free agents (including D’Angelo Russell) and waive both Treveon Graham and Shabazz Napier, they would have $67 million in cap space, enough for Irving and Leonard, but just shy of Irving and Durant. But they’re closer to that goal after Thursday.

Irving’s max deal would start at $32.7 million, while Durant’s would be $38.2 million, though he is expected to miss all of next season after surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles tendon. With the No. 27 pick having a cap hold of $1.97 million required for the guaranteed deal, Marks trading that away clears space.

Assuming Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen are off-limits, the Nets have Spencer Dinwiddie ($10.6 million), Joe Harris ($7.7 million) and Taurean Prince ($3.5 million), as well as last year’s rookies Dzanan Musa ($1.9 million) and Rodions Kurucs ($1.7 million).

Marks still has some juggling to do to fit Irving and Durant, but he has proven capable of juggling far tougher tasks, as he proved by rebuilding the mess left behind by Billy King.

This season, the Nets made the playoffs in a quantum leap forward, but landing Irving would mark a jump of another kind, showing they are a viable destination for a second-team All-NBA star in his prime.

Landing a former NBA champion could qualify as transformational.