Why The Mikal Bridges Trade Will Save The Nets
Published: Sunday, June 30, 2024
by Kyle Ferreira
“It’s over, ladies and gentlemen!”
Kenny “The Jet” Smith’s iconic line from the Dunk Contests could also be said for this era of Brooklyn Nets basketball—an era of disappointment, heartbreak, and strange decisions.
After the teaming of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and the debacle of Ben Simmons, the Nets are finally starting over. This was evident when Brooklyn made a trade with their crosstown rivals, the New York Knicks, on Tuesday night. The trade involved their star player, but in return, it just might bolster their future.
Mikal Bridges, a focal point of the Nets for the past year, was traded Tuesday for an abundance of draft picks. The Knicks sent Brooklyn four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, Bojan Bogdanovic, and other picks. The Nets also traded with the Houston Rockets to get a couple of future draft picks.
Bridges will now reunite with a few of his Villanova Wildcats teammates, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. While the Knicks try to make a push for an NBA title with the power of friendship, the Nets finally commit to a rebuild. However, the Nets will arguably be better in the long term after making this trade.
The Nets will have a new head coach, Jordi Fernandez, starting next season. Fernandez has spent time in the NBA as an assistant coach in Denver and Sacramento. He has been praised for having an incredible basketball IQ, implementing systems that fit each roster, and building relationships.
With Bridges on the other side of the East River, Fernandez can work with young players like scoring guard Cam Thomas and shot-blocking center Nic Claxton. Claxton was re-signed Wednesday to a four-year, $100 million contract that will take effect when free agency starts on July 6.
The biggest aspect of this trade is the future draft picks that the Nets received from the Knicks. Most fans were shocked to hear the return, as while Bridges is talented, he is not considered a superstar in the NBA. The package may have been too much, but Nets fans don’t seem to mind.
Many consider the 2024 NBA Draft to be a weak class with no standout prospects. However, 2025 may be an amazing class. Some of the top prospects include Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg and Rutgers freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, among others.
Early mock drafts indicate Flagg will go first overall to the Nets next year. Yes, free agency hasn’t started, the season is months away, and prospect rankings are changing. Still, Flagg seems destined for the borough of Brooklyn.
Bridges’ move to the Knicks is a trade that will be dissected once again a decade from now, when the final results are evident. If the Knicks can’t find success with the addition of Bridges and the Nets take advantage of their picks, the Nets will be elated.
The Nets could potentially be on the right side of a major trade for once, after their major gaffe in 2013, when they acquired Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry from the Celtics—a trade that gave Boston a reboot of their own and propelled them to a championship.
Kyle Ferreira can be reached atkyle.ferreira@student.shu.edu
Posted in: sports,