What trading Mikal Bridges means for the Nets’ future

NEW YORK — Turns out Mikal Bridges was not as untouchable as some were led to believe.

The Nets made a major splash on the eve of the 2024 NBA draft, agreeing in principle to trade Bridges to the interborough rival Knicks in exchange for forward Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via the Bucks, an unprotected pick swap and a second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Nets and Knicks had not made a trade since 1983 before Tuesday night’s deal.

And general manager Sean Marks has apparently been a busy man, as Wojnarowski later reported that the Nets struck a deal with the Houston Rockets to return their 2026 first-round pick for a 2027 Phoenix Suns first-round pick. Houston also reportedly relinquished its right to swap a Houston/Oklahoma City first-round pick, giving the Nets control of their first-round selection in a talented 2025 draft class.

Tuesday proved to be a night for celebration for both Bridges and Nets fans. Bridges, who averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season for Brooklyn, now gets the opportunity to reunite with his former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo on a team that advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Nets did not want to trade Bridges to the Knicks, but Bridges’ camp was prepared to force the issue. They made it clear to Brooklyn that the Knicks were Bridges’ preferred destination.

For Nets fans, it clearly means that their struggling franchise has finally settled on a direction: stockpiling the roster with young talent and building toward a more competitive future under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez after finishing 32-50 last season and missing the playoffs.

Marks deserves tons of credit for this move, as the return on the trade that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix and Bridges to Brooklyn in the first place now looks far more bountiful — although it did take some time to get there. Along with Cam Johnson, who was traded alongside Bridges in the Durant deal, and Noah Clowney, who was selected with Phoenix’s 2023 first-round pick, the Nets just secured nine first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps as their return for Durant, in all.

Brooklyn now has 15 first-round picks over the next seven drafts. And now that Bridges’ departure has launched a full rebuild for the Nets, Johnson could possibly be flipped for additional picks as well, adding to what already feels like a generational haul in exchange for Durant.

As for Bogdanovic, a forward coming off of an injury-riddled playoff run with the Knicks, there is a good chance he could be re-routed elsewhere before the start of next season. He has a $19 million salary for 2024-25 that is partially guaranteed for $2 million. And at this point, it would not be much of a surprise if Marks works to find trade suitors for veteran players such as Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder as well.

With an abundance of future draft capital and a projected $60-80 million in cap space entering 2025, the Nets are now in position to chase stars or build up their roster organically through the draft. While the on-court product may suffer in the short-term, the bigger picture illustrates the story of a team finally heading in the right direction.