The Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks have completed their first trade since 1983, sending SG/SF Mikal Bridges to New York in exchange for a plethora of picks.
Heading back to Brooklyn will be Bojan Bogdanovic, 5 first round draft picks, a pick swap, and a second round selection. Bridges will now reunite with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.
The 27 year old former NBA All-Defensive First Team selection played in all 82 games for the Nets in 2023-24 averaging 19.6pts/4.5reb/3.6ast while shooting 37.2% from beyond the arc. His durability, and built in chemistry with several members of the Knicks core made him the number 1 offseason target for New York as they hope to build off last year’s playoff run.
News of the acquisition comes on the heels of last season’s star acquisition, OG Anunoby, indicating that he will be testing free agency this offseason. While some believe that his $30M per year asking price may be more than the Knicks are willing to offer, New York hasn’t closed the door on a possible reunion as of yet.
In total, the Knicks are reportedly sending four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031), a protected first-round pick (via Milwaukee), a 2028 unprotected pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick to the Nets.
The decision to move on from Bridges comes after an uneven season where Brooklyn went 32-50 and oscillated between competing for a play-in spot to outside the playoff picture entirely. Too good to bottom out, but not good enough to compete left the team in a precarious position heading into the offseason.
With a need to choose between surrounding Bridges with additional support, or sell off assets in a rebuild effort, the Nets front office opted for the latter. Perhaps spurred on by Bridges comments that he would make every effort possible to sign with the Knicks as a free agent in 2027.
With Bridges out of the picture, Brooklyn is now reportedly shopping Cam Johnson to acquire additional picks/prospects. The team also completed another trade with the Houston Rockets to re-acquire the team’s 2026 first rounder, and have Houston relinquish their pick swap rights as well.
With those two deals now completed, Brooklyn has ample cap space and 16 first round picks between now and the 2031 draft. Restocking their draft capital become priority number 1 for the club once they committed to the rebuild following the failed Harden, Durant, Irving experiment, and it would appear as though Nets GM Sean Marks has accomplished that and then some this offseason.
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