Things have gotten dangerous for the Brooklyn Nets at the 2022-23 trade deadline. To start, Kyrie Irving requested a trade and the Nets sent him to Dallas. Shortly after Kyrie left, Brooklyn’s other superstar, Kevin Durant, also requested a trade. Durant was traded to the Suns in exchange for multiple first-round picks and two role players.
One of the players they acquired in the trade with Phoenix was SG/SF Mikal Bridges. Brooklyn has consistently maintained that Bridges is a player they have absolutely no interest in trading for him. Fred Katz athletic It’s been reported that the Nets have turned down multiple trade offers for Bridges. Katz noted that he turned down several first-rounders in potential trades.
Brooklyn continues to work on making Mikal Bridges a major part of its offense.
The Brooklyn Nets rejected a trade offer consisting of a “first rounder” for Michal Bridges. @Fred Katz
They continue to show no interest in trading him and want to build around him and another star.
“League sources say Brooklyn’s front line is… pic.twitter.com/KtBwEV5oL2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 14, 2024
When the Nets lost Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the same trade deadline, their roster took a major step back. Irving and Durant are two of the best scorers in NBA history. Replacing it will never be easy. We saw last season that the Nets went 32-50, good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference. I’m not ranked high enough to participate in a play-in tournament. The Nets have shifted their focus to the 2024-25 season, and Mikal Bridges will once again be a mainstay for the organization.
When Mikal Bridges was traded to the Nets, he was asked to score more points for the Phoenix Suns. They had multiple injuries on the team and Bridges was their #1 scoring option. This puts Bridges in a position to do the same if traded to the Nets. Bridges appeared in Brooklyn’s final 27 regular season games and averaged (26.1) points per game. He scored 20 or more points in 22 of 27 games. Bridges’ scoring numbers took a step back during the 2023-24 regular season. The 27-year-old averaged 19.6 points per game for the Nets last season. Bridges scored 20 or more points in 38 of 82 regular season games.
The Brooklyn Nets confuse me.
I know the Nets are in New York, Mikal Bridges is one of the most beloved players in the NBA, and the Nets have significant assets and plenty of role players.
But the firm belief that they can attract the first and second options… pic.twitter.com/AGeKKowjsh
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) June 14, 2024
Next season, the Nets need Mikal Bridges to be a consistent 20-plus point per game scorer. That’s something Brooklyn doesn’t have in 2022-23. Cam Thomas was the only player to average more than 20 points per game last season. Bridges averages (19.6) per game. If the Nets want to become a strong contender in the East again, they need to add more talent around Mikal Bridges. But it may not be the easiest task. Brooklyn didn’t seem like a desirable destination in their first full season without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant. What changes can the front office make this offseason?
