At the 2022-23 trade deadline, things got dicey for the Brooklyn Nets. To start, Kyrie Irving requested a trade and the Nets shipped him to Dallas. Shortly after Kyrie’s departure, Brooklyn’s other superstar Kevin Durant also requested a trade. Durant was traded to the Suns in exchange for several 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 remained consistent that Bridges is a player they have zero interest in trading. Fred Katz of The Athletic reported that the Nets have turned down multiple trade offers for Bridges. Katz noted they’ve turned down multiple first-rounders in potential trades.
Brooklyn remains committed to making Mikal Bridges a featured piece of their offense
The Brooklyn Nets have turned down trade offers consisting of a “hoard of first-rounders” for Mikal Bridges, per @FredKatz
They continue to show zero interest in trading him and would like to build around him and another star
“According to league sources, Brooklyn’s front… 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 huge step back. Irving and Durant are two of the top scorers in the history of the NBA. It was never going to be easy to replace that. We saw that this past season when the Nets finished 32-50, 11th in the Eastern Conference. Not even high enough in the standings to make the play-in tournament. The Nets have shifted their focus towards the 2024-25 season and Mikal Bridges will once again be the centerpiece of this organization.
At the time when Mikal Bridges was traded to the Nets, he was being asked to score more for the Phoenix Suns. They had several injuries on their team and Bridges was the #1 scoring option. That put Bridges in a position to do the same once he was traded to the Nets. Bridges played in the final 27 regular season games for Brooklyn and averaged (26.1) points per game. He scored 20+ points in 22 of his 27 games. During the 2023-24 regular season, Bridges’ scoring numbers took a step back. The 27-year-old averaged (19.6) points per game this past season for the Nets. Bridges scored 20+ points in 38 of his 82 regular season games.
The Brooklyn Nets confuse me.
I understand that the Nets are in New York, Mikal Bridges is one of the most liked players in the NBA and that the Nets have a good amount of assets and a bunch of role players.
But this unwavering faith that they can attract a 1st AND 2nd option… pic.twitter.com/AGeKKowjsh
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) June 14, 2024
Next season, the Nets need Mikal Bridges to step up and be a 20+ point per game scorer consistently. That’s something Brooklyn did not have in 2022-23. Cam Thomas was the only player to average 20+ points per game last season. Bridges averaged (19.6) per game. If the Nets want to be a serious contender in the East again, they need to add some more talent around Mikal Bridges. However, that might not be the easiest thing to do. Brooklyn did not look like a desirable destination in their first full season without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant. What changes can the front office make this offseason?
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