Mikal Bridges is headed to Manhattan to join his former teammates.
The Brooklyn Nets struck a deal to trade Bridges to the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In exchange, the Nets will receive Bojan Bogdanović and a slew of future draft capital — including four unprotected first-round picks.
The Knicks are sending four unprotected picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031) a 2025 protected Milwaukee first, a 2028 unprotected pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick for Mikal Bridges and a 2026 second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/E4pTq3wCMP
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
The deal will reunite Bridges, a former Villanova star, with former Wildcats Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. Bridges spent three seasons at Villanova and won two national championships there.
This is crazy lol
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) June 26, 2024
Omg
— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) June 26, 2024
YOOOOO @mikal_bridges FINALLY HIT MY LINE!!!!!
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 26, 2024
The group even hopped on a big FaceTime call Tuesday night.
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 26, 2024
The Nets will receive an unprotected first-round pick in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031, according to Wojnarowski. They’ll also receive a protected first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025, a second-round pick in 2025 and a protected pick swap in 2028.
Bridges averaged 19.6 points and 4.5 rebounds last year with the Nets, his first full season with the team after they landed him in the Kevin Durant deal with the Phoenix Suns before the deadline in 2023. He has two years left on his four-year, $90.9 million deal.
Bagdanović, 35, was traded to the Knicks earlier this season from the Detroit Pistons and was critical in their playoff run — which ended in the Eastern Conference semifinals for a second straight season. He averaged 10.4 points and two rebounds in 29 games off the bench.
The Nets, who have since hired head coach Jordi Fernández, went just 32-50 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. They are now looking at a significant rebuild, which, considering the draft picks they now have available, is absolutely possible in the coming years.
Though the Knicks still have important pieces to figure out this offseason — especially when it comes to free agent OG Anunoby — they are clearly hoping Bridges’ Villanova reunion can power them at least to the Eastern Conference finals after what will be a 25-year drought next spring.
Nets trade picks with Rockets, who reportedly want Kevin Durant
The Nets weren’t done there.
Shortly after that deal was reported, the Nets struck a deal to restructure several draft picks with the Houston Rockets.
More in deal: Houston acquires 2029 more favorable of Dallas and Phoenix first-round pick and acquires right to swap Houston first-round pick for less favorable Dallas first and Phoenix first, per sources. https://t.co/jUR0f5lSjM
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
According to Wojnarowski, that deal was done because the Rockets want to make a move to land Suns star Kevin Durant in a future trade. While the Suns haven’t said they are willing to deal Durant, who will enter his 18th year in the league this fall, the Rockets now have the picks to potentially pull off such a deal.
If that can’t happen, the Rockets are “determined” to use the Suns’ picks to be aggressive elsewhere. The Rockets are reportedly “seeking a major upgrade now.” Houston went 41-41 last season and just barely missed the playoffs under first-year head coach Ime Udoka.
