The Nets traded Mikal Bridges. And turbocharged their rebuild.
Bridges acquired shipped over the East River to the rival Knicks, and Brooklyn introduced again a king’s ransom of draft picks paying homage to the haul they acquired for Kevin Durant.
In a separate deal they acquired a number of of their very own pure picks again from Houston, signaling a pivot to a full-on rebuild.
The Nets agreed to ship Bridges and a 2026 second-round choose to the Backyard for 4 unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031), a 2025 protected first-rounder through Milwaukee, a 2028 unprotected choose swap, a 2025 second-round choose and veteran shooter Bojan Bogdanovic.
“That is loopy lol,” Bridges tweeted because the information broke, first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Submit.
In a distinct transfer Tuesday night time, Brooklyn acquired again their very own 2026 first-rounder from Houston and noticed the Rockets quit the suitable to swap the Nets’ 2025 first-rounder.
Brooklyn had to surrender a 2027 first-round choose through Phoenix and the suitable to swap for the Suns’ 2025 first-rounder. Houston additionally acquired the extra favorable of the Dallas and Phoenix picks in 2029.
Since being the centerpiece of the Durant deal, Bridges had been one of many extra coveted property in all the league.
The Nets already had turned down a proposal of 4 first-rounders from Memphis and one other of most of their very own traded picks again from Houston.
However this haul confirmed why basic supervisor Sean Marks and Nets proprietor Joe Tsai had been reluctant to maneuver Bridges … till now.
Sources instructed The Submit in the course of the season that Bridges not solely wished to get to the Knicks, however quietly angled to make that occur so he may reunite with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.
![The Nets acquired Bojan Bogdanovic and picks in their trade with the Knicks.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/Bojan-Bogdanovic.jpg?w=1024)
Nonetheless, the Knicks needed to blow the opposing provides out of the water to pry Bridges out of Brooklyn, and so they did.
It marked the primary commerce between the Nets and Knicks since 1983.
In April, Bridges had insisted he anticipated to be again in Brooklyn.
“Yeah, one hundred pc. I don’t assume I have a look at wherever else,” Bridges mentioned. “I don’t take into consideration my contract in any respect. Simply try to come again, and my greatest factor this summer time is to be higher than I used to be this 12 months. Take so much from what I discovered.
“Clearly it was not what I wished and what we wished as a staff, however you may’t actually sulk about it. Didn’t play your greatest. That’s cool. Would possibly get some hate for it, however simply get within the gymnasium, get higher and study from it. My intention is certainly to remain right here. I acquired nowhere else to be.”
Now he’ll be in Manhattan whereas Brooklyn will probably be rebuilding.
Bridges, who averaged 19.6 factors and 4.5 assists this previous season, was going to see his worth lower.
A part of his attraction to different franchises was his team-friendly contract, which he’s already burned midway via.
The small ahead is owed $23.3 million subsequent season and $24.9 million within the last marketing campaign of his present four-year $90.9 million contract.
Bridges is eligible to signal a two-year extension on Oct. 1, and might ink a three-year, $113 million extension in six months.
The nearer he will get to the top of that pact, the extra his inventory would plummet.
Marks cashed in Tuesday.
Bridges had been important of the staff’s course proper earlier than coach Jacque Vaughn acquired fired over the All-Star break, and the Nets struggled to a 32-50 end beneath interim Kevin Ollie.
It marked their worst file since 2017-18.
Now, after hiring Jordi Fernandez — voted one of the best assistant within the NBA by league GMs — Brooklyn have a cache with which to rebuild.
The Nets will probably be flush with salary-cap area subsequent summer time when Ben Simmons’ $40 million albatross of a contract comes off the books.
Now they’ll not solely have cash however the richest trove of draft property in all the league over the subsequent a number of years.
Bogdanovic, 35, returns to Brooklyn, the place he began his NBA profession in 2014.
He averaged 10.4 factors in 29 video games off the bench for the Knicks.