Nets trade Mikal Bridges to Knicks, get deal done with Rockets

Nets complete a deal with the Rockets by trading Mikal Bridges to the Knicks.

The Brooklyn Nets completed a major roster overhaul before of the 2024 NBA Draft by dealing Michal Bridges to the New York Knicks and regaining the first-round picks they had traded for James Harden in exchange for a deal with the Houston Rockets.

Despite having an unimpressive roster, the Nets never really decided between playoff hopes and draft lottery positioning in the years after the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era. The Knicks, who acquired 16 first-round picks through 2031—including four picks in the much awaited 2025 NBA Draft—have demonstrated their commitment to a clear strategy by dealing Bridges, since they have a well-defined plan to tank.

According to ESPN, Bridges wanted to rejoin his former Villanova colleagues, especially Jalen Brunson, on a championship-contending Knicks team, even though other clubs were interested in him. The Knicks traded their substantial draft assets because they believed New York would be able to retain him for the long run.

The talks between Knicks president Leon Rose and Nets general manager Sean Marks heated up on Tuesday, as ESPN reported. In the end, New York outbid the competition with four first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031) that are not protected, a protected first-round pick (2025) obtained through the Milwaukee Bucks, an unprotected 2028 pick swap, and a 2025 Brooklyn second-round selection.

Concurrently, the Nets and Houston came to an agreement whereby the former traded Phoenix’s 2025 and 2027 first-round selections in exchange for the possibility of exchanging it for a 2029 first-round pick—assuming that pick is the most advantageous among the selections from Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix. Before Brooklyn had any excuse to tank, it had to reclaim control of its draft picks.

In particular, if the Phoenix Suns, who are now focused on winning with Durant and Devin Booker, decide to rearrange their lineup, this trade sets the Rockets up to make bold moves in the future. Now that they have a top player from the Suns, especially Booker, the Rockets are in a better position strategically. That hasn’t happened yet, though, since Phoenix has expressed a willingness to compete with both elite players without asking for a trade.

In order to put prospective stars like Ace Bailey, Cooper Flagg, and Dylan Harper in a better position for the NBA Draft the following year, the Nets committed to the Bridges trade in an effort to reclaim the picks that were originally traded in the Harden deal. But considering that the Detroit Pistons went from having the poorest record in the league to being selected fifth overall, they are a good example of how the new lottery adds risk for tanking being the obvious objective.

The Nets had thought about adding another star to go with Bridges, but none was available, so it was obvious which way to go. As a result, Brooklyn got substantial draft offers from a number of teams, including Utah and Memphis. Nevertheless, the first trade between the two clubs since 1983 resulted via New York’s strong asset base and their will to acquire Bridges.

The Nets could make further moves because they have a lot of seasoned players under contract who could assist the team in acquiring more players. Bojan Bogdanovic, Cam Johnson, and Dionys Finney-Smith are names to keep an eye on because obtaining wing players is attractive for clubs in the running.In a possible sign-and-trade agreement, Nic Claxton, who is likely to become a free agent, is another trade option.