Acquired in Kevin Durant’s trade this morning, Mikal Bridges was showing interest across the league. But the Nets are adamant they don’t want to part ways with the winger tonight.
Transferred today to the Nets, the name of Mikal Bridges however circulated quite a few hours before the Trade Deadline. This morning’s blockbuster trade from Kevin Durant to the Suns isn’t official yet, but Jake Fischer from Yahoo Sports indicates that the Nets have made their decision: no question of sending Mikal Bridges elsewhere, we are counting on him.
Message sent by the Nets front office: Mikal Bridges we keep him.
Either to really keep it (which I believe) or to inflate the offers to the buzzer (which is possible).
Brooklyn was very keen on getting Mikal mostly in exchange for KD. https://t.co/J1fcNLoUAx
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) February 9, 2023
Bluff or real desire to build around him, but it therefore seems difficult to see Bedford-Stuyvesant find an adequate deal two and a half hours from the buzzer. Under contract until 2026, the 26-year-old matches the timeline current Brooklyn. Currently 5th in the East (32-22), the Nets are still in the race to grab a playoff or play-in spot and could (should) continue with their current roster. Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, with Spencer Dinwiddie or Nic Claxton, it’s not all that horrible, and it can even continue to win games and finish the season well.
Two-way player par excellence, elite defender, indisputable and ultra-important starter in Phoenix, Bridges remains a very good acquisition for Brooklyn. Since his arrival in the Great League, MB has continued to progress (17.2 points on average this season, his highest career average) and should quickly integrate into Jacque Vaughn’s system. So what’s the initial plan for the franchise across the bridge? It would seem that tonight to keep friend Mikal until the end of the season… before notifying this summer?
Source texte : NBA, Yahoo Sports, Basketball Reference,