The Brooklyn Nets struck gold when they were faced with a trade demand by Kevin Durant, landing Mikal Bridges via trade from the Phoenix Suns. Prior to becoming the focal point in Brooklyn, Bridges had never averaged more than 14.2 points per game. But he’s averaged 21.2 PPG ever since.
Even if he hasn’t quite achieved All-Star status, Bridges is now known as one of the best two-way players in basketball. He scores from all three levels, including shooting 37% from distance, rebounds his position well, and averages nearly four assists (3.6) plus 1.4 ‘stocks’ per contest. Bridges has few holes in his game.
Still just 27 years old and signed through 2026 at a budget-friendly rate ($23.3M in 2024, $24.9M in ’25), Bridges brings strong value any way you look at it. For all these reasons above, the Nets have no reason to trade their best player, yet for those same reasons, Bridges will have several teams trying to trade for him this summer.
According to NBA insider Evan Sidery, “plenty of teams” are preparing to try trading for Bridges this offseason.
In the past we’ve heard about Houston aiming for Bridges, offering a package including Jalen Green plus multiple draft picks, but Brooklyn wasn’t interested.
Meanwhile, instead of selling off valuable parts such as Bridges, Brooklyn is instead expected to go on the offensive and get aggressive in their pursuit of returning to the playoffs. That could even include targeting Donovan Mitchell.