This time final season, Mikal Bridges gave a despondent press convention about New York Knicks followers taking up a Brooklyn Nets dwelling sport on the Barclays Heart. A yr later, he was on the opposite finish of the crosstown rivalry.
Bridges confronted the Nets this weekend for the primary time because the blockbuster commerce that despatched him throughout the river. He had two of his finest performances of the season in entrance of sold-out crowds at Madison Sq. Backyard, averaging 21.5 factors on 51.4 % taking pictures in two Knicks victories.
Bridges’ exit to Brooklyn sparked controversy. Experiences say the 28-year-old knowledgeable the Nets that he wished to be traded to the Knicks – the place he would be a part of Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart – and that he was prepared to play hardball to get there clear a path. Nevertheless, Bridges denied these claims within the weeks following the transaction.
He instructed ClutchPoints on Sunday that he had just one remorse from his keep in Brooklyn.
“The one factor I can say about it’s I want we had extra wins. That’s about it,” Bridges mentioned. “I management what I can management. However there are quite a lot of my guys there. I am nonetheless shut with quite a lot of these individuals, even within the entrance workplace. They’re nice individuals, so [I’m] I am by no means offended with them.
Mikal Bridges’ path from Nets cornerstone to crosstown rival
Many thought-about Bridges to be Brooklyn’s cornerstone for final season. After becoming a member of the Nets because the centerpiece of their return for Kevin Durant, he put collectively his career-best stretch to shut out 2022-23, averaging 27.1 factors on 48/38/89 taking pictures over 26 video games.
Nevertheless, he returned to earth in 2023-2024 and appeared more and more listless because the yr progressed. In consequence, the Nets struggled, firing head coach Jacque Vaughn on the All-Star break. Regardless of this, the staff nonetheless deliberate to maneuver ahead with Bridges as its centerpiece.
“After I was employed, he was a part of the staff. And I had nice conversations with him, I did exercises with him, I began constructing a relationship with him,” mentioned newly employed head coach Jordi Fernandez. “However the NBA has some surprises, and issues change…Commerce was a part of our course with the best way we need to do issues and the plan we’ve to construct success and preserve success.”
“Mikal is an unimaginable participant, and what I instructed him was, ‘There’s nothing higher than being wished within the NBA.’ And he was wished at the moment. It’s a part of the enterprise.”
Bridges leaves Nets struggling in championship chase with Knicks
Bridges’ habits towards his former staff was in stark distinction to the second half of final season. Defensively, he regarded energetic, inspiring hope after a lackluster begin to the yr. Offensively, his three-point effectivity improved, as he made 7 of 17 makes an attempt (41.2%) after taking pictures 21 of 69 (30.4%) in his first 11 video games.
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Bridges hits the Nets with its patented three-point celebration Sunday after scoring a triple in entrance of their bench. Cam Johnson, his longtime teammate and “Twin” relationship again to their early seasons with the Phoenix Suns, had a four-word response to being on the opposite finish of the movement.
“It’s boring, very boring,” he mentioned.
Bridges and nets now comply with divergent paths. The Knicks are all-in in a championship quest after buying and selling Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Bojan Bogdonavic, six first-round picks and a swap of first-round picks to amass Bridges and Karl-Anthony Cities this summer season.
In the meantime, the Nets are anticipated to proceed their dismantling this season in quest of a prime draft decide. Following the Bridges commerce, Brooklyn has 15 first-round picks over the subsequent seven years. They’ve 4 in a loaded 2025 draft, together with their very own and the Bucks’, whose worth is rising amid Milwaukee’s 4-9 begin.
The arguments between Knicks and Nets followers over who received the deal will proceed because the season progresses. Something wanting a championship can be thought-about a failure for New York, whereas Brooklyn’s score will stay incomplete for the foreseeable future.
