Nets GM Shuts Down Mikal Bridges Knicks Rumors

Mikal Bridges was traded to the New York Knicks, but despite rumors that he requested the deal, he ultimately did not.

Apr 6, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets small forward Mikal Bridges (1) dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports | Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks' offseason has been defined so far by the blockbuster trade that saw Mikal Bridges leave the Brooklyn Nets to switch burroughs and head to Manhattan.

The move saw Bridges reunite with his Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. While many believed this move was made deliberately to get the foursome together, Nets general manager Sean Marks shined some light on the subject.

"Leon [Rose] and I talked for a couple of days on this thing and it moved very, very quickly...that's not in his character, that's not who he is," Marks said of Bridges.

Marks also spoke more about the trade, saying that it developed very quickly once the Knicks proposed their initial offer.

"It's a difficult decision because Mikal was a focal point of this organization," Marks said. "When you have an offer like we did from New York, that sets us up on a very, very clear pathway to continue to build this team."

The Nets accepted an offer for Bridges in exchange for unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031. They also got a lightly-protected first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025 as well as an unprotected first-round pick swap in 2028. On top of that, the Nets received Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite and Shake Milton, while the Knicks received Keita Bates-Diop.

The Nets needed to make a move like this after trading James Harden away to the Philadelphia 76ers a little over a year into his tenure. The Nets punted on their future, trading multiple unprotected first-round picks to the Houston Rockets in order to try and chase a championship with him, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Once Harden left, Durant and Irving weren't far behind him, leaving the Nets with no present or future.

Now, the Nets have a future, even if it is attached to their crosstown rivals, who are expected to be contenders in the Eastern Conference for the next several years with Bridges, Brunson and recently-extended small forward OG Anunoby all approaching their primes.

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