"Everyone wants to play with Mikal Bridges" - Why Brooklyn is committed to keeping Bridges

Getting traded for Kevin Durant was a big honor that Mikal Bridges earned during his time in Phoenix. The former Villanova wing has lived up to the hype because Kal has exceeded expectations after growing from being a three-and-D wing into an elite two-way player.

Bridges’ play on the court is superb already, but he is also a valuable part of how the Nets will progress moving forward. His personality draws players in, as evidenced by his recruitment of Dennis Smith Jr. in the offseason and the link to perennial All-Star Damian Lillard.

“They are telling everybody no on Mikal Bridges. From the day they got Mikal Bridges, they’ve been offered a ton: four picks, five picks,” Adrian Wojnarowski said on The Woj Pod. “There’s nowhere he doesn’t fit, but they love Bridges there, they wanna bring in the next big player. Everybody wants to play with Mikal Bridges, and so you hope that they want to do it in Brooklyn.”

An elite wing is hard to come by

It’s hard to come across elite wing players in the league, especially someone who can score and defend like Mikal. The 27-year-old is reliable because he never misses games, even in the age of load management. That consistency and reliability are reasons behind other teams’ desire to get the Nets scorer.

Brooklyn does not want to let go of such a reliable player because the team knows he’s talented and a valuable locker-room presence. Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers addressed this on Woj’s podcast a week ago regarding the importance of wing players like Mikal and OG Anunoby.

Mikal is part of the long-term plan

The Nets’ long-term plan does not only involve Mikal because players like Cameron Thomas and Nic Claxton are also foundational pieces going forward. Brooklyn has tons of untapped potential with this team, especially since Cam is still growing as a player.

With Coach Jacque Vaughn and general manager Sean Marks having an eye on the future, this Nets team will only improve with time. Don’t forget that Marks also finds ways to keep trading for star players, and Mikal will be part of the pitch for those players to come to Brooklyn and play for the Nets.

An elite wing is hard to come by

Mikal is part of the long-term plan

The Brooklyn Nets' slow second half leads to a big loss to the Golden State Warriors