The Nets (26-45) do not own any draft picks in 2024, but they do have the second-most draft picks in the league over the next seven years. And The Athletic’s Shams Charania recently revealed that Brooklyn could have had an even larger chest of draft capital to rebuild with.
Apparently, Houston engaged the Nets around the Feb. 8 trade deadline with a conceptual offer centered around trading Jalen Green and multiple first-round picks for Mikal Bridges. Brooklyn obviously declined.
Bridges, who was essentially labeled as untouchable about the trade deadline, has averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 71 starts this season. Green, a former No. 2 overall pick in 2021, has averaged 28.3 points per game over his last 12 appearances.
“That deal was not accepted by the Brooklyn Nets,” Charania said. “That didn’t progress anywhere.”
It tracks. Back in January, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that multiple teams around the league showed interest in the Nets’ forwards, but Brooklyn’s intent remains to keep Bridges on the roster and to add talent around him. The 27-year-old is under contract with the Nets until 2026.
Brooklyn has lost six straight games entering Monday’s road matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Bridges’ former Villanova teammates that play for the Knicks, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, believe he deserves better.
“It’s like that SpongeBob meme when Squidward is looking out the window and he sees SpongeBob and Patrick having fun,” Hart said. “[Mikal] is Squidward.”
