Report: Nets trading Mikal Bridges to Knicks for Bojan Bogdanović, draft picks

Mikal Bridges is headed to Manhattan to join his former teammates.

The Brooklyn Nets completed a deal to trade Bridges to the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In return, the Nets will receive Bojan Bogdanovic and a ton of future draft capital, including four unprotected first-round picks.

The deal will reunite Bridges, a former Villanova star, with fellow former Wildcats Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. Bridges spent three seasons at Villanova, winning two national championships.

According to Wojnarowski, the Nets will get an unprotected first-round pick in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031. They also receive a protected first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025, a second-round pick in 2025 and a protected pick swap in 2028.

Bridges averaged 19.6 points and 4.5 rebounds with the Nets last year, his first full season with the team after they signed him to a deal with the Phoenix Suns before the deadline in 2023. He has two years left on his four-year, $90.9 million. agreement.

Bagdanović, 35, was traded to the Knicks from the Detroit Pistons earlier this year and was crucial in their playoff run – which was cut short in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season. He averaged 10.4 points and two rebounds in 29 games off the bench with the franchise.

The Nets, who have since hired head coach Jordi Fernández, went just 32-50 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. They are now looking at a major rebuild that, given the draft picks they have available now, is absolutely possible in the coming years.

While the Knicks still have important things to figure out this season — especially when it comes to OG Anunoby — they’re clearly hoping that Bridges’ Villanova reunion can at least get them to the Eastern Conference Finals after what has been a 25-year drought will have been. next spring.

Nets trade with Rockets, who reportedly want Kevin Durant

The Nets weren’t done there yet.

Shortly after that deal was reported, the Nets made a deal to restructure several draft picks with the Houston Rockets.

According to Wojnarowski, that deal came about because the Rockets are looking to make a move to include Suns star Kevin Durant in a future trade. While the Suns have not said they are willing to make a deal for Durant, who will enter his 18th year in the league this fall, the Rockets now have the option of getting such a deal done.

If that doesn’t work out, the Rockets are “determined” to use the Suns picks to be aggressive elsewhere. The Rockets are reportedly “looking for a major upgrade.” Houston went 41-41 last season and narrowly missed the playoffs under first-year head coach Ime Udoka.

This post will be updated soon with more information.