Nets Refusing to Trade Star Player per Adrian Wojnarowski
By Jovan Alford
The Brooklyn Nets could potentially be sellers at next month’s NBA trade deadline, as they are five games under .500 and would be in the play-in tournament if the season ended today.
If the Nets were to be sellers at the deadline, one could make the case that they could trade standout wing Mikal Bridges, who they acquired last season from the Phoenix Suns in the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant.
Last season in Brooklyn, Bridges was the team’s No. 1 scoring option, dropping 26.1 points per game on 47.5% shooting from the field and 37.6% from three-point range.
Fast forward to this season, and Bridges’ scoring average has dropped to 20.1 points per game, but he’s still shooting 45% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc.
Nets Rumors: Brooklyn Plans to Build Around Bridges
In a Threads Q&A on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was asked if the Nets would consider trading the former Villanova standout. Wojnarowski said he believes Brooklyn’s intent remains to build and add talent around Bridges.
If that’s the case, it’s the right approach by Brooklyn, as good two-way wings are not easy to find in today’s NBA. Last season, ESPN’s Zach Lowe mentioned that one team offered the Nets four first-round picks for Bridges after they acquired him from the Suns (h/t RealGM).
Brooklyn hasn’t taken that next step that many thought they would this season. But it’s too early to think about trading Bridges, who has shown that he can score 20 points per game and be one of the better perimeter defenders in the league.
Therefore, the Nets would be better off trying to trade Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton, and Royce O’Neale at the trade deadline. All three players are unrestricted free agents after this season and could bring back more pieces to add to their young core with Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Cam Thomas.
Where things stand for now, the Nets are considered significant underdogs (+290 on FanDuel Sportsbook) to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs. They are, however, slightly favored to at least make the Play-In Tournament.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.