The Kevin Durant deal that shook up the NBA on the eve of the trade deadline never would have happened if the Suns hadn’t included Mikal Bridges, Nets general manager Sean Marks tells Nick Friedell of ESPN.
Marks had come to the realization that it was time to end the super-team experiment in Brooklyn that brought together Durant, Kyrie Irving and eventually James Harden. Durant was the last of the trio to be moved, and Marks wanted to create the foundation of a young team that could remain competitive while building for the future. The centerpiece of that was Bridges, who has become a star in Brooklyn, averaging 26.1 PPG in 27 games since the trade.
“We knew the end of an era was upon us,” Marks said. “When Kyrie had already moved, the discussions with Phoenix heated up and it became real, like, ‘All right, well, there’s a shift happening here, right? Are we resetting, retooling, rebuilding?’ We were able to come to terms with that knowing that the package we were getting back in return was something that has a clear pathway.
“We’ve never sort of had a group of young guys before that were under contract, proven, healthy and you can see a pathway of, ‘Hey, I can see what this may look like in two, three years from now.’ … Not just Mikal, but all of them, where do they all take their games to? Who’s the next person that takes that leap?”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Veteran guard Goran Dragic is the latest player to indicate that there was significant behind-the-scenes turmoil with the Nets, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Dragic, who finished last season in Brooklyn, said he had an offer to stay but he chose to sign with the Bulls to get away from the drama. “I could have re-signed with Brooklyn, but I didn’t want to be in that situation, because it was a little bit crazy,” Dragic said. “I just tried to find a team that’s calmer and to be more stable. I thought that would be with Chicago.”
- Facing Joel Embiid is a difficult matchup for Nic Claxton, so coach Jacque Vaughn wants him to use his speed to his advantage, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Claxton needs to find a way to get some easy baskets after being held scoreless Monday.
- Vaughn wouldn’t commit to playing Cam Thomas in Game 3, Lewis tweets. The second-year guard wasn’t used at all in Game 2 after seeing four minutes in the series opener. “It’s always at the disposal of someone not getting minutes, and so who is that?” Vaughn asked. “Is that Spencer (Dinwiddie)? Is that Cam Johnson? Is that Mikal Bridges? Everyone is available to play it and in the wheelhouse to be prepared if their number is called.”
It’s really too bad that Nets forgot to play and develop Thomas after KD trade. All those 40-50 points a game Thomas scored before KD trade were fake??? Give the kid a chance and dont worry about some vets gettng upset.
It’s not about vets getting upset. Cam Thomas is a scorer (or as Dorian Finney-Smith says, “a bucket”) but his defense is lacking. Sure he can improve, but with all of the similar players the Nets have, he could be part of a trade package.
Really wish Dragic, a vet with few emotional outbursts in his career, would have added some clarity to the situation in Brooklyn.
I guarantee the franchise management/executive level decision making played a huge part in his characterization of the Nets as a little bit “crazy” (a word I hate because it describes nothing), unstable, and turbulent. (Not calm)
Nets aren’t trading bridges! Definitely not to the blazers for a dime a dozen score only guard like ant simons! Nets already have their own version of him
Simons is a lot better than Thomas. By quite a large margin.
Thomas is not that good. If he is equivalent to Duncan Robinson, or Malik Monk I’d be surprised.
The ceiling on players is unlimited really if the individual wants it bad enough, but judging Thomas from where he started from, and the skills possessed right now?
Duncan Robinson, Malik Monk.
If he can’t put together some defense he is hard to keep on the floor.
Even if that’s true simons and even picks isn’t close to good enough for nets to trade bridges for ! Bridges looks certain to be a star where as simons is a talented scorer in a league full of talented scores ! 33 players averaged 20 ppg or more this season
Nets are not trading Bridges for that package
I have never seen a public declaration from Lillard saying get better, or trade me. And he just did.
My guess is Blazers are going full rebuild. Bridges is not exactly in the target age range for that option.
Blazers & Nets are not Lillard trade partners either, unless Portland makes a bad trade for Finney-Smith, and Dinwiddie.
I don’t understand why Thomas doesn’t play!! Nets don’t think he is ready because of his defense. meanwhile the defense gave up over 120 points in game one. No one could score in game 2.
no team has their best scorer not play a single minute!!