Mikal Bridges’ time with the Brooklyn Nets wasn’t particularly long, and it had a lot of ups and downs. Ultimately, a partnership that started with many fans falling in love with the forward ended in hatred as he was dealt to the Nets’ crosstown rival, the New York Knicks.
The trade from Barclays Center to Madison Square Garden brought Brooklyn back an immense haul that could benefit the team for years to come as it rebuilds. Still, fans loathe that Bridges made it painfully obvious that he wanted to leave the Nets and join his former college teammates.
The Nets are set to take on the Knicks today for the fifth time since the blockbuster trade. Prior to the matchup, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News spoke to Bridges, and the 29-year-old veteran had nothing but positive things to say about his tenure in Brooklyn.
“[Brooklyn was] just one stepping stone where I was at before I was here. So just appreciative,” Bridges said. “I think every time I play Brooklyn, I just think about how my life changed when I got there — when I got traded from Phoenix to there, just how my life changed from that situation. I had a great time [with the Nets].”
The Knicks are riding a 10-game winning streak against the Nets heading into Sunday’s game, dating back to Feb. 13, 2023. Last season, New York beat Brooklyn in all four matchups, winning by an average margin of six points.
Even though Bridges wasn’t there when head coach Jordi Fernandez began his position last season, he still managed to build a positive relationship in time after he was hired, before the trade. Not only did he have good things to say about Fernandez, but also about the front office.
“[Nets GM] Sean Marks and all them, they’re great dudes. [Nets governor] Joe Tsai, Clara [Wu Tsai], all of them,” Bridges said. “I built a lot of relationships with the coaching staff. Even Jordi [Fernandez] had been there a couple of months — I built a nice relationship with him and his coaching staff before I got traded from there to here.”
Bridges is averaging 16 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game on impressive shooting splits. The Knicks are in title contention at the moment, while the Nets are moving in the opposite direction with a young core.
While Nets fans may never forgive Bridges for the way things ended in Brooklyn, the organization could end up seriously benefiting from the trade. Five first-round picks and a swap put the Nets in position to build something special for the long term, and fans should be thankful for that.