The Brooklyn Nets were headed nowhere fast. With Mikal Bridges as the supposed building block of the franchise, the Nets stumbled to a 32-50 record with Bridges looking lackluster throughout stretches of this past season.
Some speculated that the NBA’s Iron Man was wearing down with his consecutive games streak reaching ridiculous heights. In hindsight, Bridges joins a list of other NBA divas that simply wanted to take the easy road out and join his Villanova teammates across the East River at MSG.
General manager Sean Marks was being harpooned by his own fan base for not flipping Bridges immediately upon the trade with Phoenix last year to teams that were apparently offering four first round picks.
Marks made his fifth coaching hiring in Brooklyn this summer by tabbing Jordi Fernandez as the man in charge.
Nets fans were not sold on Bridges and unsure what superstar wanted to join Brooklyn after the big three exodus of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
Marks was public enemy number one alongside Joe Tsai, but then Knicks GM handed them a lifeline.
The Knicks sent Bojan Bodganovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a 2025 protected first-round pick, a pick swap and future two second-round picks.
Bridges will form the Villanova Knicks to try and chase a title.
Meanwhile, they overpaid grossly for a player that has never made an All-Star appearance and the Nets get out of NBA purgatory.
If the Knicks capitalize on this three to four year window with a championship, then it was all worth it.
If not, the Nets may just use the treasure trove of picks to build a homegrown title contender in the years ahead.
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