The Brooklyn Nets are one of the more interesting teams in the entire NBA due to their location. Playing in New York gives the Nets a chance to draw in superstar talent, which was evident when the franchise landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving years ago.
While the duo, plus guard James Harden eventually, didn’t have much postseason success on the court, the Nets remain a sleeping giant for the future.
Brooklyn did make the playoffs in the 2022-23 season but was swept out of the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets haven’t won a playoff series or even a playoff game since the 2020-21 season. The team missed the playoffs this past season and now enters the offseason looking for some answers.
One of the biggest questions that surrounds the team is what direction they will go. Brooklyn has some interesting pieces on its roster, including small forward Mikal Bridges. Bridges is the best player on the team currently, but opposing teams have been trying to pry him away from the Nets.
To this point, Brooklyn has staved off any trade talks for Bridges. Now, the Nets seemingly have made a big decision on what they plan to do with him going forward. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Nets are holding on to their two-way semi-star.
“The Nets have expressed zero interest in trading Bridges, according to league sources who have been in contact with them — and it’s not like they haven’t had opportunities. Other teams have offered hoards of first-rounders; Brooklyn hasn’t engaged,” Katz writes.
With the Nets wanting to keep Bridges, they will need to find a way to add other pieces around him to contend. The front office has a lot of work to do if it wants the team to become a title contender. Brooklyn wants to add another star around Bridges, viewing him as a potential No. 2 option on the team going forward.
“According to league sources, Brooklyn’s front office has told teams it views Bridges as a costar to whichever big name it can trade for down the line,” Katz adds. “That’s the organization’s long-term plan — though all it takes for the blueprint to change is one hint from Bridges that he wouldn’t re-sign in a couple of seasons.”
Brooklyn will go forward with this plan to keep Bridges, even if it may make more sense to move him for a haul of future assets. The Eastern Conference is much weaker than the Western Conference is, giving the Nets a better chance to move up the standings if they can make a few solid moves. Given their location and media market, some star players seem likely to eventually join the team. But until that happens, Bridges will continue to be the face of the Nets for now, which is larger of a role than he likely ever expected when he first entered the league.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The post Nets Make Massive Decision on Future Roster Building: Report appeared first on Newsweek.