Nets' stance on Mikal Bridges shows they've learned from mistakes of the past

Mikal Bridges has emerged as a star since joining the Brooklyn Nets at last season's trade deadline. He was part of the package that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. Since assuming a bigger role, Bridges has proved he's capable of being a star-level talent. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that he's seen as a hot commodity heading into the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Bridges isn't going anywhere, though. According to Marc Stein, via his SteinLine newsletter, the Nets are steadfast in their desire to keep Bridges around moving forward, regardless of what offers cross their desk.

"The Nets' resistance to moving Mikal Bridges, by contrast, appears to be iron-clad," Stein wrote. "There have been multiple reports this week of Houston making a determined play for Bridges involving offers that would return a healthy measure of the draft capital that the Nets surrendered in their January 2021 trade to acquire James Harden. Word is that Brooklyn won't yield on Bridges' off-limits status even if the Rockets made Jalen Green part of the trade package."

The last time the Nets had a player like Bridges on their roster, they traded him for a superstar. Ironically, that superstar was Durant. And that player was D'Angelo Russell. While Russell has since failed to hit the heights of his tenure with Brooklyn, the Nets would undoubtedly welcome him back into the fold, as recently reported by ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Brooklyn's strong stance on Bridges' availability is a lesson learned from past mistakes. The Nets have tried to jump in the fast lane before, and they got burned for doing so. Instead, the front office appears to be building the Nets slowly, with a clear plan on how it wants the team to play and the type of talent that will comprise the roster. Bridges appears to be at the forefront of those plans. 

If the Nets can hold onto their star player and continue to build around him, they will likely emerge as a potential contender in the coming years. If they once again try to hop to the front of the line with some ill-conceived notions of a superteam, history will likely repeat itself. 

Fortunately, at the moment, it looks like the front office has its mistakes firmly at the front of its decision-making process. That's a good sign for the Nets' immediate and long-term future.