Nets finally embrace tanking with Mikal Bridges trade

Brooklyn got a huge return for Mikal Bridges, who they picked up from the Phoenix Suns as part of a haul for Durant in 2023. But they held off a full teardown of their roster, turning down offers for Bridges and giving Cam Johnson a big extension in pursuit of a playoff bid.

They also couldn’t tank because they owed Houston so many first-round picks from their 2021 trade for James Harden, including this year’s No. 3 overall selection. The Nets getting worse only helped the Rockets, who controlled Brooklyn’s picks through 2027. Until Monday.

Now Brooklyn has its own picks back in 2025 and 2026, which opens the door for it to back up the tank. They’ll now get rewarded in the draft for losing, which they were doing quite a bit last season with no draft incentive.

Brooklyn potentially has massive cap space next summer when Ben Simmons’ $40M contract expires, especially if they trade Johnson or let center Nic Claxton move on. For a roster that was likely maxing out in the play-in tournament, sending Bridges to “Villanova North” across the city is their best path to the future.

The Nets will almost certainly be one of the NBA’s worst teams next year, but at least they’ll get better lottery odds out of it.