Two years after Brooklyn shipped Mikal Bridges to New York for a haul of first-round picks, the debate around that deal has only gotten louder now that the Knicks are champions.
Josh Hart didn’t leave much room for nuance when he weighed in on X. Asked which side won the trade after two years had passed, the Knicks forward wrote, "The team with the ring," and that’s where the conversation starts and ends for plenty of people now.
The Nets’ thinking at the time was straightforward: flip Bridges, stockpile draft capital, and commit to a rebuild. Brooklyn did get a mountain of assets back from New York, and that package helped set up the franchise to land guards Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf in the 2025 NBA Draft.
At the same time, the Knicks turned Bridges into part of a championship core. They already had Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns driving the team, and Bridges fit right into a group that climbed all the way to the title this past season.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, spent the 2022-23 season trying to make something out of a roster that also included Cam Johnson after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were dealt away. The result never got close to playoff-level basketball.
Once Bridges was moved, the Nets could finally lean fully into the rebuild. They finished this past season 20-62, which left them with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and more reasons to keep betting on the long game.
Bridges also produced the best stretch of his career in Brooklyn, but the larger picture now looks pretty clear: the deal worked for him, worked for the Knicks, and, in Hart’s view, worked for the side that ended the season with a ring.
In Other News...
Nets Have An Awkward Chaney Johnson Decision Coming
Chaney Johnson has done just about everything a two-way forward can do to make himself part of the conversation in Brooklyn. The 24-year-old has looked useful in the G League, held his own in limited NBA minutes and carried that momentum into a strong Summer League showing, giving the Nets a versatile, energetic option who has consistently made a positive impression whenever he has gotten on the floor.
The problem is less about Johnsons game than about the math of the roster. Brooklyn already has a full 15-man standard lineup, which leaves no obvious place to slide him onto a conventional NBA deal right now. For a team trying to balance present needs with developmental upside, Johnsons progress has created the sort of awkward decision front offices would rather not have to make. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Porter Jr Faces A Season That Could Shape Brooklyn's Future
Michael Porter Jr. arrives in Brooklyn with a familiar kind of pressure for a player in a contract year, and the Nets are counting on him to carry more than just the scoring load. After averaging 24.2 points per game last season, he steps into the role of primary scorer with expectations tied directly to where Brooklyn is trying to go next, both in the standings and in its long-term planning.
Porter has already shown he can fit into a winning environment, playing a key role in Denvers 2023 championship run before becoming the focal point of the Nets offense. Now the stakes are different. If he keeps producing at a high level, Brooklyn can keep pushing toward a return to the postseason while Porter builds toward a major payday in free agency, with this season shaping up as one of the most important of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Long Island Nets Are Building A Brooklyn Pipeline Fans Should Watch
The Long Island Nets have been busy adding more than just bodies this offseason, and the latest moves hint at a deeper plan for the Brooklyn organization. In one transaction, Long Island acquired guard Dwight Murray Jr. and a 2026 first-round G League Draft pick from the College Park Skyhawks in exchange for draft picks, a move that gives the affiliate another young guard to develop while keeping future draft capital in play. The team also pulled off a three-team trade to land a 2027 first-round pick and the returning player rights to guard Joey Calcaterra, adding another layer of flexibility as it shapes its roster for the coming season.
For Brooklyn, the intrigue is not just about who suits up in Long Island next winter, but how these transactions fit into a broader pipeline. The Nets have also signed several players to contracts as roster construction continues, suggesting an affiliate that is being stocked with both immediate competition and longer-term possibilities. With draft assets now shifting around and returning rights coming back into the fold, Long Island looks increasingly like a place where Brooklyn can stash development, test depth and keep an eye on names that might matter later. [Read more 🡒]