Brooklyn Nets completed a significant overhaul of the franchise’s roster, trading their best player Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks. This move was part of a larger deal that also involved the Houston Rockets.
In exchange for Mikal Bridges, the Nets received a deal with the Houston Rockets to regain the franchise’s first-round picks lost in the James Harden trade. This trade now gives the Nets 16 first-round picks available through 2031.
The New York Knicks were confident they could keep Mikal Bridges long term and thus traded four unprotected first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031), a protected 2025 first-round pick via Milwaukee, the Knicks‘ 2028 pick swap, and a 2025 Brooklyn second-round selection.
Simultaneously, the Nets engaged in talks with Houston to acquire their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks in exchange for Phoenix’s 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, with a chance for a 2029 first-round pick swap.
The Rockets position themselves to be aggressive in future trade scenarios with the Suns, should that franchise need to disassemble. The Suns plan to keep trying to win with Durant and Devin Booker.
The Nets have set themselves up for a full-fledged rebuild with the acquisition of multiple first-round picks. The trades have allowed them to pursue stars in future drafts and potentially make more deals for assets on draft day.
