Mikal Bridges trade grades: Did the Knicks, Nets and Rockets all win?

Maybe you were nervous that the New York Knicks wouldn't have enough players from Villanova after their success this season with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. Well, worry no more.

The Knicks are acquiring Mikal Bridges and a second-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Bojan Bogdanović, five first-round picks and a second-round pick, league sources confirmed Tuesday night. The Nets are also making a trade with the Houston Rockets, exchanging first-round picks owed to them by Phoenix from the Kevin Durant trade to get back their very own picks from the James Harden trade.

The Nets have traded Mikal Bridges to the Knicks, sources report @TheAthletic @Stadion. pic.twitter.com/whfKZ66tmZ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) 26 June 2024

Sources: The Brooklyn Nets trade a 2025 Suns pick swap, a 2027 Suns first-round pick, and a 2029 first-round pick and swap with the Houston Rockets in exchange for their very own 2025 pick swap and the 2026 first-round pick from the James Harden trade.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) 26 June 2024

ESPN reported that the main points of the trade are 4 unprotected first-round picks from the Knicks, a protected first-round pick from the Bucks, and a future second-round pick together with Bogdanovic. There are numerous picks being thrown into the room. There are numerous conclusions to be drawn from that, so let's get the red numbers on the market and provides this trade some grades.

Knicks sign Mikal Bridges and a second-round pick

Last season, the Knicks finished because the No. 2 seed within the East, made it to the second round of the playoffs, after which collapsed against Indiana after several key players, including OG Anunoby, were injured.

The Knicks signed Anunoby midseason and took off after the move. He helped them rocket to the highest of the East, although Anunoby missed 27 regular-season games with an elbow injury after the trade after which suffered a hamstring injury within the Indiana series. That makes the signing of Bridges, who hasn't missed a single game in his six-year NBA profession, all of the more necessary. (Technically, Bridges missed one game within the 2022-23 season when he was traded from Phoenix to Brooklyn as a part of the Kevin Durant trade, however the NBA doesn't count that as a missed game. In fact, he played 83 games this season because of the schedules of the 2 teams he played for.)

We can start by saying that the 27-year-old Bridges is one in every of the higher two-way players within the NBA. His defense has been outstanding most years, even though it dropped off when he was asked to do more offensive work in Brooklyn. He went from being an honest safety valve on offense with outstanding defense in Phoenix to a 21-point-per-game player with solid defense in Brooklyn. If he involves the Knicks, he can put so much more energy on defense, and if paired with Anunoby, New York could seriously pressure opposing scorers. The Knicks have yet to re-sign Anunoby as a free agent, but that's been expected since he was traded to New York in late December.

That's numerous draft capital to offer up for Bridges; what is actually five first-round picks and a second-round pick is a Rudy Gobert-level package. But adding Bridges into the combo with Hart, DiVincenzo and Brunson strengthens a team that already has a few of the very best chemistry within the league. It may cost Knicks big man Isaiah Hartenstein as a free agent, but it surely would have already turn into difficult to maintain him unless he accepts a reduction. We'll see if Julius Randle remains to be within the Knicks' long-term plans after this move, but they’ve a powerful rotation to compete for dominance within the East.

Class: A

Nets acquire Bojan Bogdanović, six first-round picks, their very own 2025 pick swap from Houston and a second-round pick

There are so many picks floating around in these two trades with the Nets, so let's break down all the pieces they look like acquiring along with the return of Bogdanović, who played in Brooklyn from 2014 to 2017. These are the picks the Nets are getting on this trade:

• Four unprotected Knicks first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031;
• A protected top-4 first-round pick from Milwaukee via New York for 2025;
• A trade of the 2025 first-round pick they owed Houston from the Harden trade;
• A 2026 first-round pick they owed Houston from the Harden trade;
• An unprotected 2028 pick swap with the Knicks’ first-round pick;
• A second-round pick from New York for 2025.

That's more interceptions than Rudy Gobert would throw in a single play in Quin Snyder's offense! (This joke is meant for a really small audience, but I hope the editors don't remove it.)

This is a surprising move by the Nets, considering that they Reportedly rejected Jalen Green and over 4 first-round picks from Houston on the trade deadline. Through those two trades, they acquired an incredible variety of picks to replenish their inventory and may now capitalize on the renewed on-court trouble. (Houston has the third pick on this draft since the Nets owe them a pick from the Harden deal.)

The Nets are banking on the Knicks being bad again, hopefully (for Brooklyn) by 2029 at the most recent. That stays to be seen, because the Knicks have assembled an incredible team and will go from strength to strength within the Brunson era. It's necessary that the Nets have their very own picks again as they head into next yr's draft, which is loaded with top talent that would find yourself changing the franchise. Brooklyn is lucky that the third pick it traded to Houston this season is in a foul draft yr.

Brooklyn has now essentially acquired nine first-round picks plus Cameron Johnson from the 2023 Durant trade. We'll see what else the Nets can do over the following few seasons in an affordable market to rebuild this roster.

Class: A

Rockets acquire 2025 Suns pick swap, a 2027 first, a 2029 first and a pick swap from Brooklyn

Let's compensate for what the Rockets are getting from the Nets here as they shake up some first-round picks to arrange for an aggressive summer of transfer opportunities. Here's what they're getting from the Brooklyn trade:

• Exchange of the 2025 first-round pick from Phoenix to Brooklyn from the Kevin Durant trade;
• The 2027 first-round pick from Phoenix goes to Brooklyn within the Durant trade;
• 2029 first-round pick from Phoenix or Dallas, whichever is cheaper;
• Trading the 2029 first-round pick for a cheaper pick from Phoenix or Dallas.

Under recent coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets surprised many last season by going 41-41. Young players like 21-year-old Alperen Şengün and 22-year-old Jalen Green have grown tremendously, as has 21-year-old Jabari Smith Jr. in his role. We've also seen some good things from 2023 first-round picks Amen Thompson (21) and Cam Whitmore (19), in addition to 2022 first-round pick Tari Eason (23). Veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green proved to be useful mentors for this young group of players. The Rockets don't wish to miss the playoffs anymore and at the moment are armed with some impressive draft picks and other assets to be key players on the trade market.

Perhaps Houston could attempt to persuade the Phoenix Suns that their three-star core is not any longer value anything and trade their picks back for Durant or Devin Booker sometime next season or the season after. Phoenix desires to win now, but this example could get ugly quickly after last season's first-round sweep of Minnesota. Regardless of who the Rockets goal on the transfer market, they’ve one in every of the more impressive treasure troves of transfer value to lure a team with a disgruntled star trying to win elsewhere.

This trade might be the primary win-win-win situation in an extended time, but that will depend on what the Nets and Rockets do with all that pick transfer.

Grade: A-