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Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN
The Brooklyn Nets accomplished an enormous overhaul of the franchise’s roster, buying and selling their finest participant, Mikal Bridges, to the New York Knicks, sources instructed ESPN on Tuesday, and touchdown a cope with the Houston Rockets to return the franchise’s first-round picks misplaced within the James Harden commerce.
After teetering within the post-Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving home windows between pursuing the playoffs and the draft lottery, the Nets declared a course and abruptly have 16 first-round picks accessible by way of 2031, together with 4 picks within the starry 2025 NBA draft.
The Nets had been listening to provides from a number of groups on Bridges, however his need to play along with his three former Villanova teammates on a championship contender — and the Knicks’ confidence they may hold him long run — gave New York the arrogance to lastly unload its array of draft picks into a major trade, sources mentioned.
Nets normal supervisor Sean Marks and Knicks president Leon Rose escalated discussions shortly Tuesday afternoon and night, and New York in the end overwhelmed {the marketplace} with 4 unprotected first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031), a protected 2025 first-round choose through the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks’ unprotected 2028 choose swap and a 2025 Brooklyn second-round choice, sources mentioned.
Nearly concurrently, the Nets had been engaged in talks with Houston on getting again the franchise’s 2025 and 2026 first-round picks for Phoenix‘s 2025 and 2027 and an opportunity to obtain the 2029 first-round choose as a part of a swap if it is essentially the most favorable of the Dallas, Houston and Phoenix firsts.
The Rockets place themselves to be aggressive in future commerce situations with the Suns ought to that franchise must disassemble. For now, the Suns plan to maintain making an attempt to win with Durant and Devin Booker. However the Rockets buying these Phoenix picks provides them an inside monitor on a doable deal ought to a Suns star — notably Booker, who’s 27 years outdated and on the Rockets’ timeline — change into accessible. Durant might change into a risk too.
As soon as the Nets dedicated to the Bridges commerce, it solely made sense to pursue the picks they provided within the Harden deal. This fashion, the Nets can end towards the underside of the standings figuring out they’re going to be rewarded with an opportunity to draft one of many class of 2025’s stars — Ace Bailey, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, amongst them.
The Nets had pursued star-level gamers to pair with Bridges, however they did not change into accessible to them, and Brooklyn in the end discovered itself with a number of groups, together with Memphis and Utah, prepared to supply important draft packages for Bridges early this week, sources mentioned. But New York had been developing an arsenal of belongings and had 9 first-round picks accessible for offers — and Rose overwhelmed the Nets to finish the primary commerce between the 2 groups since 1983.
The Nets might have extra trades for belongings on draft day Wednesday, sources mentioned, and people 16 first-round picks might develop if Brooklyn finds a deal for Cam Johnson. The Nets have delivered themselves a full-fledged rebuild, starting with the Knicks’ unrelenting pursuit to land Bridges on Tuesday.
