Potential Sixers Trade Target Will Land on Rival Team in Major Trade

The Philadelphia 76ers saw the Brooklyn Nets send a star to the New York Knicks.

Jan 23, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes (6) and forward Precious Achiuwa (5) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlantic Division saw a star shakeup on Tuesday night. The Brooklyn Nets are expected to move their star wing, Mikal Bridges, to the New York Knicks. With that, a potential Philadelphia 76ers trade target goes off the board ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets and the Knicks agreed to a major blockbuster deal, which includes a veteran player and a handful of unprotected picks.

The Nets are expected to land Bojan Bogdanovic, four first-round picks that are unprotected, one first-rounder with a protection, an unprotected pick swap, and a second-round selection.

While the Knicks are giving up a haul of draft capital, the addition of Bridges puts them on a better path to championship contention.

Since entering the NBA, Bridges has established himself as one of the better two-way players in the game. During his final season with the Phoenix Suns, Bridges averaged 17 points on 39 percent shooting from three, while maintaining high level defense.

Midway through the 2022-2023 season, Bridges was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. As he became the most prominent player in Brooklyn at the time, Bridges put together an All-Star caliber stretch, averaging 26 points on 38 percent shooting from deep.

In just one full season in Brooklyn, Bridges averaged 20 points while producing a career-highs in rebounds and assists. While he remained productive amid a full season in Brooklyn, the Nets couldn’t remain as playoff contenders. At this point, they are entering a rebuild, and will give Bridges an opportunity to join a budding contender in the Knicks.

Last season, the Knicks locked up the Eastern Conference’s second seed. In the first round, they defeated the Sixers 4-2. They fell short against the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series during round two.

The addition of Bridges is a major boost for the Sixers’ rival. It also takes a prominent target off the board for Philadelphia. It’s unclear if the Sixers were willing to pursue Bridges this off-season or not, but he would’ve been a great fit in Nick Nurse’s system.

The Sixers will continue searching for a third star to pair alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. If Bridges was on the board, he can now be crossed off, as he’s set to join his third team since the Sixers traded away the former Villanova standout on draft night in 2018.