Knicks New Star Only Got Better With Nets

Mikal Bridges is with the New York Knicks, but he's thankful for his time with the Brooklyn Nets.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 9, 2024

Mar 7, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) walks off the court aft against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges isn't like most stars that get traded.

Normally, stars request to be traded because a team isn't good or they find themselves unhappy, but that couldn't be farther than the truth in Bridges' case. Bridges didn't request to be traded by the Nets, but when the Knicks offered him several future first-round picks that were unprotected, it was an offer Brooklyn couldn't say no to.

Bridges spoke about his time with the Nets in the most recent episode of the Roommates Show, which recorded live in Central Park.

“Y’all should appreciate Brooklyn because it made me better,” Bridges said about his time with the Nets. "My game grew there.”

Bridges did grow tremendously in his two seasons with the Nets, and his numbers reflected that. After averaging 12.2 points per game in five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Bridges saw that number grow to 21.2 with the Nets.

The reason behind this big shift? For starters, his role changed drastically. Bridges went from being a mere role player to the top option in the offense, which put the ball in his hands a lot more often.

However, the role he had with the Nets won't be the same as what's planned for him in the Knicks offense. The job of being the primary creator and scorer will go to star point guard Jalen Brunson. Bridges may not even be the secondary contributor, as that job goes to power forward Julius Randle when he returns to good health.

Bridges will likely revert back to being a third or fourth option for the Knicks, and while that may not reflect the price he was traded for, the experiences he had with the Nets will certainly come into play as he hopes to be the "missing piece" New York was searching for all along.

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Published Sep 9, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.