Brooklyn Nets Forward Sees 'Amazing Opportunity' After Mikal Bridges Trade

The youth movement is on in Brooklyn.

Mar 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) warms up prior to the game against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

It's time for a fresh start in Brooklyn. The Nets' rebuild began with the team sending Mikal Bridges across the bridge, reuniting him with three former Villanova teammates with the New York Knicks.

Recouping five first-round picks was an incredible play by the Nets. There's a proven mold to a successful rebuild -- giving young talent the room to develop and grow their games with expanded opportunity and piling draft assets by trading win-now talents.

Trading Bridges kicked off a full-blown rebuild in Brooklyn. For Nets forward Noah Clowney, there's now an "amazing opportunity" for him to grow into a better player.

“I feel Mikal almost should feel proud in a sense,” Clowney said on Monday. “To get traded for five first-round picks is a superstar-level type thing. But it’s an opportunity for me. No shade to him -- that’s my dog. I love him. But to see us going into more of a rebuilding standpoint, that’s an amazing opportunity for me, and I got to try to take advantage of that."

Clowney, a 6-foot-10, 210-pound forward, was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Soon to be 20-years-old, Clowney is young and has a full career ahead of him, and the Nets rebuild allows him to carve out that career and define what he can be in the league.

“Just trying to build with what we got is my main focus. The picks, I leave that to the people who decide all that," Clowney said. "I just try to do my part, play hard and be enthusiastic about everything that we’re doing, so like I said opportunities. It should be fun.”

Rebuilds aren't quick and require patience. It takes time for the roster to come together, but Clowney has time to ensure he's a building block with the team.

For the Nets, giving every young player the opportunity to have a level of freedom with their game to establish themselves is important while they deal with asset management and look to draft well to ensure the next era of basketball in Brooklyn is successful.

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