Nets Found Self-Awareness During Offseason

The Brooklyn Nets read the room and moved accordingly.

Dec 16, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Mikal Bridges (1) drives past Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets saw where they were and how things were going and knew they needed to make a change this offseason.

That's why the Nets pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal to send Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, igniting the start of a full rebuild in Brooklyn.

Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus praised the Nets for their self-awareness in choosing to go down that path.

"Too often, NBA teams don't recognize who they are. The Brooklyn Nets were looking at a Mikal Bridges-led squad after the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving/James Harden trio fell apart," Pincus writes. "Showing self-awareness, the Nets began a proper rebuild, sending Bridges to the New York Knicks. Look for Brooklyn to continue shedding veterans while adding youth and draft picks. It's often better to sell early than too late; the Nets seemed to recognize that well."

The rebuild is only beginning as the Nets will look to acquire future draft capital for the other veterans on their roster. They still have yet to make their moves, but the Bridges trade sets the foundation of what to expect.

Things won't be pretty for the foreseeable future in Brooklyn, but it wasn't much prettier with Bridges leading the team on a path to nowhere. Ultimately, this was the best move for the Nets.

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