NBA Mock Trade: Warriors Land Nets Star in 'Bold' Trade

Could the Golden State Warriors try to trade for the Brooklyn Nets star forward?

Feb 5, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) shoots the ball as / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets are in a roster-building purgatory. They've got no direct path to contention, and they already don't control their future draft picks. Relying on the Phoenix Suns for draft picks, there is no incentive for the Nets to enter a rebuild and destroy their roster in doing so.

However, cashing in current talents via trade and, in return, getting more draft picks and high-potential talents could be the closest things to a regular rebuild the Nets could get at this point in time.

Still, trades are the only way out for the Nets, unless they want to keep their core intact to be a perennial playoff team in the meantime while they wait for the draft capital to replenish over time. Bleacher Report's Greg Schwartz broke down one "bold" trade that could involve the Nets this offseason, helping them return some draft capital.

In this trade, the Nets would send Mikal Bridges and Dennis Schroeder to the Golden State Warriors in return for Jonathan Kuminga, Aaron Wiggins, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.

"The Nets are in a weird spot right now since they owe so many of their own future picks to the Houston Rockets from the James Harden trade. But with this deal, they'd get a combination of veteran talent in Wiggins, a high-upside prospect in the 21-year-old Kuminga and a package of draft picks, including an unprotected first-rounder next summer," Schwartz wrote of the proposed trade.

This would be ideal for the Warriors, getting a great complimentary star alongside Stephen Curry, fitting seamlessly into their system while getting off the Andrew Wiggins contract. Getting Kuminga and a first-round pick in return would help the Nets get younger, developing young talents and looking for a star to build around.

While the Nets could arguably look for another trade partner to acquire more draft picks, this allows Brooklyn to have a fun young talent, another first-round pick on the roster in a year, and more expensive contracts to eventually expire and free up cap space for when the Nets are in a better position to compete.