Is Brooklyn Nets' Donovan Mitchell Pipe Dream Over After Bridges Trade?

No longer contenders, Brooklyn's interest can finally be put to an end, for now.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

An off-season that began with reported interest in one of the league's top talents resulted in the Brooklyn Nets' best player being shipped out. After months of speculation regarding what Donovan Mitchell will choose to do in regards to his now seemingly endless contract saga, whatever he decides, the Nets will not be involved.

And it's not due to a lack of assets. General manager Sean Marks has accumulated the pieces so that if he wanted to trade for Mitchell tomorrow, he likely could get it done. But Brooklyn made the decision to rebuild for the future, and the five-time All-Star will not, and should not, be teaming up with Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, and the rest of the gang. So yes, the pipe dream is over.

Although that may only stand true for the foreseeable future. Historically, Brooklyn is known as a big-name hotspot due to its location and stable ownership. After Marks took over in 2016, it only took him three calendar years to land both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and the franchise's roster was in a far worse position than it is now. If Marks operates shrewdly, this rebuild could take only two to three seasons, potentially putting the Nets right back into the mix for Mitchell come the 2026-27 season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' star will be nearly 30 years old, still firmly in his prime. While Mikal Bridges was certainly a factor in Mitchell's desire to come to Brooklyn, it’s unlikely that it was the only one. The Nets struck out the first time around, but if Marks can reposition this organization to land a big-time player (or even two) like he did in 2019, Mitchell could have a delayed arrival at the Barclays Center.

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