The Brooklyn Nets have an important offseason ahead of them as they try to figure out which direction they want to head in. Despite reluctantly trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the February trade deadline, Brooklyn still managed to make it to the playoffs without needing to go through the play-in tournament by holding on to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Despite the optimism coming from head coach Jacque Vaughn, it was clear that the Nets team that was assembled after the trade deadline was not nearly as good as the one led by Durant and Irving and for obvious reasons. While the organization was led by players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, there wasn’t an established superstar on the team any longer.
That fact became more apparent in the playoffs as Brooklyn was swept by the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers despite getting good chances to steal a game or two thanks to James Harden getting thrown out in the third quarter of Game 3 and Joel Embiid missing Game 4 with a knee injury. Scoring was an issue for the Nets after the trade deadline, but this mock trade with the Golden State Warriors by the NBA Analysis Network may be able to solve that issue:
The Mock Trade
Brooklyn Nets receive: G Jordan Poole, F Jonathan Kuminga, 2026 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2028 First-Round Pick (GSW)
Golden State Warriors receive: G/F Mikal Bridges, G Patty Mills
Should the Nets do this trade?
While the Brooklyn Nets are looking for ways to improve the team moving forward, I don’t know if trading away Mikal Bridges is the answer. Bridges is the best scorer on the team by far so trading away your best scorer may not seem like the best idea to address a scoring issue. However, getting back a talented player like Jordan Poole along with an interesting frontcourt player in Jonathan Kuminga could address the frontcourt depth issue as well. Plus, getting first-round picks from the Warriors in 2026 and 2028 could prove to be franchise-altering since Steph Curry will be 38 years old and most likely won’t be his dominant self.
Verdict: No, the Nets should not do this trade.
What NBA Analysis Network Thinks Of The Trade
“Of course, as a result of that trade with Houston, some will say that the Nets can’t rebuild – unless they’re making a trade directly with the Rockets.
Perhaps. It is absolutely suboptimal to rebuild without control of your own draft. On the other hand, the Rockets only have swap rights in 2025 and 2027. The Nets can still bring in young talent.
That’s exactly what they’re doing here. Jordan Poole is struggling in these playoffs, but he’s still a talented young scorer. Meanwhile, Kuminga hasn’t had much of an opportunity in Golden State, but he’s flashed superstar potential at moments.”
Story originally appeared on Nets Wire