To allow Kevin Durant to settle in Phoenix, the Suns had to make a choice, and it was Mikal Bridges who was sacrificed in the trade and who was the main consideration for the Nets. However, is the player unhappy? Not really.
Obviously, the player must have a twinge in his heart leaving the franchise that launched him in the NBA in 2018 (he was drafted with the 10th choice by Philadelphia, his hometown, before being sent to Arizona), as well as all his habits. Bridges never cheated, and his defensive impact went far beyond his 12.2 points, 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals average that he dropped every game with the Suns. However, the player is not necessarily unhappy with this decision, he who will now live in Brooklyn and see his offensive role increase with the Nets. Bridges also includes the front office of his ex franchise
“It’s KD…I get it 100%, it’s the game. I could even say that I’m glad I traded against KD rather than someone else who I don’t think is as good. So I’m just being realistic. Of course, I will miss everything in Phoenix, especially my friends and my home. But I understand. You get Kevin Durant instead, maybe I would have made that trade as well.” – Mikal Bridges
Mikal Bridges learned of his transfer from his former Suns teammate Damion Lee who came to see him to tell him the news. He didn’t believe it, but he had to face the facts when, updating his Twitter news feed, he saw Adrian Wojnarowski’s tweet sending him to Brooklyn with Cam Johnson. But not worried a penny about ending up in a rebuilding franchise, Mikal Bridges was instead stressed about… his back-to-back streak. Indeed, he has not missed a single game since his arrival in the NBA, and even if he did not play against the Bulls, that does not count for a DNP since he was not yet qualified for this encounter.
“He was stressing, he said he absolutely had to play. But I told him to keep calm and breathe, it was quite hard for him. –Cam Johnson
For his first game under his new colors, Bridges sent 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals against the Sixers. He stands out as one of Brooklyn’s main offensive weapons with Spencer Dinwiddie, back in the fold, while remaining a formidable defender.
Mikal Bridges has therefore been rather understanding and seems ready to attack this new chapter of his career. His Iron-Man status is safe, and he could even play 83 games this season, given the Nets have played one less game than the Suns at this point in the season.
Source texte : ESPN
