Former Nets star Mikal Bridges returns to Barclays Center on Tuesday for the first time as a Knick.
The Knicks acquired the 6-6 forward in a seismic pre-draft deal that sent Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via Milwaukee, an unprotected pick swap and a second-round pick to Brooklyn.
Bridges, 28, averaged 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 109 games with the Nets. He started all 82 games last season. Brooklyn finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs.
“It’ll be good to be back,” Bridges said. “To see my teammates and the coaching staff that was there for a couple of months before I got traded, see the staff and everybody. [I’m expecting] good energy.”
While Bridges joined an Eastern Conference contender in the Knicks, his deal launched the Nets’ latest rebuild under general manager Sean Marks.
In December, Brooklyn (14-29) traded Dennis Schröder and a 2025 second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors for injured guard De’Anthony Melton and two-way guard Reece Beekman, along with three unprotected second-round picks. Later that month, it traded Milton and Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks.
After the Bridges, Schröder and Finney-Smith deals, the Nets now have 31 total draft picks over the next seven years — 15 first-round picks and 16 second-round picks — and Marks may not be done yet. Cam Johnson is in the midst of a career offensive season and could be the next Net on the move ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
Bridges has averaged 18.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his first 44 games with the Knicks this season while shooting 49.5% from the field, 35.2% from 3-point range and 72% from the free throw line. The Knicks (28-16) are 5-1 this season when Bridges scores at least 25 points.
The Nets have already lost to the Knicks twice this season at Madison Square Garden, 124-122 on Nov. 15 and 114-104 on Nov. 17. Cam Thomas dropped 43 points in the first meeting, but he’s already been ruled out for Tuesday’s meeting as he continues to recover from a left hamstring strain. Ben Simmons (illness), Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain) and Ziaire Williams (left ankle sprain) won’t play, either.
Brooklyn is 2-8 over its last 10 games entering Tuesday’s matchup. The Knicks, coming off a 119-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, haven’t won consecutive games since rattling off nine straight from Dec. 15 – Jan. 1.
“It’s going to be a good game,” Bridges said. “Excited. We beat them twice. Just trying to get another win.”
