Former Nets star Mikal Bridges returns to Barclays Middle on Tuesday for the primary time as a Knick.
The Knicks acquired the 6-6 ahead in a seismic pre-draft deal that despatched Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite, 4 unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round choose through Milwaukee, an unprotected choose swap and a second-round choose to Brooklyn.
Bridges, 28, averaged 21.2 factors, 4.5 rebounds and three.4 assists in 109 video games with the Nets. He began all 82 video games final season. Brooklyn completed 32-50 and missed the playoffs.
“It’ll be good to be back,” Bridges stated. “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.”
Whereas Bridges joined an Japanese Convention contender within the Knicks, his deal launched the Nets’ newest rebuild beneath normal supervisor Sean Marks.
In December, Brooklyn (14-29) traded Dennis Schröder and a 2025 second-round choose to the Golden State Warriors for injured guard De’Anthony Melton and two-way guard Reece Beekman, together 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 offers, the Nets now have 31 complete draft picks over the subsequent seven years — 15 first-round picks and 16 second-round picks — and Marks is probably not executed but. Cam Johnson is within the midst of a profession offensive season and may very well be the subsequent Web on the transfer forward of the Feb. 8 commerce deadline.
Bridges has averaged 18.1 factors, 4.0 rebounds and three.2 assists in his first 44 video games with the Knicks this season whereas taking pictures 49.5% from the sphere, 35.2% from 3-point vary and 72% from the free throw line. The Knicks (28-16) are 5-1 this season when Bridges scores at the least 25 factors.
The Nets have already misplaced to the Knicks twice this season at Madison Sq. Backyard, 124-122 on Nov. 15 and 114-104 on Nov. 17. Cam Thomas dropped 43 factors within the first assembly, however he’s already been dominated out for Tuesday’s assembly as he continues to recuperate from a left hamstring pressure. Ben Simmons (sickness), Trendon Watford (left hamstring pressure) and Ziaire Williams (left ankle sprain) gained’t play, both.
Brooklyn is 2-8 over its final 10 video games coming into Tuesday’s matchup. The Knicks, coming off a 119-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, haven’t gained consecutive video games since rattling off 9 straight from Dec. 15 – Jan. 1.
“It’s going to be a good game,” Bridges stated. “Excited. We beat them twice. Just trying to get another win.”
