One of the biggest moves this offseason was made by the New York Knicks when they acquired forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. In turn, Cam Johnson revealed how he found out his teammate was traded when free agency started this year.
Earlier this month, the Knicks acquired Bridges from Brooklyn in a blockbuster trade. New York sent a haul of draft picks, including four unprotected first-rounders, as well as Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton and Mamadi Diakite to the Nets.
This marks the first trade between the two New York rivals since 1983. Bridges, who previously played with current Knicks star Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo at Villanova, will now join his former college teammates in New York.
The Nets had acquired Bridges from the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant trade last season. Bridges had a strong year, averaging 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. However, the Nets struggled to a 32-50 record and missed the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have been on the rise, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of the last two seasons. They see Bridges as a key addition who can help them take the next step, thanks to his two-way play and impressive durability – he has never missed an NBA game in his career.
For the Nets, the trade provides them with a haul of future draft capital to aid their rebuilding efforts. It’s a blockbuster deal that significantly reshapes the rivalry between the two New York franchises.
Brooklyn Nets Forward Cam Johnson Reveals How He Discovered Mikal Bridges to New York Knicks
While fans and critics expected Bridges as Brooklyn’s primary trade asset, there were some guys on the team who didn’t know when he was going to be moved. In a tweet by Brian Lewis on X, Johnson shed light on how discovered the trade involving his teammate.
“Cam Johnson said he found out about the Mikal Bridges trade via alert on his phone. Adds of current #Nets roster uncertainty: “I’m on the Brooklyn Nets right now…If something happens, then something happens,” Lewis tweeted.
Johnson and Bridges had been teammates first with the Phoenix Suns when the former entered the league in 2019. Since then, the pair continued to play together after they were both traded to the Nets via the Kevin Durant deal.
It remains to be seen how Bridges will fit in New York or what will happen to Johnson and the Nets. Nevertheless, the latter’s discovery of the said trade just reinforces that anything can happen, especially during the offseason.
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