Mikal Bridges expects the Brooklyn Nets to begin next NBA season with their current roster. The Nets re-signed Cam Johnson this offseason in restricted free agency and are not expected to seriously pursue a trade for Damian Lillard, who has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Yeah, pretty much, I think so. And I’m pretty excited about it,” Bridges told NBA reporter Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I mean, I love the guys that we’ve got, just bring everybody back and finally go through preseason and new coaching staff and for Jacque [Vaughn] just to have his preseason and have his coaching staff whoever he wants and put what he wants coming in for him.
“I kind of forget when I got traded there that he came in because Steve [Nash] got fired, so he had to kind of [stand pat]. [Last season], he had that awkward where it’s not really all you because the assistant and the head [coach], you guys can have the same things but people have different type of schemes and foundations and stuff.”
The Phoenix Suns traded Bridges to the Nets in the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade last season. Bridges took his game to another level with Brooklyn, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Mikal Bridges & Brooklyn Nets Updates
Bridges signed a four-year, $90.9 million rookie scale extension with the Suns in October 2021. Lillard is close friends with Bridges, but the Blazers superstar only wants to get traded to the Miami Heat.
“So, just excited for him to have a preseason, have his guys he wants around and pretty much have it his way,” Bridges said about Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn. “And I’m excited for us to all be together and have these schemes from jump, [instead of] being thrown out there with three different teams in one lineup and just trying to go figure it out. So I’m definitely excited.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Mikal Bridges & Brooklyn Nets Updates
The Nets won 45 games last season and got swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.
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