It’s been said that money makes the world go around. If that’s true, first-round picks make the NBA go around. Draft capital is the currency that makes things happen in the National Basketball Association.
No team has more than the Oklahoma City Thunder. No team ever has. General manager Sam Presti has spent the last several years accumulating the most first-round picks a team has ever had.
With that in mind, the Thunder could make a massive trade at any moment. So could the Brooklyn Nets.
They may not have the same collection as the Thunder, but they have an impressive reserve in their own right. Could they add to their collection by sending Mikal Bridges to the Thunder?
NBA Trade Proposal — Oklahoma City Thunder Land Mikal Bridges
Brooklyn Nets Receive: F Davis Bertans, G/F Ousmane Dieng, 2024 First-Round Pick (LAC via BKN), 2025 First-Round Pick (Top 6 Protected – PHI via OKC), 2026 First-Round Pick (LAC via OKC)
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G/F Mikal Bridges
On the other hand, some will say that you’re in a rough spot if you don’t have your own draft capital. When a team controls their own draft, they’ve got the option to tank.
They can find themselves between a rock and a hard place when they don’t. What if your team isn’t good enough to contend but has no incentive to lose?
That’s the dilemma that the Brooklyn Nets are currently facing. They owe their first-round picks to the Houston Rockets through to 2027; The Nets sent the Rockets those picks in exchange for James Harden. Ultimately, they’d only hang onto Harden for about a half-season.
NBA TRADES & RUMORS: Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
What should the Nets do now? This roster is not winning an NBA title. Yet, they can’t necessarily tank either. This team is backed into a corner. Does this deal get them out of it?
Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
Are we sure that the Nets can’t tank? They don’t owe every pick to the Rockets until 2027 – in alternating years, they only owe them swap rights. The Nets can still bring in young talent – they can’t control their lottery odds.
Would Rockets fans celebrate this deal? Undeniably. They’d be jumping for joy. Yet, the Nets shouldn’t worry about whether they’re doing what’s best for the Rockets. They need to worry about what’s best for them. This team is in no position to win an NBA title. So, they might want to turn to the future. This deal has them doing precisely that.
It’s also got them assembling one of the best collections of draft capital in the NBA. The Nets already have a cache of picks, and they’re adding to their collection here.
NBA TRADES & RUMORS: Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
In time, they might use that surplus of draft capital to trade for a superstar. The Nets can stop focusing on the future, then. Should the Thunder turn their attention to the present?
Why The Oklahoma City Thunder Do The Deal
The Thunder have an absurd collection of draft capital. They could make this deal and still have one of the league’s best collections. With that said, this deal would also make them a significantly better team.
After all, Bridges is one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA. He’s also a shot creator. Bridges might be this team’s second offensive option behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
NBA TRADES & RUMORS: Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
He’d be a tremendous addition to a team that could use a player with his skill set. Sure, the Thunder have Luguentz Dort. He’s an effortful defender but a bit undersized as a wing. Bridges have the height to guard across positions. If he costs the Thunder some draft capital, he’s well worth it.
