Mikal Bridges Rumors: 'Nets Aren't Interested' in Blazers Trade After Draft Lottery

The Portland Trail Blazers may want to get help for Damian Lillard this offseason, but it doesn't seem like a Mikal Bridges trade is going to be an option for them.

Per The Athletic's Alex Schiffer, the Nets "aren't interested" in dealing Bridges to Portland even after the results of the 2023 NBA draft lottery.

The Athletic's John Hollinger highlighted some of the reasons why Brooklyn might be inclined to keep the 26-year-old wing:

"Brooklyn owes unprotected picks to Houston in 2024 and 2026 and unprotected swaps in 2025 and 2027. Thus, Brooklyn trading its good players and tanking would do a lot more for the Rockets than the Nets. Brooklyn's likely best path forward is to muddle along with a Bridges-centric team, especially since he's signed through 2026 to one of the league's best contracts."

Bridges landing in Portland became a popular source of speculation after Lillard praised him during an April 12 appearance on Stephen A's World.

"I love Mikal Bridges," he said when asked who he's a fan of in the NBA.

The Blazers did come out of the lottery in a great position to potentially make a significant trade this summer. They moved up two spots from the original spot to get the No. 3 overall pick.

Per ESPN's Zach Lowe, rival executives are expecting Portland will shop that pick with other veteran players already on the roster to see what might be available to help Lillard.

Hollinger specifically cited the No. 3 pick and Anfernee Simons as a package that "might be used to snag an elite small forward."

The Nets have added a lot of future draft capital by trading away Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, but the bulk of those selections don't come into play until 2025.

Bridges looked fantastic as the focal point of Brooklyn's roster after being acquired in the Durant trade. He averaged 26.1 points on on 47.5 percent shooting and 4.5 rebounds per game in 27 starts.

The Nets have Bridges under contract for three more seasons. He will only make $69.9 million during that span.

General manager Sean Marks has to decide what direction he wants to take the Nets, but it would certainly be easier to make them a playoff contender with Bridges on the roster.