Normally I begin an NBA Draft Day post needing to scour the internet for the latest rumblings and rumors just so I have some content to throw on a free-for-all post for the community to gather. Lucky for me, the Brooklyn Nets did all my work for me by blowing up their team overnight and (wisely) going into hard reset mode.
For those just waking up, the Nets traded coveted forward Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for four(!) unprotected firt-round picks in ‘25, ‘27, ‘29, and ‘31, a protected ‘25 pick swap with the Milwaukee Bucks, a Knicks pick swap in ‘28 with no protections and a ‘25 second-rounder originally belonging to the Nets.
That wasn’t all Brooklyn did! They swapped with the Houston Rockets to get back their own picks sent out in the James Harden deal in 2025 and 2026 in exchange for a pair of future Phoenix Suns first-rounders obtained in the subsequent Kevin Durant deal.
This is a chance for Brooklyn Nets to reset, be bad, and be rewarded for that putrid play with the ability to use their own draft selections going forward. Committing to a rebuild and having your own pick in 2025 is smart with Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, among others expected to be coveted picks.
Don’t expect the Nets to slow down. There is surely some kind of market for the team’s other veterans, including Cam Johnson. It also seems even less likely the team will be interested in re-signing big man Nic Claxton, who has been an alleged target of Detroit in the waning days of the Troy Weaver era.
The Rockets might also not be done dealing. They have the No. 3 pick in tonight’s draft, and it is apparently very much available. A team with an eye on big man Donovan Clingan could be looking to jump up to No. 3 to get their guy. That’s bad news for Detroit who could not only want to draft Clingan themselves, but if he falls past three, he will likely be there at No. 5 and Detroit could deal the pick to the highest bidder, trade down for a wing they covet, and gather extra assets — including maybe a pick in the loaded 2025 draft.
Of course, if the Rockets do trade three and the Spurs grab Stephon Castle as many project, could that mean Reed Sheppard is available at 5? He doesn’t scream a Trajan Langdon-style player — he’s smallish, with a minimal wing span, and will never be mistaken for an impact defender. But the man can shoot and score and spread the floor, and that is the one major priority Langdon highlighted in his introductory press conference.
More to come. We will keep an eye on the newsbreakers and the rumor mill all night. Also tonight, join The Pindown for a live show on YouTube as your favorite DBB personalities (and me) watch the first-round live.
