The Knicks have the championship to show for the Mikal Bridges trade, but does that mean the Nets lost? Brooklyn still controls a massive haul of future draft capital that could change the franchise for years to come.
Josh Hart has a pretty simple answer when it comes to who won the Mikal Bridges trade.
“The team with the ring.”
The New York Knicks forward responded to a viral post debating whether the Knicks or Brooklyn Nets won the blockbuster trade that sent Bridges to New York in 2024.
And honestly, it is tough to argue with Hart when you look at what has happened so far.
The Knicks won the 2026 NBA championship, and Bridges played an important role in getting them there. New York made the trade because it believed adding Bridges could help push an already good team over the top, and that gamble ultimately paid off.
But does that mean the Nets lost the trade?
I don't think we can say that yet.
To me, the Bridges trade still looks like a win-win for both teams.
The Knicks were trying to win now. The Nets were trying to rebuild. Both teams got what they were looking for.
The Knicks Got Their Championship
There is no question that the Knicks have the short-term advantage.
New York gave up a massive haul for Bridges, sending Brooklyn four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick swap.
At the time, plenty of people thought that was way too much to give up for a player who had never been an All-Star.
And I understood that argument.
Five first-round picks is the type of package usually associated with a superstar. Bridges was a very good player, but he was not Kevin Durant.
None of that matters much now.
The Knicks won the championship.
Bridges did not have to become a superstar in New York for the trade to be worth it. He needed to be an important piece of a championship team, and that is exactly what he became.
His defense, versatility, and ability to play alongside Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns made him an important part of the Knicks' title run.
So if we are judging the trade based on what has happened up to this point, the Knicks won.
But the Nets' side of the deal is far from finished.
The Nets Have Plenty of Time
This is the part of the conversation that gets overlooked when people declare the Knicks the clear winner.
Brooklyn did not make this trade expecting the return to immediately produce a contender. The Nets were ready to move in a different direction, and Bridges became the biggest piece they could use to jumpstart that rebuild.
In return, Brooklyn received an enormous amount of draft capital, including four unprotected first-round picks.
That gives the Nets a level of flexibility that very few rebuilding teams have.
Brooklyn has already used some of that return to select Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf, while future picks from the deal remain available.
And those picks do not necessarily have to become players.
The Nets could use them to move up in a draft, package them in a trade for an established star, or simply continue adding young talent.
Maybe one of those picks becomes a franchise player. Maybe several become important pieces. Maybe Brooklyn eventually uses the assets to acquire the star it needs to take the next step.
We simply don't know yet.
That is why I have a hard time calling the Nets the losers of this trade after only two years.
Yes, Brooklyn went 26-56 in its first season without Bridges and 20-62 last season.
But those records were part of the rebuild.
The Nets traded Bridges because they were ready to reset the roster and build for the future. The value of the deal was always going to depend on what they eventually did with all those picks.
So Who Won?
If you are asking who won the trade right now, I would say the Knicks.
They took a huge swing, got the player they wanted, and reached the ultimate goal.
But there is a big difference between saying the Knicks won the trade so far and saying the Nets lost it.
Brooklyn still has years of draft capital from this deal to work with. Those picks could become the foundation of the Nets' next great team, or they could give Brooklyn the flexibility to go out and acquire a star when the right opportunity comes along.
That is why I still view this as a win-win.
The Knicks got the immediate payoff they were looking for. The Nets got the assets they believed were more valuable than keeping Bridges through their rebuild.
For now, New York has the better argument.
But Brooklyn's part of the story is still being written.
Hart is right that the Knicks have the ring. That gives them the edge today.
It just does not mean the Nets lost.
