The persistent rumors linking the Nets to big names, from Damian Lillard to Tyler Hero, will never die.
But Mikal Bridges thinks Brooklyn is going into the season with the same roster they have — and he’s perfectly fine at that.
Bridges spoke with The Post at his youth camp with FlexWork at Basketball City.
And despite his friendship with Lillard — Portland’s first all-star — Bridges fully expects the Nets to look the same on Opening Night.
“Yeah, to a large extent, I think so. Bridges told The Washington Post. “I mean, I love the guys we have, just bring everyone back and finally get through the pre-season and the new coaching staff and Jack [Vaughn] Just to have him pre-season and have his coaching staff want him and put what he wants for him.
“I kind of forgot when I was traded there that it came because Steve [Nash] He was fired, so he kind of had to [stand pat]. [Last season]He had that awkwardness where he wasn’t all you because the assistant and the head [coach]You can have the same things but people have different kinds of schemes and foundations and things.
“So, I’m just excited for him to have pre-season, have the mates he wants and pretty much his way. And I’m excited for all of us to be together and get these blueprints off the jump, [instead of] They are put together with three different teams in one lineup and try to figure it out. So I am definitely excited.”
Brooklyn has an open two-way spot, must make a decision on bringing back unrestricted free agent David Duke Jr., and conceivably could still transfer Royce O’Neal or Dorian Feeney Smith, who both drew trade inquiries.
But Bridges — who averaged 26.1 points for the Nets after securing Kevin Durant’s deal to become the face of the franchise — would be surprised by anything as seismic as the acquisition of Lillard, who wants to go to Miami and is clearly coveted by the Heat, or picking the productive but overpriced Hero in a three-team swap.
For all intents and purposes, today’s networking is likely to be the opening night networking.
This includes sticking with Cam Johnson, who is so close to Bridges that the duo earned the collective nickname “The Twins” in Phoenix.
The two came from the Suns in Durant deal before the February trade deadline.
Johnson was an unrestricted free agent this offseason and was a prime target for Detroit, coached by former Suns coach Monty Williams.
But Brooklyn’s re-signing of him to a four-year, $94.5 million deal was the biggest part of the roster stability Bridges was talking about, after he feared the Pistons would poach his friend.
“Oh, [it’s] Great,” said Bridges, 26. “It was one of the biggest things I could only hope for and get from other teams.
“I think Detroit has been having a lot of conversations, and I know Monty is there, so I’m just like, ‘Okay now, calm down. Don’t take the twins away. So definitely very, very much for the team – outside of my selfish reasons, but for the team – big time. We need cam. And for him to get paid and take the weight of the kid off his shoulders, I think it’s great for the team and great for him.”
