LAS VEGAS — Nets teammates Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith were working out in Dallas when they found out they were no longer teammates.
The Nets traded away Bridges and their final competitive asset late last month, and the conversation changed during offseason workouts as the Nets went from discussing next season to talking about cross-city rivalry.
“He came to practice with me,” Finney-Smith said. “We ended up practicing together, and now we’re going to be playing against each other, so we started saying bad things about each other. But he’s my friend, and we’ve built a relationship that will last a lifetime. I wish him the best.”
Bridges, who was traded to the Knicks primarily for five first-round draft picks and a draft swap, was actually dating Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane when the news broke. They had met at a Dallas gym when Bridges reunited with three former Villanova University teammates at the Garden after working out with his Nets teammates.
“We actually worked out together the whole two days after the trade went through,” Finney-Smith said, “so I’m going to kick everybody out of whatever I’m doing next year.” [butt]I’m going to talk now. [crap]They have to beat Villanova. [crap] Up.”
The trade fundamentally changed the Nets’ direction. Now they’re in a deep rebuild, and veterans like Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson are luxuries.
Finney-Smith will make $14.9 million next season with a player option for $15.4 million for 2025-26, and the 31-year-old seems likely to opt out of his contract next summer for some final payday, meaning Nets general manager Sean Marks has even more incentive to trade him now or at the trade deadline.
Does Finney-Smith hear all the noise? Of course.
“I mean, I’m a human being,” Finney-Smith said. “I’m a human being, so of course I am. My family and stuff always ask me what’s going on and stuff. But I’m honest. So, I’m a human being, so I’m going to pay a little bit of attention, but I can tell you that wherever my feet are, I’m there.”
“I’m still doing what I love. There could be tough situations like looking for a job, but I know I can do well in any situation. If I’m here, I’m here, if I’m not, I’m not. So I just try to be where my feet lead me. So now I’m a Brooklyn Net and I’m looking forward to playing games.”
The Nets succumbed to the Clippers’ defensive pressure, shooting just .389 overall and .316 from the 3-point line in an 87-78 loss.
Keown Johnson scored 27 points and made 4 of 8 3-pointers, and Noah Clowney had 13 points and seven rebounds on his 20th birthday but struggled against a physical Los Angeles team.
Darik Whitehead, who was 1-for-12 in his summer league debut Friday, missed his first eight at-bats Sunday but had three RBIs in his final four.
“Obviously every player has to find a rhythm and making shots like this helps you find that rhythm,” Whitehead said. “Seeing the ball go in the basket in the fourth quarter, I think that’s what gets me going out there first.”
