"Trade this man to Knicks already" - Mikal Bridges scoring 42 points in losing effort by Nets against Blazers has NBA fans buzzing

Mikal Bridges caught fire on Sunday when the Brooklyn Nets faced the Portland Trail Blazers. He went all out and scored 42 points on 57.6% shooting, but his efforts weren't enough as Portland won 134-127 in overtime.

While Bridges' efforts went to waste in a heartbreaking loss, his outstanding performance didn't go unnoticed. Fans on social media gave Bridges his flowers and expressed their thoughts on how his career should be going.

Here's what they said on X.

"Trade this man to the Knicks already. He wants to be with his Villanova boys!!"

"Get him out of Brooklyn…"

"and they don’t wanna trade him lmfao"

"Get him on a contender."

"Remember when Mikal Bridges saw the baddies courtside and turned into prime Kawhi Leonard 🤣 "

"Him in a Knicks jersey gonna be insane"

"I WANT HIM BACK IN PHOENIX"

"suns made a mistake trading him"

---

Should Mikal Bridges play for another team?

Mikal Bridges

Since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets from the Phoenix Suns last season, Mikal Bridges transformed into a player with All-Star-esque capabilities. Upon his arrival, Bridges made a significant impact, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 27 regular season games. It was clear that he wasn't being given the opportunity to ball out with the teams he previously played for.

As Bridges got traded to Brooklyn, the Big Three era of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving abruptly ended. So, there wasn't any superstar to carry the squad unless Ben Simmons is still considered a star. With that in mind, this was the perfect opportunity for Bridges to run the offense and show what he was made of.

Fast forward to the present day, Bridges has slightly decreased his productivity but still dominates games from time to time. As of their most recent loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bridges is averaging 20.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.7 apg. Those aren't overly impressive numbers, but they're better than his numbers when he had star players by his side.

The big question is, should Mikal Bridges jump ship and contending team? The answer will depend on how you want the trajectory of Bridges' career to go.

Bridges should be able to efficiently help a team he ends up going to. However, if he were to play alongside another set of stars, his numbers could likely decrease, and he could go back to being a role player. But if Bridges is willing to sacrifice his current status to win a championship, then it's best if he played for a contending team sooner rather than later.