“Me and Mikal Bridges Both Knew”: Former Suns Player Claims He and Nets Teammate Were Aware Kevin Durant Trade Would Include Them

Tonoy Sengupta | 09/11/2023
"Me and Mikal Bridges Both Knew": Former Suns Player Claims He and Nets Teammate Were Aware Kevin Durant Trade Would Include Them

Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges weren’t oblivious about what was about to happen if Kevin Durant joined the Phoenix Suns. Joining the ‘Run Your Race’ podcast recently, Johnson admitted both he and Bridges were well aware they would be traded. The player even revealed that the two came to accept this reality rather quickly during a weight training session. The following is what the player had to say, as seen in the X [Formerly Twitter] post by Clutchpoints.

“Me and Mikal [Bridges] both knew [that we would be traded]. ‘Kal’ and I were saying, when KD [Kevin Durant] initially requested a trade, this was June 30th or something, early July, we’re back, lifting at the practice facility in Phoenix. And we go get breakfast afterward. We’re sitting in ‘First Watch’. And I’m just like, ‘Bro like, if this trade happens, I think it’s both of us’. And he’s like ‘yeah’. 

‘I don’t see any situation where it would be one or the other, or something. I think it would be both of us. With other players, with other picks, whatever, but I think it would be both of us’. And we’re like, ‘yeah’.”

Cam Johnson then went on to talk about how it helped that he and Bridges were getting traded together rather than being divided up, even saying that “it meant everything” to him.

He explained that a lot of the NBA life is one where you are a little on auto-pilot and comfortable in your routine. However, when a trade happens, everything changes, and there is a whole lot to figure out. Fortunately for Johnson, he had a close friend with him on the journey.

Mikal Bridges’s reaction to the trade was a sad one

Before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, it was clear that Bridges was enjoying his time with the Phoenix Suns. So, suffice it to say, even if he knew it was going to happen, he wasn’t the happiest man on the planet. Right after the trade was confirmed, he posted the following on X.

That said, it didn’t take long for the player to see the opportunity presented to him. After taking some time to acclimatize, the following is what he told Bleacher Report about his outlook on the situation.

“At the time in Phoenix, I like what we had there,” Bridges said, ” but it’s … adversity. You go through it, adversity, in life, and I think it just helped me and Cam [Johnson] get a little jump start to more of our careers. Maybe just a little faster than we thought.”

Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges have both played very impressively since their arrival in Brooklyn. The Nets currently have a 4-4 record, good for 7th seed in the East. And given how well they lead this young team, it is possible the franchise will only go higher in the standings as the season progresses.
Post Edited By: Pritam Priyedarshi
Brooklyn Nets Cam Johnson Kevin Durant Mikal Bridges NBA Phoenix Suns

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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