Brooklyn Nets
Thankful for: Trading Mikal Bridges
Just ahead of the start of the NBA offseason, the New York Knicks made headlines after they agreed to trade five future first-round picks (and Bojan Bogdanovic) to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges. A move that was viewed as the Nets essentially waiving the white flag on the season that hadn't even started yet, many were quick to jump to crown the Knicks for potentially pulling off a final piece of a championship puzzle type of move. However, I'd argue that, in retrospect, this was a huge steal by Brooklyn.
Bridges' struggles with the Knicks this season aside, I don't think there's any scenario in which Bridges is worth five first-round picks on the trade market. Heck, there are few stars in the game today that are even worth that type of trade price. Nevertheless, the Nets saw a desperate Knicks team and took advantage of them. Brooklyn still has to make the right decisions with these draft picks but they're in a position to quickly jump-start their rebuild because of the colossal trade return for Bridges.
Charlotte Hornets
Thankful for: Trusting in LaMelo Ball
After back-to-back injury-plagued seasons, there was some natural doubt about whether or not LaMelo Ball would ever look like the superstar that the Charlotte Hornets believed he could be when they drafted him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. But during the 2023 NBA offseason, the Hornets made it clear that they believed in their young guard, awarding him with a huge contract extension. Through the first month of this season, their patience in Ball is beginning to pay off.
Whether fans are willing to admit it or not, Ball has been one of the best point guards in the NBA so far this season. Ball is one of the best scorers in the league, averaging 30 points, seven assists, and five rebounds per game. Considering the volume at which he's shooting the basketball, he has good shooting numbers too. I'm not sure what Ball's ceiling is in the NBA or how high he could help lead the Hornets but there's no question he deserves his flowers with the way he's played so far this season.