Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith reveals what is was like being with Mikal Bridges when Knicks trade went down

LAS VEGAS — Nets teammates Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith were in Dallas working out when they found out they weren’t teammates anymore.

The Nets traded away Bridges — and their last vestiges of competitiveness — late last month. And those offseason workouts went from two Nets talking about the upcoming season to two crosstown rivals, which changed the conversation.

“He came out there to get some work in with me,” Finney-Smith said. “We still ended up working together, but we started talking trash to each other a little bit because now we’re going to be playing against each other. But that’s my guy, we built some lifelong connections. Good luck to him.”

Bridges — traded to the Knicks primarily for five first-round picks and a pick swap — had actually been hanging out with Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane when the news broke. They were meeting up in a Dallas gym when Bridges went from training with his Nets teammate to being reunited with three former Villanova teammates at the Garden.

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“Actually, we still kept training together that whole the next two days after the trade happened,” Finney-Smith said. “So we went from what we’re going to do next year, to we’re about to kick y’all [butt]. You know I’m going to talk [crap]. We got to break that Villanova [crap] up.”

The trade fundamentally changed the direction of the Nets. Now they’re entering a deep rebuild, making veterans like Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson luxuries.

Finney-Smith will make $14.9 million next season and has a $15.4 million player option for 2025-26. The 31-year-old seems likely to opt out next summer aiming for one last payday. That means Nets general manager Sean Marks is all the more incentivized to deal him either now or at the trade deadline.

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Does Finney-Smith hear all the noise? Of course.

“I mean, I’m human,” Finney-Smith said. “I’m human. So of course. I’ve got family and stuff always asking me what’s going on and s–t like that. But you know, I’m just honest. So, I’m human, so I’m going to pay attention a little bit. But I can say I’m wherever my feet are at.

“I still get to do what I love. I could be in a tougher situation where I’m looking for a job. I know I’m gonna be good regardless. If I’m here, I’m here. If I’m not, I’m not. So I just try to be wherever my feet are at. So I’m a Brooklyn Net right now, and I’m looking forward to competing.”

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The Nets wilted under defensive pressure from the Clippers in an 87-78 loss, shooting just .389 overall and .316 from deep.

Keon Johnson scored 27 points and hit 4 of 8 from 3. Noah Clowney had 13 points and seven rebounds on his 20th birthday but struggled with Los Angeles’ physicality.

Dariq Whitehead, 1-for-12 in Friday’s summer league debut, missed his first eight Sunday before hitting three of his last four.

“Obviously, every player has to find a rhythm and making those type of shots will help you find the rhythm,” Whitehead said. “Just seeing the ball go in the basket in that fourth quarter hopefully that leads into me coming out from the start.”

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