Brooklyn Nets acquire Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite in sign-and-trade to complete Mikal Bridges deal

Shake Milton, the veteran combo guard, and Mamadi Diakite, a rarely used forward, will be joining the Brooklyn Nets as part of a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks. Also part of the deal, which will likely become official Saturday, Brooklyn will send Keita Bates-Diop, the power forward the Nets acquired in the Royce O’Neale trade, across the river to New York.

Shams Charania broke the news early Thursday — July 4 — afternoon...

Late Ian Begley of SNY reported that Milton won’t be the only Knick coming to Brooklyn.

Milton, a 6’5” combo guard, split last season among the Knicks, Timberwolves and Pistons, while Mamedi Diakite played a total of six games last season with the Knicks and Spurs. Milton averaged 1.8 points for the Knicks. Diakite did not score for the Knicks.

The trade was necessary to complete the Mikal Bridges deal. With the completion of the deal, the Nets are sending Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop to New York in return for Milton, Diakite and Bojan Bogdanovic as well as five first round picks, all but one unprotected, an unprotected first round swap and a second rounder,

Milton and Diakite are the essentially the “players to be named later” in the blockbuster trade agreed to the day before the Draft. The Knicks needed to add salaries in order to avoid the NBA’s new second apron and hard cap.

Bobby Marks provided some additional analysis...

There had been early speculation that Deuce McBride, the Knicks 23-year-old backup point, or Precious Achiwura, their 6’9” could be inserted into the deal,

Yossi Gozlan reports that the Nets will also generate a new trade exception but will have only $13 million wiggle room below the luxury tax threshold.

Bottom line of the trade:

Knicks acquire:

• Mikal Bridges
• Keita Bates-Diop;
• 2026 Knicks second (protections?):

Nets acquire:

• Bojan Bogdanovic;
• Shake Milton;
• Mamedi Diakite;
• 2025 Knicks first (unprotected);
• 2025 Knicks second (protections?);
• 2025 Bucks first (protected 1-4);
• 2027 Knicks first (unprotected);
• 2028 Knicks first swap (unprotected);
• 2029 Knicks first (unprotected);
• 2031 Knicks first (unprotected);
• $23.3 million trade exception which will expire July 6, 2025

The Nets also completed a trade of draft assets with the Rockets last week in which the Nets were able to retrieve their 2026 first rounder and swap rights to their 2025 first. In return, the Rockets received four future draft assets, including picks and swap rights.

At the end of the day, the Nets now have 16 first round picks and swap rights as well as 11 second rounders, the total apparently the largest stash in the NBA, surpassing the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Free agency has been active for the Nets in other ways: the team has an agreement to resign Nic Claxton to a four-year, $100 million contract and made Trendon Watford a restricted free agent.

Expect the Knicks trade and Claxton signing to be announced no later than Monday morning, perhaps along with other deals like Watford. Sean Marks & co. have access to two trade exceptions that will expire in next four days: the remaining $11.9 exception from the Joe Harris trade which expires Saturday and the $6.8 million from the Patti Mills trade. The Nets reportedly also talking to teams about Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson.

The Nets also have access to the $12.9 million MLE and the $4.7 million BAE, but are only $13 million clear of the luxury tax threshold.

This story will be updated.