The Rockets have one edge over the Jazz in potential Mikal Bridges sweepstakes

While there have already been plenty of reports about what the Utah Jazz would like to ship away, there haven't been many reports about what they would like to add to the roster. That is until Yahoo Sports! Jake Fischer reported on June 24 who their latest big target is.

"Brooklyn Nets swingman Mikal Bridges, according to league sources, is a player to monitor among Utah’s most aggressive aspirations."

Fischer also added that the Jazz are not alone in the Bridges sweepstakes.

"The Jazz are said to be right in the mix with Houston, holding the No. 3 pick, and New York, where three of Bridges’ college teammates currently play, among the teams that continue to check with Brooklyn about the availability of its 27-year-old swingman."

Fischer even added what the Jazz would be willing to include in a potential trade

"The Jazz have substantial salaries for veterans John Collins ($26.5 million) and Jordan Clarkson ($14 million) to send out in any possible deal, in addition to trading into their own cap room."

First things first, despite Bridges' obvious robust market, there have been no reports indicating that the Nets plan to trade him. However, understanding why they refuse to boggles the mind. The Nets understandably wanted to see what their team looked like with Bridges running the show, and they got a pretty good answer on that front.

Forget the playoffs. They weren't even a play-in team this year with Bridges as their best player. Also, while Bridges' best days are likely to come, he'll be 28 before the 2024-25 season starts. He's an excellent basketball player, but the most recent sample of games as the No. 1 option indicate that putting him in that role in a miscasting.

For what it's worth, Bridges is a better option than Tobias Harris, to whom the Jazz haverecently been linked. He is much better served as a complement to a playoff team's best player than as the best player on a playoff team. The Jazz are clearly keeping tabs in case the Nets finally wake up and smell the coffee.

If they do, the Jazz have the picks and contracts to appease Brooklyn. The problem is, the Rockets could offer something the Jazz can't.

The Rockets can give the Nets' future back to them

The Nets essentially sold out their future when they traded their farm of picks to the Rockets in exchange for James Harden in 2021. Of course, it didn't work out. If the Rockets are serious about getting Bridges, they can undo what ultimately was a mistake in the end for Brooklyn.

The Jazz, by contrast, have plenty of first-round picks to offer, but the Nets would still have to consider what they could potentially fork over to Houston when their season is over if they agreed to a trade with Utah. The Rockets can offer the reset button—better yet, a reset button that the Nets desperately need to press.

Who knows what the Nets' priorities are at this point in time? Jazz fans who want to rebuild may be befuddled by Utah's interest in Bridges, and they would have a point. Bridges is a win-now player, but he fills a lot of holes. He would only make sense if there was another star coming with him.

But that would depend on if the Nets truly are willing to trade him, and if the Jazz by some miracle trump what the Rockets can offer.