If Mikal Bridges is named an NBA All-Star in February, it will be celebrated by everyone: him, his family, his teammates, Jacque Vaughn, Sean Marks, Joe Tsai and the fans. It will no doubt be deserved ... and will help justify the trade of Kevin Durant to the Suns last February.
It would also mean that Mikal Bridges is officially a “star” under the NBA’s new terminology. It’s part of its Player Participation Policy which among other things aims to ensure that said “stars” show up for national TV games. So, from the All-Star Break till the end of the 2023-24 season, the Nets wouldn’t be able to rest both of their two stars — Bridges and former All-Star Ben Simmons — in a game without making a good argument to the league office.