It's time for the Nets to cash in on Mikal Bridges

According to Yahoo Sports Jake Fischer, the Utah Jazz are interested in potentially acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. Bridges joined Brooklyn as part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns and has emerged as a star in the Eastern Conference. 

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

Bridges' current trade value is arguably the highest it will ever be. Moving on from the high-scoring wing would undoubtedly add multiple assets into the Nets stockpile. Brooklyn could then pivot into a full-scale rebuild and begin aligning themselves with a timeline that would match the projected decline of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

Currently, the Nets are far from being a contending-level roster. However, with Bridges on the roster, they're too good to be at the bottom of the East. Therefore, they will likely find themselves stuck in NBA purgatory. Moving Bridges could fix that problem while also setting them up for the future.

Fortunately for Brooklyn, Utah is one of many teams interested in the swingman. As such, they can hope for a bidding war that further drives up their asking price for Bridges. Sticking with him and hoping for a sudden turnaround would likely be the wrong move. Utah and the New York Knicks have multiple future draft picks they can offer, giving the Nets key building blocks as they look to remake the roster. 

Moving on from Bridges is the first step if the Nets want to get their future back on track. This summer will be the best time to make that move, even if the front office prefers to keep him around. After all, winning a championship is the end goal, and sometimes, you've got to take a step back before that becomes a reality.