This version of Mikal Bridges looks nothing like the one Brooklyn traded away, but his revamped role could be the key to New York ascending in the East.

The Brooklyn Nets will be welcoming Mikal Bridges and the New York Knicks to Barclays Center for the first time since Bridges was traded.

Former Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges returns to Barclays Center on Tuesday for the first time as a Knick. The New York Knicks acquired the 6-6 forward in a seismic pre-draft deal that sent Bojan Bogdanovic,

Mikal Bridges returns to Brooklyn on Tuesday for the first time since being traded. He played two seasons with the Nets.

A lot of eyebrows were raised when the Knicks gave up a chest of first-round picks to the Nets to acquire Mikal Bridges last summer.

Seven months after the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Brooklyn Nets to the New York Knicks, Mikal Bridges will return to Barclays Center on Tuesday. The Nets’ former top player expects a positive experience when he enters his former arena.

Mikal Bridges was traded to the Knicks this past offseason, and he looked like a good fit for this team. However, his inconsistent scoring and okay defense have left fans questioning if trading for him was the right move.

For a fleeting moment considered the face of the Nets, Mikal Bridges is hoping for “good energy” as he returns to the Barclays Center on Tuesday for the first time since being traded across the Manhattan Bridge.