The New York Knicks have added yet another former Villanova star, and this one makes them a threat to Boston in the East.
The Knicks have agreed to acquire Mikal Bridges — a borderline All-Star (although he has never made the team) and perfect fit for them — from the Nets, sending Brooklyn a massive haul of five first-round picks in a blockbuster deal that vaults New York to the upper echelon of the conference and league, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
New York has been biding its time waiting for the right star to put next to Jalen Brunson, and while the focus was on bigger names the Knicks found a former 20-point-a-game scorer and all-defensive team player who, on paper, looks like the perfect fit.
The trade breaks out like this:
• The Knicks receive Bridges and a 2026 second-round pick.
• The Nets receive Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks (starting in 2025 then every other year after through 2031), the Bucks 2025 protected first-round pick (which had already been given traded to Brooklyn), a 2028 pick swap and a 2025 second-rounder.
Brooklyn also completed a separate trade with the Rockets that brought them back their own 2025 pick (Houston had swap rights) and 2026 first-round picks. It’s part of a plan for the rebuilding Nets to replenish picks they previously traded away — the Nets now control their own picks the next two seasons when they will likely struggle, and for two upcoming drafts considered deep with talent. Plus they add a series of Knicks picks.
The trade caught Bridges off guard.
This is crazy lol
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) June 26, 2024
Jalen Brunson was pumped and soon on a four-way Facetime with fellow Knicks and Villanova grads Bridges, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.
Omg
— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) June 26, 2024
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 26, 2024
Bridges brings a gritty, two-way wing player to the Knicks that fits right in with Brunson and the fabric of the team. Bridges, 27, averaged 19.6 points last season while shooting 37.2% from 3 and grabbing 4.5 rebounds a night. He can serve as a secondary playmaker on offense with Brunson, he can space the floor or slash to the bucket, and he’s another solid defender.
If the Knicks can re-sign OG Anunoby (who just officially opted out of his contract for next season but remains a top Knicks target) — then their starting five could be:
• Brunson
• Bridges
• Anunoby (he could be gone as a free agent)
• Julius Randle
• Mitchell Robinson
Off the bench would come Hart, DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein (although he could be gone, he is a free agent and paying him his max after this deal becomes much harder under the tax), Miles McBride, Alec Burks and Precious Achiuwa.
That roster makes the Knicks a threat to win the East next season, although they need to retain Anunoby to make it work (Hartenstein would be missed but center is a more mercenary position in today’s NBA and a solid replacement at a much lower price could be found, if it comes to that). It’s not a roster with much margin for error, although the only team in the East with any margin is the champion Celtics.
This trade was clearly aimed at the Celtics in part: With Bridges and Anunoby New York has two top defensive wings to match up with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The Nets entered the offseason telling other teams they didn’t want to trade Bridges, that the plan was to build around him. However, that started to change in the past couple of weeks, there were signs the Nets might be open to a large enough deal. Hearing those rumblings, Knicks came in big with an offer Brooklyn couldn’t refuse, which is why the two teams sharing New York City made the first trade between them since 1983.
Back when they brought in in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, the Nets depleted their stock of draft picks to put that roster together — they don’t have a pick in the 2024 NBA Draft that starts tomorrow (Wednesday). This helps replenish the Nets’ stockpile and gives them a clear rebuilding direction. The Nets needed picks for that rebuild — ideally picks in the deep 2025 and 2026 NBA Drafts — and they got some with their moves the night before the draft.
