Dorian Finney-Smith spoke about the Mikal Bridges trade to Erik Slater. He noted that he and Bridges were training together when the news broke, and continued to train together in the wake of the news. He joked that they got competitive after the trade was announced, and claimed that he wouldn’t let the Villanova boys succeed.
“We were meeting up at the gym, yeah. Actually, we were still training together the whole next two days after the trade happened. So we went from, ‘What we gonna do next year?’ to, ‘We about to kick y’all a**’. I’mma talk sh*t. We gotta break that Villanova sh*t up.”
"So we went from, 'What we gonna do next year?’ to ‘We bout to kick y'all ass'… We gotta break that Villanova sh*t up."
Dorian Finney-Smith on training with Mikal Bridges when news of the trade to the Knicks broke 😂
(via @erikslater_) pic.twitter.com/JyGKkSXIQm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 14, 2024
Finney-Smith clearly doesn’t hold a grudge over the Bridges trade and still considers him a friend. There had been speculation that Bridges requested a trade to the Knicks, but Nets GM Sean Marks shut those rumors down. Regardless, Bridges will now play across the river for the Knicks, while the Nets enter a rebuild.
This deal worked out well for both teams, as the Nets were able to land several picks and work out a deal with the Rockets to get their own picks back from the James Harden trade years ago. The Nets are now expected to tank in order to land Cooper Flagg, the standout favorite to go first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
It could be a quick rebuild for the Nets, as they could land Flagg and a big-name free agent next year, as they have close to $50 million in cap space next year. Sean Marks has shown that he is good at building teams from the ground up, and an expert at drafting young players.
How Does Mikal Bridges Improve The Knicks?
Mikal Bridges has shown in his career that he can play a key role on a championship-contending team. During the 2021-22 NBA season, Bridges was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year while on the Suns. He was also a starter on the Suns’ 2021 team that went to the NBA Finals.
His time at the Nets was fruitful in his improvement as a scorer. Last season, he averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists for the Nets. Now on the Knicks, he is no longer the primary option and can focus better on what he does best – making open shots and defending against players.
The Knicks are now considered one of the favorites to emerge from the Eastern Conference and enter the NBA Finals. With their roster, they will be expected to put up a major fight in the East. But with the Celtics and the new-look 76ers after the addition of Paul George in the conference, this will be no easy task.
The Knicks will be hoping that Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and Mikal Bridges can be their three best players, as they look to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
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