Bill Simmons predicted that Mikal Bridges will be traded to the New York Knicks from the Brooklyn Nets next season. He noted that the Knicks really want him, and could be willing to overpay for Bridges in order to reunite him with his fellow Villanova players, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo (29:58 mark).
Simmons: “They have a lot of options. I really think they’re going to get Mikal Bridges as the big target. I think that’s who they want. I think they’re going to try and overpay because I think they want those four Villanova guys together, and I don’t think they want like a major star. They want somebody like that”.
Bridges has proven himself to be a solid player. His time on the Suns was quite successful, where he was a key piece in the 2021 Suns team that went to the NBA Finals, and was a runner-up in the race for the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Since coming to Brooklyn, he has taken his game up a level, averaging 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 109 games.
Mikal Bridges joining the Knicks is a complicated move for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, due to the rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets, completing any kind of deal between the two teams is very difficult. While the Knicks have the assets Brooklyn would want, both teams have a history of not being able to cooperate on deals like this.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Bridges’ fit within the Knicks would require some key Knicks pieces to be moved. While a player the quality of Bridges would justify moving some players around, there will be concerns about upsetting the balance of the Knicks roster in any deal being made.
Mikal Bridges Could Be The Missing Piece For The New York Knicks
Mikal Bridges is considered the Iron Man of the NBA. Bridges has not missed a single NBA game in the last six seasons, making him one of the most durable and reliable players in the league. Bridges’ durability will make him a great fit for the Knicks, as head coach Tom Thibodeau uses his key players quite extensively in the regular season.
Bridges will not come cheap for the Knicks, or any other team looking to land him. Nets GM Sean Marks turned down a deal at the trade deadline that would have sent Bridges to the Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green and all of Brooklyn’s original draft picks they had packaged to land James Harden in 2021. It appears as though the Brooklyn front office thinks Bridges is more valuable than Jalen Green and draft picks.
The New York Knicks have amassed quite a lot of valuable assets. Their tradable assets could help them construct a package that the Nets find attractive, especially as they venture into what could be a rebuilding period over the next few years. But the two teams agreeing to a deal is going to be quite difficult, for all the reasons mentioned above. The Knicks should still try, as Bridges would without a doubt make them a better team than they are now.
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