It was an eye-opener when it happened, and in the realm of realistic NBA trades, it figures to be one of the last of its kind. Back on June 25, 2024, the New York Knicks shipped a haul of draft picks over to Brooklyn for two-way wing Mikal Bridges, the former Suns and Villanova star who had averaged 19.6 points the previous season for the Nets, making 43.6% of his shots and 37.2% of his 3-pointers. It marked the first time since 1983 that a Nets-Knicks deal had gone down.
The number of picks–five!–was noteworthy, especially for a player like Bridges, who figured to be only a role player once he got to MSG. The total package:
Knicks get: Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop, 2026 2nd-round pick, draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet
Nets get: Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton, unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029, a pick swap in 2028, a Top 4 protected pick in 2025 from the Bucks, a 2025 second-round pick.
Knicks Reunited Mikal Bridges With Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson
The Knicks got their man, reunited with college teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. But at the time, most considered the Nets the big winner. That level of draft capital for a player who was not a clear star and probably would be the team’s fourth option offensively seemed like a massive overpay.
This week, the “Sleeper Hoops” site revisited the deal, laying out all the principals and asking the question, “Which side won?”
That’s when Hart chimed in with a simple answer. “The team with the ring,” he wrote.
Josh Hart Is Right: Mikal Bridges Trade Vindicated
Hard to argue that logic, of course. The Knicks, despite draining their pick assets to acquire Bridges, saw the gamble pay off by winning the franchise’s first championship since 1973, and just the third in NBA history. They also gave up a first-round pick (plus Julius Randle and DiVincenzo) to get Karl-Anthony Towns, a critical piece of the championship team.
As things stand, the Knicks have just two first-round picks in the next five years, in 2028 (which can be swapped to Brooklyn or Phoenix) and in 2030. They do have their picks in order after that, in 2032 and 2033.
Knicks Getting Draft Picks Stash Back
The argument could be made that the Knicks might have won the championship without Bridges, because of all the top-money players they have on board, he was the most expendable. Bridges struggled throughout the regular season, and when the team was having really issues with its starting group, there was ample discussion about pulling him from the starting five. Bridges’ numbers were not bad–14.4 points, 49.0% shooting, 37.1% 3-point shooting–but the unit struggled.
Bridges averaged 13.5 points in the playoffs, on 55.9% shooting and 36.5% 3-point shooting. He had 20 points in the Knicks’ big Game 2 win over the Spurs in the Finals.
Maybe the Knicks did not need him to win a title, and he might wind up getting traded off the team as the second apron closes in. But New York won a championship, so no doubt, they won the trade.
Knicks’ Josh Hart Delivers 5-Word Verdict on Controversial Trade