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The NBA’s trade season is in full swing, with the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets agreeing on a blockbuster deal that sends Mikal Bridges to the Big Apple.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first with reports of the transaction.
Brooklyn receives: Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031), a 2025 protected first (via Milwaukee), a 2028 unprotected pick swap, 2025 second-round pick
New York receives: Bridges, 2026 second-round pick
It’s a blockbuster by all proportions. Bridges rejoins his college teammates Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart. All four played together at the University of Villanova.
Bridges reacted to the trade on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing “This is crazy, lol.”
Wojnarowski went on to call Bridges one of the league’s most desired players.
“The Knicks pay a steep price to land one of the league’s most coveted trade assets and the Nets get a massive haul to replenish assets and embark on a rebuild with mass cap space and future draft picks,” Wojnarowski tweeted on June 25.
Bridges is coming off of his sixth NBA campaign, and his second with the Nets.
He averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 82 appearances with Brooklyn.
Bridges Requested Trade to Knicks
This is the first trade between Brooklyn and New York since 1983.
It happened, in large part, because Bridges made a request to be dealt to the Knicks. SNY’s Ian Begley reported the conversations that took place between the forward and Nets management.
“The Mikal Bridges deal came together quickly after Bridges informed the Nets that he wanted to be a Knick,” Begley tweeted on June 25. “Bridges was prepared to sign with NYK and his side was prepared to use that leverage to keep other teams from trading for him, per SNY sources.”
Bridges has maintained a strong relationship with former teammates Brunson and Hart specifically. He appeared on an episode of their podcast, “The Roommates Show,” on February 15.
The trio, along with DiVincenzo, won an NCAA championship together in 2016. Now, they’ll look to do the same in New York.
New York ‘Determined’ to Re-Sign Anunoby
The initial reaction to the Bridges acquisition was that it spells the dismissal of OG Anunoby, who’s an unrestricted free agent.
Wojnarowski says that’s not the case. He cited the Knicks as “determined to keep” the defensive wing.
“The Knicks remain determined to keep OG Anunoby in free agency, sources told Wojnarowski, as they load up on wings to match up with the NBA champion Boston Celtics,” Wojnarowski wrote on June 25.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported the same.
“Told that Knicks’ trade for Mikal Bridges does not change their hope that they can re-sign free agent OG Anunoby,” Begley tweeted. “That remains a priority for the club.”
As did Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
“All signs point to New York re-signing OG Anunoby as well, and you’ve got quite the foil to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the defensive side of Boston’s drives and kicks,” Fischer wrote on June 26.
Anunoby declined his $19.9 million player option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent.
After being acquired midseason from the Toronto Raptors, he averaged 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. New York went 20-3 when Anunoby played in the regular season, and 6-3 in the postseason.
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