The Knicks departed with four unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap for Mikal Bridges, but didn’t exactly get equal value for their investment.
Bridges shot a paltry 33% from three in the 2025 NBA playoffs, while allowing Pacers wings Andrew Nembhard (43%) and Aaron Nesmith (53%) to light up from deep in the Eastern Conference Finals. Essentially, Bridges underwhelmed in his role as the Knicks’ assigned 3-and-D wing on both ends of the floor, bringing into question his roster fit.
Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh believes it makes sense for the Knicks to part with Bridges in the 2025 offseason, arguing that the Villanova alum is redundant on a roster that already includes OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, two other 3-and-D wings.
As such, Haberstroh believes the Knicks would be better off acquiring a defensive-minded center who can cover for the lapses from Karl-Anthony Towns.
A Rim Protector To Cover For KAT
The proposed Knicks trade pitch would see the Knicks acquire proven rim protector Daniel Gafford and career 3-point sniper Caleb Martin.
Knicks would receive: Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin
Mavericks would receive: Mikal Bridges
While Gafford played a key role in helping the Mavericks reach the 2025 NBA Finals, Martin has averaged 2.9 made threes in 311 games, proving to be a consistent sniper. Haberstroh argued that the two players would not only shore up the Knicks’ rim protection — a big concern — but also give them a steady shooter off the bench.
“For whatever reason, Bridges just never quite fit in with the Knicks this season and it was notable that he, a non-CAA client, was the only Knick to speak up about Thibodeau’s minutes allocation,” Haberstroh wrote on June 1.
In Gafford, the Knicks would receive a more reliable rim protector than Mitchell Robinson, who appeared in only 17 games in the 2024-25 season due to various injuries. Furthermore, Robinson’s issues as a free-throw shooter, not to mention his poor conditioning, made him a liability for the Knicks at various points in the playoffs.
Knicks Need Roster Depth
“Gafford is a monster around the paint and would be an upgrade over Robinson, and far more reliable from an injury standpoint,” Haberstroh reasoned. “While Robinson provides a lob threat for Knicks guards, he’s not the same caliber of a vertical spacer as Gafford, who averaged 20.6 points per 36 minutes last season compared to Robinson’s 10.8 figure.
“In Martin, the Knicks receive a more physical player than Bridges on the perimeter, but he comes at the cost of more frequent unavailability. Bridges has never missed a game in his career while Martin has missed about 20 games a season since he became a full-time player in 2021-22. With Kyrie Irving off the books next summer, the Mavericks could fill that salary slot with Bridges’ extension (up to four years and $156 million).”
If the Knicks trade Bridges, it would mean the franchise would part with another Villanova alum, just a year after they shipped Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves as part of the Towns-Julius Randle swap.
“We’ll pour another one out for the Nova Knicks,” Haberstroh concluded.
The Knicks are widely expected to bring back head coach Tom Thibodeau, but there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the roster, except for star guard Jalen Brunson.
Knicks Trade Pitch Swaps Mikal Bridges For Defensive Big, Sniper