Getty Mikal Bridges celebrates.
The New York Knicks‘ focus is on the NBA playoffs, but they’ll look to improve their roster this offseason in some capacity. With up to eight tradeable first-round draft picks to make a deal possible, the Knicks are in a position to land any of the top players on the trade market this offseason. In a proposed trade from Stephen Noh of The Sporting News, the Knicks would land the final piece to the Villanova Knicks, trading for Mikal Brides of the Brooklyn Nets.
Knicks get: Bridges
Nets get: Bojan Bogdanovic, Jericho Sims, 2024, 2025, and 2026 first-round picks
“The Knicks already have a great wing in O.G. Anunoby that they traded for at the deadline. But you can never have enough of those types of players,” Noh wrote on May 10. “Additionally, given how often Anunoby has been hurt already, Bridges would be great insurance while lessening Anunoby’s minutes load.
“Tom Thibodeau loves players who can switch interchangeably. It’s been a big part of the team’s success, with DiVincenzo, Hart, and Anunoby easily able to change matchups whenever they want. Bridges would give them even more versatility. He’s only two years removed from finishing runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year voting, thanks to his 7-foot-1 wingspan and elite help instincts on the wing.”
How Mikal Bridges Would Help the Knicks
Before turning into a scorer with the Brooklyn Nets, Bridges was viewed as one of the top defensive players in the NBA. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is a defensive-minded coach, which makes this pairing perfect.
While Bridges’ defense has taken a hit since his time with the Phoenix Suns, he’s still an above-average defender. Factor that in with the scoring leap he took and Bridges could be a perfect option to pair with Jalen Brunson and the rest of the Knicks roster.
During the 2023-24 season, Bridges averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He shot 43.6% from the field and 37.2% from three-point range on 7.2 attempts per game.
When he was with the Suns and not the main player in the offense, Bridges averaged 17.2 points in his final 52 games in Phoenix. Suppose the Knicks could get 17.2 points per game out of him with his defense going back to what it was in the 2021-22 season when he made first-team All-Defense and finished runner-up as the Defensive Player of the Year. In that case, they’d be an even better team than they were this season when they finished second in the Eastern Conference.
Bridges is also a workhorse, playing in all 82 games again during the 2023-24 season, making it three straight years playing at least 82 games. He played in 83 due to being traded in 2022-23.
Josh Hart Funny Comparison of Bridges
The New York Knicks trio of Josh Hart, Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo is one of the biggest stories in the NBA.
Hart had a hilarious comment on Bridges’ situation, comparing it to the Squidward meme from SpongeBob SquarePants.
“It’s like that SpongeBob meme when Squidward is looking out the window and he sees SpongeBob and Patrick having fun,” Hart said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “Mikal is Squidward.”
While the Brooklyn Nets would be trading their star player to their crosstown rival, the Knicks could offer one of the best packages in the NBA.
Having Bridges on a winning team with his Villanova friends could add even more excitement to the Knicks.