The New York Knicks make a huge trade, adding Mikal Bridges to their team. This deal means the Knicks have finally officially gone all-in on their current core.
Knicks Make A Shocking Blockbuster Trade
According to ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets have “agreed in principle on a trade” to send Mikal Bridges to the Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, an unprotected pick swap, and a second-rounder.
BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets have agreed in principle on a trade to send F Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via Bucks, an unprotected pick swap and a second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/TEGsIpoa3b
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
The Knicks are paying a steep price to get one of the most coveted assets in the NBA. The Nets get a massive haul to replenish the assets lost trying to create that super team. They can now embark on their rebuild with massive cap space and future draft picks. The Nets will receive an unprotected first-round pick in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, according to Wojnarowski. They’ll also receive a protected first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025, a second-round pick in 2025, and a protected pick swap in 2028.
Going, Super Nova
The New York Knicks made this huge trade to reunite the core of that 2017-2018 Villanova championship team. Mikal Bridges will reunite with his close pals Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart in the Big Apple. Something special is definitely brewing in New York. The Knicks organization is banking on the camaraderie and championship-winning experience formed by these friends during that magical 2018 run to lead them to future success. During that run, Villanova would go 36-4 en route to a second championship in three years.
They won every game of the tournament by a double-digit margin. The team’s tournament run is widely considered the most dominant ever, along with being called among the best seasons of all time.
Last season with the Nets, Bridges posted averages of 19.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. This marked his first complete season with the team. He was acquired from the Phoenix Suns before the 2023 trade deadline. He remains under contract for two more years as part of his four-year, $90.9 million deal.
Bogdanović, 35, was traded to the Knicks earlier this year from the Detroit Pistons. He played a crucial role in their playoff push — which ended in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second consecutive season. He averaged 10.4 points over 29 games coming off the bench for the team.
League-Wide Ramifications
Shortly after that transaction was reported, the Nets finalized an agreement to restructure several draft picks involving the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks. Wojnarowski revealed that this deal was done by the Rockets so they could acquire Suns star Kevin Durant in a future trade. Although the Suns haven’t indicated a willingness to trade Durant, the Rockets now possess the draft picks necessary to facilitate such a deal.
As intrigued as the Rockets have been about Durant, they’re determined to use the Suns picks to be aggressive on deals elsewhere now, sources tell ESPN. Phoenix has made it clear that they want to run it back with this group, and Houston is seeking a major upgrade now.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
The Last Word
The 2024 free agency hasn’t even started officially, but it’s off to an explosive start. It’s too early to tell all the dominoes that will fall because of this deal. This looks to be one of those league-altering deals that have ripple effects months and even years from now. It’s interesting to see how this deal affects unrestricted Knicks free agent OG Anunoby and franchise cornerstone Julius Randle.
