**Knicks Acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets in Major NBA Trade**
In a surprising move, Mikal Bridges joined the Knicks, completing the “Nova gang” and significantly boosting the Knicks’ championship ambitions.
Leon Rose acquired Bridges from Brooklyn on Tuesday night by trading several draft picks, aligning the Knicks with four members of Villanova’s championship teams.
The trade was unexpected, especially since the Nets were considered unlikely to help their rivals. However, after the failures with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Sean Marks’ plans for the Nets were faltering. Bridges, while becoming the Nets’ best player, wasn’t sufficient to lead a playoff team.
The Nets received a substantial return for Bridges: four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031), a 2025 protected first-rounder from the Bucks, a 2028 unprotected pick swap, and a 2025 second-round pick. Despite this, the Knicks kept their 24th and 25th overall picks for Wednesday’s draft.
The Knicks, who had been holding onto their picks for the right opportunity, felt Bridges was worth the investment due to his two-way versatility, durability, and connections with the roster core. The 27-year-old reportedly expressed a preference for joining the Knicks and is under a team-friendly deal with two years and roughly $48 million remaining.
This trade signifies Rose’s intent to pursue a championship after back-to-back conference semi-final appearances. To match salaries, the Knicks traded Bojan Bogdanovic, who recently had foot and wrist surgeries, without losing a key rotation player.
Bridges joins a Knicks team with All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, along with a strong supporting cast that helped achieve the second-best record in the East. Additionally, Bridges has strong ties with his former Villanova teammates now on the Knicks.
Josh Hart humorously expressed Bridges’ envy last season as he watched the Nova trio—Brunson, Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo—succeed at MSG. With Bridges’ arrival, the Knicks face other roster decisions, including the potential re-signing of unrestricted free agents OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein. While they can offer Anunoby a max contract, they are limited to a four-year, $72.5 million offer for Hartenstein.
Assuming Anunoby returns, Bridges would likely replace DiVincenzo in the starting lineup. The players involved seemed excited, with Hart tweeting enthusiastically and Brunson simply tweeting, “omg.” Bridges responded, “this is crazy lol.”
Earlier in the season, Bridges appeared on Brunson and Hart’s podcast, “The Roommates Show,” where Hart emphasized the Knicks’ immense popularity over the Nets. Bridges mostly agreed, reflecting on the strong generational fandom in New York.
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