Knicks Slammed for Nets Trade

The New York Knicks shocked the basketball world a month ago by trading a king’s ransom for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.

In the deal, the Knicks got Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop and a future second-round pick for Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite (who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for Ziaire Williams), four unprotected future first-round picks, a top-four protected first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks, a first-round unprotected pick swap and a future second-round pick.

Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz believes that the Knicks gave too much for Bridges in the trade.

“From a value standpoint, Bridges is simply never going to be worth this,” Swartz writes. “His averages are going to look more like his days with the Phoenix Suns (14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals during his last full season with the team) and New York didn’t need another two-way threat on the wing with Josh Hart and OG Anunoby already coming back. This was an A+++ trade for a team like the Nets, who knew Bridges was more valuable to the Knicks than any other franchise. It’s also an A+ for New York in terms of fit given his connection to the players on the roster, yet could easily be a D in terms of value.”

The Knicks may have given up a lot for Bridges, but it’s clear where their priorities lie. They want to go all-in and try to win now, so the future first-round picks are not important to them. Could the Knicks have gotten away with holding back one or two of those draft picks? Sure. But if that was the reason the deal didn’t go through, the Knicks likely would have regretted it.

Brooklyn will value those picks much more than New York will, but the Knicks shouldn’t look at this deal as a failure because of how much they gave up for Bridges.

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