NBA
Analyst Sees Rough Outcome for Knicks Newest Star
The New York Knicks traded a king’s ransom for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets this offseason.
In the deal, the Knicks sent Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2025, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2027, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2029, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2031, an unprotected pick swap in 2028, a top-four protected 2025 1st-round pick via Bucks and a 2nd round pick in 2025 for Bridges and Keita Bates-Diop.
Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley looks into the crystal ball to see how Bridges could do if he doesn’t meet the high expectations placed upon him.
“The Knicks might have too many scorers for Bridges’ point production to take off, but they may not have the creators needed to boost his efficiency. If he’s a mid-to-high-teens scorer with non-elite shooting rates, then he isn’t a star. He also probably isn’t moving the needle to the point New York might need to crash the championship race,” Buckley writes. “If he’s a support player on a second-tier (at best) contender, the Knicks could get skewered for sacrificing that many assets to get a 27-year-old non-star.”
The Knicks were the No. 2 seed last season and won 50 games, so they already had a high level of success before Bridges arrived. Adding him may not be enough to get the team to No. 1 and among the true contenders in the NBA.
By adding Bridges, who is the third-best player on the roster at best, the Knicks have expectations to be in the Eastern Conference Finals at worst, and he may not have the kind of impact necessary to be able to get New York to level up in the standings.
There’s a chance he may be just what the Knicks needed, but if you’re going to trade what you did for Bridges, a championship has to come with it in order for it to be worth it.