Stephen A. Smith goes berzerk after New York Knicks trade for NBA star

STEPHEN A. Smith couldn’t control his emotions after the New York Knicks made a bombshell trade for a star the night before the NBA Draft.

The ESPN star, 56, reacted to the New York Knicks reportedly acquiring forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.

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On Tuesday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Nets traded Bridges to the Knicks in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic, five first-round picks, an unprotected pick swap, and a second-rounder.

Smith, who’s a noted Knicks fan, couldn’t help but share his excitement about the transaction in a response video to his ESPN colleague Wojnarowski’s report on X.

“Yes!” the fiery personality yelled out for numerous seconds as his face was close to the camera.

“I know that y’all saying, ‘It’s Mikal Bridges. He’s a good player. But it ain’t like y’all got [Kevin Durant].’

“Bump all that!”

“Chemistry matters, reliability matters, consistency matters, defense matters. The brother can shoot. The brother can play.

“I’m sorry, I like this move by the New York Knicks. He’s young, he’s energetic, he’s seasoned, he defends, and he fits right into the culture of the New York Knicks, and that’s all I ask.”

The First Take star thinks the Knicks need one more piece before they can be legitimate NBA title contenders.

“But we have moved in the right direction!” he said.

Wojnarowski even replied to Smith’s post, writing, “I was waiting for you …”

Bridges will join a New York team that made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals in the 2023-24 season as they lost to the Indiana Pacers in seven games.

He’ll also link up with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.

The Knicks are reportedly hoping to keep OG Anunoby in free agency, per Wojnarowski, but the team’s ability to re-sign center Isaiah Hartenstein looks unlikely now.

Bridges played his first four seasons with the Phoenix Suns, who then traded him to the Nets as part of a trade revolving around Kevin Durant in 2023.

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He was Brooklyn’s No. 1 option after the trade, averaging 26.1 points in 27 games for the rest of the 2022-23 campaign.

However, Bridges’ numbers dropped in this past season, as he posted an average of 19.6 points in 82 appearances.

SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the deal came together this week when he told the Nets that he wanted to be a Knick and was ready to use that leverage to prevent other teams from acquiring him.

“This is crazy lol,” Bridges wrote in an X post late Tuesday after the news broke.

Bridges will be owed $48.2 million over the final two years of his current contract.

He’ll be eligible to sign a two-year extension on October 1.