New York Knicks management has been incredibly patient in how they have approached team building, taking the time to amass an impressive war chest of capital ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline while remaining financially flexible. However, New York can’t help but drool when playing against Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets.
Even though New York has been deliberately building their team over the last few seasons, it’s almost impossible to imagine that they wouldn’t feel pressured to expand their arsenal following recent trades completed by the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat. Specifically, Jalen Brunson’s recent injury demonstrated the need for another ball handler and/or scorer, despite him having already completed a major trade that added OG Anunoby to the team.
It must be even harder to play against a (supposedly) rebuilding Brooklyn Nets team equipped with Bridges, who could be the missing piece. Bridges is a star, in a way. He was already considered one of the best three and D players in the league before being traded to Brooklyn. He has stepped into a starring role well, averaging 21.6 points, 5.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Considering how teams routinely inquire about what it would take to pry players away from a team, it’s unlikely that the Knicks front office hasn’t considered how much a deal with Bridges would cost. An anonymous Chicago Bulls scout recently told me that teams are in constant contact with just about everyone, specifically mentioning Steph Curry as a guy who calls were made about during his MVP seasons years ago, even though Golden State obviously wasn’t entertain offers.