A few days after the Thunder sent Josh Giddey to the Bulls for Alex Caruso, another free agency decision has rocked the league by storm. The NBA announced earlier today that Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges was moved to the other side of New York to reunite with his Villanova buddies in Madison Square Garden.
The deal sent veteran wing Bojan Bogdanovic, along with seven other picks, to Brooklyn; the Nets can now fully recover from throwing out every asset they had from their failed super team experiments.
For the Knicks, it is a clear indication of what they want to achieve come next season: to challenge the mighty Celtics for supremacy in the East and finally have a crack at the coveted NBA championship that has eluded them since 1973.
Shockwaves through the East
The Boston Celtics are head and shoulders above everyone in the Eastern Conference. Every contender that challenged them in the recently concluded playoffs was dismantled with little to no concern. Not even the West’s best chance in Dallas gave Boston a scare—apart from the brutal beating they took in the game, of course.
In fact, they were so dominant that NBA 2024 odds had the now 18-time NBA champs as heavy favourites to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy even before the postseason started.
But with the Knicks acquiring Bridges, a reliable on-ball defender and a proven 20 points per game scorer—not to mention the fact that he’s one of the most available players in a generation filled with load management—then the chances to topple the defending champions undoubtedly increased.
Aside from looking ahead, the Knicks may have also leapfrogged certain, if not most, contenders from their conference. In fact, they were the first ones to move their chess pieces among the Cavs, Sixers, Bucks, and Heat.
Bridges brings with him a ton of talent and perhaps some untapped All-Star or All-NBA potential—if he has not reached his ceiling, that is. Defence-wise, the former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and first-team All-Defence is as legit as they come; he has already proven that he can score boatloads of points in his Nets stint.
His usage will obviously take a huge hit playing alongside the likes of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle—nothing he has not seen before. Being able to create his own shots and play off-ball (37% 3PT) makes him a salivating option for contenders, or any team for that matter.
So … Can they, or can they not?
Last season was the Knicks’ deepest playoff run since losing to the same team in 2013. They also finished second in the East, which was their first time since Ewing and co. led them there in 1994. They outlasted a hurt Philadelphia squad in the first round but ultimately bowed out against the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinal.
Some would regard this season as a rousing success; they have punched above their weight and almost made it to the conference finals even when they were playing on one leg. And that, had they been healthy, then Boston wouldn’t have in as much as a cakewalk in the East. Ifs and buts—the bottom line is that it did not happen. They were handicapped, and head coach Tom Thibodeau most likely ran his players to the ground.
But with the signing of Bridges, the promise of a player of his calibre has its consequences: Who on earth will be left on the bench?
When they got hurt last season, Thibodeau had little to no one on the Knicks’ bench to counter the Pacers’ deeper rotation; Bridges makes it more likely that New York will have huge gaps to fill on their reserves.
The Knicks could lose Isaiah Hartenstein, who played his best basketball last season, along with another vital piece in OG Anunoby, to free agency. They may not be able to pay both, as Bridges, along with the rest of New York’s core, has already commanded about $140 million in salary.
And with the new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) for next season, the chances of retaining or signing key role players may be troublesome. If they are unable to do so, then their SBOTOP odds for next year could wane as early as midseason.
Nonetheless, the Knicks are making moves and have solidified their place in the league. Their NBA 2024 highlights had all but put a trophy in their hands. And while it is still early to name the winners and losers of the offseason, New York has taken a step in the right direction.
Did they give away too much for Bridges? Maybe, maybe not. But what is the price of winning in the NBA? For the Knicks? Anything under the sun.
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