The New York Knicks have pulled off the first big blockbuster of the NBA offseason, acquiring star forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, New York has acquired Bridges from Brooklyn in exchange for an absolutely huge package of draft picks.
The NBA insider notes that New York is sending Brooklyn first-round picks in 2025, 2026, 2029 and 2031. All four are unprotected. The team is also sending the Nets a 2025 unprotected first-round pick (via Milwaukee) as well as a 2028 pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick. Veteran wing Bojan Bogdanovic heads to Brooklyn as a cap filler.
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To say that this is an absolutely huge move for both the Nets and Knicks would be an understatement. New York had built up draft assets to make a move of this ilk in recent years. As of yet, it had primarily held on to these assets.
- Mikal Bridges stats (2023-24): 19.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 44% shooting, 37% 3-point
This move also seems to suggest that fellow wing OG Anunoby is as good as gone from the New York Knicks. He was acquired in another blockbuster ahead of the in-season NBA trade deadline. Recent reports indicated that the Knicks might push back against offering Anunoby the lucrative long-term contract that he’s said to be demanding in NBA free agency.
As for the Nets, this represents the clearest indication yet that they are going to go into full-scale rebuild mode under general manager Sean Marks.
Time till tell on that front.
For now, the Knicks have acquired another Villanova product to go with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. Can we now call them the New York Wildcats?
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