After being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Nets, new Knicks wing Mikal Bridges is expected to “follow (Jalen) Brunson‘s lead” and sign a relatively team-friendly contract extension with New York when he becomes eligible to, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack link).
As Stein writes, Bridges will be eligible for a less appealing ($72.5MM) two-year extension as of October 1. He will also be eligible for more lucrative three- and four-year extensions during the 2025 offseason. Either way, an extension isn’t imminent, since it isn’t even currently permitted.
Still, it’s a noteworthy development considering what the Knicks gave up to acquire Bridges — five first-round picks (four unprotected), one swap, Brooklyn’s own 2025 second-rounder, and veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton (sign-and-trade), and Mamadi Diakite.
The 10th pick of the 2018 draft, Bridges signed a four-year, $90MM rookie scale extension in October 2021, which kicked in starting in 2022/23. He will earn $23.3MM in ’24/25, followed by $24.9MM in ’25/26. A potential extension wouldn’t begin until ’26/27.
Bridges, 27, was the runner-up for the 2021/22 Defensive Player of the Year award, also earning a spot on the All-Defensive First Team that season. He starred in college at Villanova, playing alongside Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart. That surely factors in with Brunson’s deal as well.
Bridges has yet to miss a game in his six-year NBA career. In 82 appearances last season (34.8 MPG), the 6’6″ guard/forward averaged 19.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.0 SPG on .436/.372/.814 shooting.
This kind of value makes trading those picks worth it, especially with the new apron rules. Really would extend their window of contention seeing as the Nova Knicks are just hitting their primes.
They’re not legit title contenders with this core. If their stars are healthy, any of the Bucks, Celtics, and maybe Sixers would all knock the healthy Knicks out in a series
Wow dude you really hate the Knicks….Bucks are now 4th in the East healthy or not….Knicks we’re 2 seed WITHOUT Bridges and Without OG and Randle down the stretch…yes health will be key but this team will be top in the East
Before you?
Worry about anything you have to get past the Indiana Pacers. Okay, now go back to your miserable life in New York, which is probably putting a gun in people’s face. Have a Good night.
Lillard is already on the decline and the Bucks were very underwhelming in the regular season last year. On what basis other than name value do you think they’re clearly better than the Knicks?
Lillard is 34 and Middleton will be 33. That cliff is closer than you think.
Lmao saying the bucks would beat the Knicks is hilarious.
The bucks have nothing outside of Dame and Giannis
The Knicks have some of the best total team depth in the entire league
The Bucks are aging and coached by Doc. The 76ers have an entire new team. Boston should be the favorites in the east, but how often do teams repeat? Not often.
You’re joking right?
What is in the water at Madison Square?? Team friendly deal for Dolan?
Dolan is the one signing the checks but he’s not dealing with players or anyone else. Leon Rose and World Wide Wes are handling those matters. Thank goodness for that.
Exactly, Dolan is the one owner who 100% does NOT deserve anything “team-friendly” SMH
Good for Knicks fans, I guess, but this isnt a good precendent
The whole “precedent” argument is so dumb. Players should do whatever will make them most happy. Good for these two for being less selfish and allowing their friends to get paid and pursue titles. It’s life changing money either way.
I like the {potential} precedent
I’m not one for saying players should take less but the old take the max always for future players sake/precedent never rang true to my ears
For those who missed 90s basketball this Knicks team will feel very 90s here soon where a group of guys all stick together for a common goal. Boston and Indy as well , starting to feel like old school East, glad we are getting 2 Conferences now
I’m puking
Never bought it either unless it was a record-setting precedent. How hard would it be to counter that “Player X only took Y contract due to very specific (and obvious) Z reason(s), so it should have nothing to do with my client”?
Meanwhile, you forgot the only other team from the East who’s done anything notable in the last few years and is still very much a title contender: Milwaukee. When healthy, that core and their big three is better than the Knicks and the power of friendship.
MLBTR- Touché, Mil should have been inc
When healthy. So don’t worry NY. Love Dame but whose your three. Injury prone + injury prone + injury prone = injury profound. Buck season is in two months bro
Since I don’t follow college ball, only pro, who was the fifth player from Villanova? I wonder if the Knicks may try and get him too.
Omari Spellman who’s been out of the league for a minute now
Yeah, Thibs is def not salivating to lock up Spellman.
Kyle Lowry was Villanova (a few years before the rest of these guys), but he just re-signed with Sixers. And there’s Saddiq Bey, also
Bey recently signed with Detroit
Lowry more than a few before Themis group lol… and bey a few after them. There are a few others floating around the league and maybe thibs will bring back Ryan Arch again as a coach lol
This core is still not getting them past the second round. Maybe if they can spin Randle into a legit star next to Brunson, but those two plus OG and the other Nova guys is too mid. And I say this as a Villanova alum.
This ain’t college……. No one GAF about Nova. Only agendas and narratives fools. This is the pros. Rose and Thibs have built something here. Try and keep up. This team without Bridges. Was the the best team in NBA. Do the math arithmetic 101.
The math – – 4 losses in a series and the Knicks were out in the 2nd round. They weren’t the best team in the NBA.
With a 7 man rotation with 2 street clothes signings. Calm down. They didn’t win. But you gotta see the potential. If Randle plays that’s a different series. Mitchell plays it’s a different season.
If’s don’t count for much. I’ve always found that losers blame things on injuries. I was simply pointing out that they weren’t the best team in the NBA as was stated when we were told to do the math. I’m not as high on the Knicks as a lot of people are…but do agree that they seem headed in a good direction
These guys know that if they were able to bring a championship to the Knicks, they would be legends. They would get tons of perks anyways and marketing deal money for life.
As long as Thibs is the coach I expect short rotations due to missing star players in the playoffs…
The Knicks have had a nice off season, but they’re not a top 10 team yet…