How the New York Knicks continue turning to former Villanova stars with Mikal Bridges’ trade
The Knicks pulled off the move of the offseason so far in acquiring the Nets star and even better is that he’s about to join his old college teammates.
Whether you’re a Knicks fan or not, what the team managed to do this past season was impressive and all the more so when considering the circumstances within which they were operating. Needless to say, there is a real desire in New York to go one better this year, and with the kinds of moves the front office has been making, that’s starting to look like a possibility.
Jalen Brunson & Josh Hart are happy about Mikal Bridges’ arrival
On Tuesday night, the New York Knicks secured what can only be considered a blockbuster trade, sending Bojan Bogdanovic and a bunch of draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges. It was, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski called it, “...A steep price to land one of the league’s most coveted trade assets.” On the other hand, Wojnarowski also noted that “The Nets get a massive haul to replenish assets and embark on a rebuild with mass cap space and future draft picks.”
Where specifics are concerned, the Knicks gave up four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via Bucks, an unprotected pick swap, and a second-rounder along with the aforementioned Bogdanovic. Again, a steep price. On the other hand, what they got is arguably one of the league’s best forwards and one who averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 44% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc. Given what the Knicks are already working with, along with Bridges’ age and stage - he’s 27 years - old, the return begins to look worthwhile
Speaking of the Knicks, we’ve got to be clear in that this past was their best in more than 10 years, but it’s now clear that they want more. There is, after all, no way to deny that their postseason run was significantly affected by multiple injuries. Bridges’ acquisition is a clear sign of intention on New York’s part and by all accounts it’s been very well received by the team’s stars, all of whom played alongside Bridges with Villanova during the 2015-16 season. That’s to say that Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo were all part of the Wildcats team that won a national championship that year. The question now is can the apparent Villanova reunion bring success?