The New York Knicks made one of the bigger splashes of the 2024 NBA offseason by trading a shocking amount of first round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for small forward Mikal Bridges. While many criticized the Knicks for essentially mortgaging their entire future for a player who has never made an All-Star game, New York hopes that the Bridges trade will allow them to compete with the Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy.
Bridges didn't taste a whole lot of success during his time with the Nets, where he was traded during the 2023 season as part of the package for Kevin Durant. In 2023, Brooklyn lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, and last year, the Nets missed the playoffs altogether.
However, it appears that Bridges still has some love for his time in Brooklyn, as evidenced during his appearance at a recent Knicks fan event in Central Park, where reference to the Nets drew boo's from the crowd, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“Y’all should appreciate Brooklyn because it made me better,” Bridges said, later adding, “F–k, my game grew there.”
Bridges also spoke on just how excited he is to get started in a Knicks uniform.
“Long offseason. I got the itch right now,” said Bridges. “I’m ready right now. I’m active. It’s been too long.”
How much will Bridges help the Knicks?
The tandem of Bridges and Knicks forward OG Anunoby–who was resigned in the offseason to a maximum contract–is sure to be one of the, if not the best wing defender duos anywhere in the NBA. Adding to the Knicks' chances is that both players are more than capable of knocking down perimeter shots and creating their own offense on occasion.
New York also of course still employs Jalen Brunson, who established himself as a legitimate star in the NBA this past season and overcame a rough start to put together an impressive playoff run vs the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and the Indiana Pacers in the second before injuring his hand in Game 7 of that series.
The Knicks are also eagerly anticipating the return of power forward Julius Randle, who was injured in January vs the Miami Heat and missed the rest of the season as a result but will be ready for 2024-25.
In any case, the Knicks' season gets underway on October 22 vs the Boston Celtics on the road.