The New York Knicks became the talk of the NBA in less than 24 hours. On the night of June 25th, New York engaged in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets to land Mikal Bridges. The next day, the Knicks signed OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212 million contract. As a result, New York has received some intriguing NBA Finals odds.

The Knicks have the third-best chance to win the 2025 NBA Finals with +750 odds, per FanDuel Sportsbook. New York is preceded by the favorite Boston Celtics (+300) and is tied with the Denver Nuggets (+750). The favorites listed after the Knicks are the Oklahoma City Thunder (+900), Minnesota Timberwolves (+950), and the Dallas Mavericks (+1000). It will be interesting to see if the Knicks can capitalize on their chances and bring a title to the Big Apple in 2025.

New York began to separate themselves from the pack when they acquired Mikal Bridges. Like OG Anunoby, Bridges is a terrific 3-and-D wing who elevates his team's versatility. But one of Bridges' most impressive qualities is his durability. The 27-year-old has not missed a single game since he entered the league in 2018.

Knicks fans saw New York get taken advantage of when Anunoby missed a significant amount of his team's series against the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA Playoffs due to injury. Hopefully, Anunoby will be fully recovered for the 2024-25 season, but having Bridges to support him is extremely helpful.

New York's prioritizing of OG Anunboy's contract and their trade for Bridges shows their dedication to high-level wing play. The Knicks' new lineup could help them defeat the Celtics, who arguably have the best one-two wing punch in the NBA. Yet, there is still one question that remains: did New York pay too much?

Knicks' offseason moves are highly regarded by one coveted analyst

New York gave up four first-round picks for Mikal Bridges and will pay OG Anunoby roughly $40 million a year on his new contract. Both players are some of the best two-way competitors in the league. Still, some fans and analysts argue the team overpaid. However, when it comes to the Bridges trade, renowned Knicks supporter and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith begs to differ.

“Now I know that ya'll are sitting out there and saying, ‘It's Mikal Bridges. He's a good player, but it ain't like ya'll got KD or somebody.' Bump all that! Okay?” Smith said via his X account shortly after the Knicks traded for Bridges.

“Chemistry matters. Reliability matters. Consistency matters. Defense matters. The brother can shoot. The brother can play. I'm sorry! I like this move by the New York Knicks. He's young, energetic, seasoned. He defends and fits right into the culture of the New York Knicks, and that's all I ask. You crawl before you walk baby. We crawled last year. We're gonna walk, and we're close to sprinting” Smith added.

Stephen A. Smith knows that New York's roster is not perfect yet. He believes the Knicks still have moves to make, but he is happy with the organization's decisiveness. Will New York prove Smith right and win the 2025 NBA Finals and more?