When players from college just randomly team up on one offseason, things start to smell fishy. First, it was Bam Adebayo who posits that the New York Knicks' former Villanova players —Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo — had some under-the-table discussions with Mikal Bridges. Now, it sounds like Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton might be willing to supply the Miami Heat forward and the league with some evidence if an investigation is to be launched on this trade.
Look, it's hard to not see this Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges without thinking about what his former Villanova teammates said to get him there. Obviously, guys like Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart have also joked about this before the Brooklyn Nets dealt him away. Bam Adebayo also did the same. The latest guy to join the list is Tyrese Haliburton, via The Pat McAfee Show.
“We have a group chat. I have a group chat with those guys. So, it's me, Mikal, Josh and Jalen. If there's ever any tampering evidence needed, I'm the guy to come to. We all played for the USA together last year in the World Cup. So, we became close that way,” the Pacers guard said.
Haliburton is joking when he says this about the Knicks. Obviously, a lot of reactions about the Bridges trade are going to be like that given how close these four guys are due to their March Madness up to FIBA World Cup experiences together. Nonetheless, the Pacers' offensive weapon is still very excited to face this new Knicks core.
“I'm excited. I'm excited to compete against them, I'm excited to see those guys together. I think people forget, you know. It's not really — we're all friends. That's the crazy part… But yeah, I'm excited to compete against those guys. No question,” he concluded.
A big journey ahead for the Knicks
This trade signifies that the Brunson-led squad is gunning for a title next year. They already had the pieces in 2023 but the injury bug just bit them very hard such that they could not recover against the Pacers. Pushing them to seven games in the second round was the most that the Knicks could do in this situation. Now, the Bridges trade made them give up a large chunk of their future in exchange for this short window of opportunity.
The Knicks had to throw in four unprotected first-round picks for the years 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031. This was not the only capital they gave up for Bridges. They also had to let go of a 2025 protected first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks, a 2025 second-rounder, and a pick swap in 2028. Bojan Bogdanovic was also placed in the mix. It is very clear that they are banking on the championship-winning Villanova Wildcats to turn the jets on and hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy come the summer of 2025.
Expectations have never been higher because they have OG Anunoby and Julius Randle to back this core up too. It is championship season for the Big Apple. Hopefully, the city that never sleeps gets what it deserves next season.
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