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New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges made headlines on Thursday, agreeing to a four-year, $150 million contract extension. Shortly after news of the deal broke, several reporters pointed out that Bridges took a slight discount from his max extension number ($156 million) to help New York maintain flexibility and continue building its roster.
One of Bridges' teammates, Miles “Deuce” McBride, thanked him for his sacrifice.
“Manns really a team first guy, appreciate it Kal!” McBride, who will make $4.3 million next season, wrote on X with a laughing emoji.
Manns really a team first guy, appreciate it Kal! 😆 https://t.co/L6L3gSs2cn
— M11es McBride (@deucemcb11) July 31, 2025
While Bridges' “sacrifice” will be the source of jokes, it continues a trend of the Knicks' top players leaving money on the table. Following two breakout seasons, Jalen Brunson agreed to a team-friendly deal last summer that came in well below his market value.
Mikal Bridges sacrifices $6 million in four-year contract extension with Knicks
Bridges' sacrifice pales in comparison to Brunson's. New York's top player signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract that will begin this season. Had he finished the final year of his deal and then become a free agent this summer, he would have been eligible for a five-year, $269 million contract.
However, Brunson was prioritizing allowing the Knicks to add to a championship core around him. Bridges is one of the top pieces that his former Villanova teammate hopes will propel New York to a championship. Yet, his first season with the Knicks was a disappointment.
Bridges averaged 17.6 points per game while shooting 35.4 percent from three, the lowest mark since his rookie season. The 28-year-old's defense also continued to regress. Opponents scored 1.4 more points per 100 possessions during his minutes, placing him in the 36th percentile among wings, per CleaningTheGlass.
While his playoff run featured some bright moments, Bridges struggled for the most part. The offseason trade acquisition averaged 15.6 points while shooting 33.3 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game. He was noticeably hesitant to attack the basket, attempting 16 free throws over 18 appearances.
Following their Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau and replaced him with Mike Brown. Bridges made headlines midway through the season for criticizing his heavy minutes load under Thibodeau.
The Knicks hope that their coaching change and bench additions of Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson will help them take the next step this season. However, if New York hopes to do so, Bridges will have to live up to the hefty trade and financial commitment the team has made to him.
