Mikal Bridges Trade: Transaction details of blockbuster deal between Knicks and Nets revealed
The New York Knicks have made a major move by acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster trade agreed upon on Tuesday. In return, the Knicks are sending Bojan Bogdanovic and a wealth of draft picks to their crosstown rivals.
Reported first by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, this trade grants the Knicks one of the league's most sought-after trade chips.
The complete trade details are as follows:
- New York Knicks receive: Mikal Bridges, 2026 second-round pick
- Brooklyn Nets receive: Bojan Bogdanovic, unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, a protected 2025 Milwaukee first-round pick, a 2028 unprotected pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick
Mikal Bridges, who was traded to the Nets from the Phoenix Suns last season, has experienced a slight decline in his efficiency this year, averaging 19.6 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range, compared to last year's 20.1 points per game on 46.8% shooting and 38.2% from 3.
The decline in efficiency may be due to his increased role as a primary ball handler for the Nets. However, his offensive and defensive skills are expected to be a good fit for the Knicks.
The Knicks have been aggressive in acquiring star talent. They previously traded young players like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Malachi Flynn and Quentin Grimes to secure OG Anunoby, who has declined his player option and is a free agent, and Bogdanovic who is now headed to Brooklyn as part of the Mikal Bridges trade.
With Anunoby now a free agent and rumors swirling about a potential Julius Randle trade, acquiring Bridges provides valuable insurance at the forward position.
Mikal Bridges reunites with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo
The Knicks have added Bridges to a core that includes fellow Villanova alumni Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, all part of the Wildcats’ 2016 championship team.
Bridges, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, has developed into a top-tier two-way player since his Villanova days. Meanwhile, Brunson has emerged as an All-Star for the Knicks, with Hart and DiVincenzo becoming dependable guards, contributing significantly in the 2024 playoffs.
Brunson and Hart had been aggressive in recruiting Bridges to the Knicks.
In March, Josh Hart compared Bridges' situation with the Nets to a popular Spongebob meme, suggesting Bridges might have been unhappy with the Nets' struggles.
The Knicks concluded the season with the second-best record in the East (50-32) and reached the second round of the playoffs, while the Nets (32-50) finished 11th in the standings.