Analyst: Knicks Trade Taught NBA Uncomfortable Lesson

The New York Knicks have taken recent opponents to school but one ESPN analyst believes a lesson was taught at their expense.

The Knicks' highly publicized trade for Mikal Bridges remains polarizing, as the import has endured a rollercoaster campaign since arriving from Brooklyn over the offseason. Searching for less in the high-profile deals of the NBA season and offseason, ESPN analyst Zach Kram says that the Knicks taught teams to not "pay superstar prices for a non-star in [a] trade."

"The price was steep, as the Knicks sent five future first-round picks and a swap across town to the Brooklyn Nets," Kram recalled. "It was a similar cost that other teams had recently paid in deals for Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert."

"But Durant, Mitchell and Gobert were all perennial All-Stars, while Bridges had never been one of the top dozen players in his conference. Role players shouldn't cost a handful of first-round picks."

Bridges reached the NBA Finals in a supporting role in Phoenix back in 2021 but his time as franchise face in Brooklyn didn't go well: he averaged a respectable 19.6 points and 4.5 rebounds but the Nets failed to reached the postseason and send Bridges across the bridge to play in Manhattan.

Kram cited the Knicks' statistical shortcomings in advanced categories as evidence for his complaints as well as the timeless inclusion of New York's 0-7 record against the Association's elite (Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Boston).

"The Knicks rank 13th in defensive rating and have actually been worse with Bridges on the floor," Kram said. "Against top-10 offenses, the Knicks rank 19th in defensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass, the worst mark of any playoff-bound team ... The Knicks are clearly still below the top tier of contenders -- and the haul they surrendered in the Bridges trade means they have few avenues left to keep improving."

To be fair to the Knicks (47-27), draft aren't as valuable of a current in Manhattan, as head coach Tom Thibodeau often needs great persuasion to play rookies (note that it took three injuries to finally give 34th overall pick Tyler Kolek adequate minutes).

Bridges has also stepped it up in the absence of fellow former Villanova Wildcat Jalen Brunson, as he has averaged 23.8 points and 5.2 assists in the last five games, four of which have ended in Knicks wins as they seek to generate postseason momentum.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!