Mikal Bridges Shares Reaction to Knicks Trade

Mikal Bridges was not expecting a trade to the New York Knicks when it broke late at night.

Apr 3, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) makes a move to the basket as Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports | John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges was having a relaxing summer night when his career took a massive shift.

In his introductory press conference, Bridges shared the details behind him learning about the trade that sent him from the Brooklyn Nets to the Knicks.

"I actually saw one of my close friends, Desmond Bane," Bridges said. "We were chilling by his lake house and I was just chilling with his family and stuff. And then the news broke ... it was crazy. It was wild. He was just over there screaming from afar, 'Yo, did you see?!' It was cool."

The trade came on June 25, the night before the NBA Draft. Now, just over two weeks later, the trade is official and Bridges is a Knick.

Shortly after reacting to the news with Bane and his family, Bridges received a phone call from his former college teammate Josh Hart, who now rejoins him with the Knicks.

"My phone was blowing up and I saw a call from him," Bridges said. "It was just cool man, everyone was geeked up. Josh [Hart] of course is going to take a picture and screenshot it. I don't expect nothing less from Josh."

It was at that moment that it began to kick in. Bridges was going to be a Knick and he is really excited about it.

"Excited to be a Knick man," Bridges said. "At that moment, looking at the roster and everyone else we had, I was just excited to be on this team."

With Bridges now officially in the fold, the Knicks can now train during the offseason as they prepare for training camp and the campaign ahead. Trading for Bridges cements their status as a contender and a potential challenger for the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

While the preseason excitement is palpable, the Knicks now that they are not going to get any closer until they start proving that they can win games in the regular season to put them in prime position to make a deep run in the playoffs.

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