Revisiting the Mikal Bridges Trade as the Nets Watch the Knicks’ NBA Finals Run

New York is getting what it wanted out of the deal, but what about Brooklyn?

Nov 17, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) gestures towards the Brooklyn Nets bench after making a three-point shot in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There was so much that could have gone wrong when the New York Knicks traded five first-round picks and a swap for Mikal Bridges in 2024. It was the first time an organization moved that much draft capital for a non-All-Star, tying the Paul George-LA Clippers trade for the most picks (not including swaps) in a two-team deal.

The move was met with so much criticism on the Knicks' part for a while. The Brooklyn Nets brought back draft capital that could potentially save their rebuild, while New York couldn't get past the Eastern Conference Finals in year one of the Bridges experiment.

But fast forward to late May, and it's safe to say that the Knicks would do that deal every day of the week and twice on Sunday. They secured their spot in the NBA Finals in the midst of a historic playoff run, capping off an Eastern Conference Finals sweep over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

A lot of discourse has resurfaced within the basketball community regarding this blockbuster deal. So often, people try to pin a clear winner and loser on each trade, but in reality, the Knicks and Nets did this for very different reasons, and so far, both sides are reaping the benefits.

Let's start with the team still competing. Yes, it was a massive haul for a supplementary scoring option, but New York knew those draft picks wouldn't be of as much value to its championship window as Bridges, coming off an impressive tenure with the Nets.

Remember, Jalen Brunson took a $113 million pay cut later that summer for the Knicks to sign Bridges and keep the core together for the long term. He expanded their window, which ultimately aligned with those picks given up for Bridges. Anything can happen down the road, but New York is still set up to compete for a championship outside of the next two or three years.

As for the Nets, five first-round picks and a swap is a deal you'd take over and over again, too. They maximized the amount of draft capital for Bridges, and even though those selections may not be high in the order, they have so much flexibility.

With rumblings of Brooklyn getting more competitive, the picks can either be used to take prospects or to trade for win-now pieces. The organization is still owed three first-round selections from New York, and there's no telling how deep these draft classes will be in 2027, 2029 and 2031.

In reality, the Knicks benefited from this trade more than people initially believed. So many fans and analysts focused on the 'five first-round picks' aspect of the deal, but Bridges is in the midst of an uber-efficient playoff run, averaging 16.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals over his last 11 games while shooting 63% from the field and 38% from three-point range

Nets fans can watch with disgust as their cross-town rival enters the NBA Finals with a legitimate chance at a championship, but they can also sit back with relief knowing that the Bridges trade gave them a blueprint for a successful rebuild.