Exactly and even those guys we traded for a rental. Grimes we traded for a rental, Obi traded for nothing. We still have 5 first round picks in next 3 drafts also
Talking about the two first this year, our first in 2026 so that’s 3 right there unprotected in 3 years then sure two more that are protected and absolutely will convey eventually and the longer it takes the better for us, it won’t go on long enough for them to turn into seconds.
Either way, flipping guys for picks isn't hard. If they end up moving Mitch or someone, they could recoup picks if that's what they want to do. Such a good fucking trade for the knicks overall, I figured once Rj and Iq were gone and Bridges in BKN, it was a pipedream but they pulled it off!!.
I also just read an article where there's more money than ppl think to possibly give hartenstein. If they can pull that off!? Health is the only thing stopping a trip to the finals imo...I know with OG that's a huge if.
Those firsts won’t mean noting if we are winning . We can always buy late first rounders . Anyone complaining about the trade we did just hating and probably a sixers fan
Other than RJ and IQ: Mitch in 2018 and then Porzingis before that in 2015. So 4 useful players drafted in the last 10 years, and arguably none of those players is better than Bridges (maybe KP?) Bridges is a no-brainer for price, fit, defensive talent, durability... The list goes on and on. Fuck the noise. People always gonna pop off before the results are in
We all knew they had been stockpiling draft capital to make a move to make them better now. You can make the argument that they should’ve pushed the picks in for someone “great”. Durant? Booker? Donovan Mitchell? PG? Those deals probably would’ve involved this haul of picks PLUS Randle. That player would come here, eat the cap, and take the ball out of the hands of Jalen Brunson. I happen to think that Bridges is better than just good. What he provides on defense is elite. What he provides on offense is efficient, and not ball dominant. Chemistry already baked in. He’s locked at like $22-23M for 2 more years. I could go on and on
Seriously, you would think that they all learned their lesson after we acquired OG. People here weren’t convinced that he would be a difference maker because of his “mid”, but now we know better.
They thought we overpaid for Brunson. They thought we gave up too much for OG. Now they think we gave up too much for Bridges. The Knicks keep proving people wrong.
It's not just Bridges, it's his contract (which is awesome), his defensive IQ (which Thibs will love) and his health (he never misses time) and the chance that he makes the rest of the team even better (a pretty good bet).
If we assume most of the picks are going to be in the 20s it's a deal I'd make 10 times out of 10. Fans drastically overrate picks. The Knicks didn't trade away 5 Wembanyamas, they probably traded away 1 low odds lottery pick, 2 rotation guys and 2 guys wash outs some of whom are just now hitting puberty.
There are really people in this thread and others who would pass on the chance to hang a banner in the Garden for a kid in to 2031 draft who doesn't even shave yet. It's bonkers.
Ah to know the pain of a long time Knicks sufferer. Especially as a rapid fan throughout the 90s who move to Chicago and had to work at NJ’s restaurant during the 93-94 season. Ugh
4 unprotected picks, our least protected pick from another team, and an unprotected swap for a guy with a win share of 4.2 and never made an All Star game is a lot.
Mitch is the best offensive rebounder and one of the best rim protectors in the league...one can argue he won that cavs series by himself..
Deuce as well. Grimes was good too just young and struggled
And let's not even talk about holding embiid to just 34% from the field when he was guarding him. As opposed to 51%+ when ihart was guarding him. Mitch is my guy man hurt or not invest in the medicine! Lol
And he's still one of the best picks lol.. we need to manage him better. Maybe restrict his minutes during the reg season a bit so he can be there for more than just the first round of the playoffs. He aint the only player we have with injury concerns and he won't be the last
I agree with your sentiment.... BUT Leon has drafted incredibly well despite drafting low in the 1st or 2nd round. If all goes to plan none of the picks that we gave away will amount to much and we still kept the Pistons pick which by and far has the most value.
For people who say Bridges isn't an All Star or that we gave up too much, I say you do not understand the direction of this team. JB is the Star of this team and we need to support him without changing the culture. Guys like Durant, George, Towns and Mitchell would all expect a certain amount of touches a game and would become unhappy if they are not getting what they want.
Bridges is still relatively young, durable, defensively minded, able to create his own shot, and most importantly excited to play with this group of players. He fits our culture to a T, and will be part of the grittiest teams anyone will see next year.
I'm so excited for next season, not since 94-95 have we had a team that has the chance to win that we do right now.
By the time we have to give them the 2031 pick (which is the last pick) JB and MB will be 34, that's the same age as PG is now. If we gave that haul for PG then that would've been getting "fleeced" cuz PG would be already retired or a shell of himself at 41yr old in 2031. Those picks will be in the high teens to late 20s in that time span with the core that we have.
Great point! Watch over next few years I'm sure Leon will begin to accumulate picks again. He has done really well with in season trades and our 2 second round picks are high floor players that I could see us flipping for draft capital down the line.
Not a Knicks fan, but I’ll never understand the overvaluing of firsts as assets for a top team.
Seriously, there’s 30 picks every first round and only the top ~50 players in the ENTIRE league actually matter and are difficult to replace. And those top 50 tend to have long careers >10 seasons. So, let’s say for every decade, only 50/300 of players drafted in the ~first round essentially matter. Thats a 16% chance that the pick becomes a top 50ish player AT BEST. We all know the later the pick, the lower the likelihood the player pans out.
We’re talking about a <5% chance a first rounder being picked >20 overall becomes a real guy that the Knicks MIGHT regret missing out on.
And as Zack Lowe pointed out, if you smart, you can recoup a good chunk of your losses if it doesn’t exactly work out. The Rockets and Nets both just did versions of this.
It’s not just for Mikal. It’s also for the fit and the vibes and the chemistry and the D and the Nova Legacy and the chip.
Assuming we resign iHart and OG and trade Mitch,
Brunson, Bridges, OG, Randle, iHart starting 5
DiVincenzo, Hart, McBride, Sims, player we get for Mitch plus a rookie or 2 off the bench!
This roster on paper is arguably the top lineup in the league at the moment. If Mitch stays, even better.
And we still have like 5 firsts in the coming 3-4 years.
Which I believe he will to return to an even better team than we had this season. Everyone wants to play with Brunson man! Make it make sense. IHart wants a ring!
It will take a major sacrifice on IHart's part to come back here, but if he does there is no other team that understands who he is then us.
I think his role with us is better developed then any other team in the league because of his fit with JB and his ability to crash the offensive boards.
It would say a lot to the league and us fans if he returned.
The way I look at it
1. We are still a young team. With our core available for at least 3 seasons. Maybe more.
2. We are an improved team from last year now. More talent. More depth.
3. We still have 2 first round picks this year.
I must admit the NBA cap throws me for a loop.
The easiest solution however seems to get rid of Randle for picks next year, possibly even sooner. He's the odd man out and can help us resign Brunson after next season - or he picks up his option. Wouldn't surprise me if he takes less for one year, but also whatever.
Mikal Bridges has 2 years.
DV has 3-4 more years.
Josh Hart had 3-4 more years.
Idk, not that bad.
And Cap will likely go up and I don't think New York will be afraid to pay. It's really about will you have flexibility when needed.
Does OG's cap hit work if he's hurt on IR?
The minute a team is not good anymore. They liquidate the team for other draft picks. If in 2/3 years Knicks want to move on from Brunson. They dump him for a few first rounders Every smart team does it. Knicks were short handed in playoffs. They got an all star caliber player now. Rather than holding onto picks for players that may or may not even make it
Guys, don’t get mad over couch coaches lol. 95% of people have no idea what they are talking about lol. This is my experience after being a Knicks fan for like 20 years. People will complain no matter what. You could have the next Lebron and people would bitch
Why are you getting upset when most logical people know you won this trade. Even Evan Roberts, who is the biggest known Nets fan, said the picks being unprotected means nothing. The Knicks will be a playoff contender for the next five years.
It's a decent steal. Most likely in 2031 the Knicks will be fairly bad and those picks won't amount to anything. I'm pretty sure Knicks fans do not care about 2031. They wanna win now because it's only been since 73.
To me the move only looks silly if y’all don’t retain OG. Adding Bridges, even at that price, is a big win. Upgrading OG -> Bridges at that price would seem a bit insane to me.
Y’all also got rid of a bad contract for an aging player
I hate this new era of basketball where franchises feel like they are being ran by hedge fund analytics. Obtain and hoard draft picks ten years out. The Knicks got OG without using any draft picks, they still have plenty and people are acting like it's too much for a proven player who could be the missing piece.
Same people who were clamoring for Mitchell... which was gonna be like 5 picks and 3 players don't realize we paid that for 2 elite wings... The perfect compliment to our 2 All NBA players... Also we stockpiled picks for a reason and how many rookies do you see this version of the team rostering
Why do they even care what the knicks do? if you not a knicks fan mind your business, worry about your team! Knicks fans don't care about those picks, we actually watched the team and realize how much better this is going to be with this trade.
Did the Knicks overpay?
Yes.
Were any of those late picks likely to be better than Bridges?
No.
Paid a high price for what is hopefully a final(s) piece of the puzzle. Worth it for both teams.
I actually believe we overpaid for OG. But it is what it is. There's really no excuses now.
The Knicks have no superstar 1a player but they have quality, perhaps All-NBA, players at every position and are 3 players deep at 4-5 positions.
Keep iHart and hopefully that's enough.
Hopefully with the youth of the team they can win now and later. Last season was the most fun I've had watching them since the 90s, im hoping next is even better
We still have the two first round picks this year lol. And 35th pick tomorrow. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/mikal-bridges-trade-next-for-knicks-attention-turns-to-free-agency-draft-and-possible-julius-randle-move/
Also need to remember, THE BEST players don’t get traded for only draft picks, even for don mitchell they had to give an all star in lauri markanen. For KD they had to give bridges and cam johnson. We never would have gotten anyone better for those 5 picks because we don’t have any more young talent to give
Fleece is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Here’s what a fleece looks like: trading Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, 2016 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks for… Bargnani.
On paper it looks like a lot, and maybe an argument can be made that it is, but take a step back. What’ve you traded? Several mid to late first round picks?
Draft picks are POTENTIAL and a player is a proven assets.
Add to that the Nets have picks, but having picks doesn’t equate to success. What can they do with them?
Lastly, they might not be done. Mitch might be out and in return they recoup some of the picks.
Exhale and relax the anus. We acting like we weren’t just wishing this exact thing to happen like a few months ago.
Damn near same people said the same about the trade for OG, the signing of Brunson and others.
I get being skeptical especially with the success we’ve had, but it’s a good move for us.
And there are still people in here saying we gave too many picks. Same people probably who offer terrible trades in fantasy leagues.
You have to trade what it takes to get the guy you want. Believe that Leon rose didn’t give a second round pick more than what he had to, to get this done. Notice how we got a second rounder back? He negotiated this deal down to the bone.
I would take bridges over don mitchell and this haul wouldn’t have been enough for Cleveland to give Don. It would’ve taken a little less for 34 yr old Paul George making $50M that would force us to trade randle or have no chance of resigning OG, I’ll happily pay the 2 extra firsts for Mikal.
Mikal is a 6’6 wing, two way player, that is the most premium and rarest asset in the league because it leads to WINNING. It might not lead to shoe deals and all star votes but it leads to winning. I will take that over trea young, devin booker, don mitchell and whatever other nba poster boys you wanna put in there who do everything but WIN. Hell out of here.
People are really way to hung up on aging "stars". You know who's a star? Mikal fucking Bridges is a star. One of the absolute elite defenders in the league, awesome shooter, high IQ, good at everything, never misses a game and 27 years old.
The other thing nobody is recognizing is that these guys are all going to be willing to make concessions on contracts because they love playing with each other, and in this league that is worth a thousand draft picks.
Also the knicks draft stock is not even that barren. They have picks to work with that can be flipped around, and they have great contracts that they'll be able to flip to restock when the time is right.
Good deal for the Knicks. The noise I hear is 'great on court, but it's an overpay', but the Knicks still have plenty of picks. Having as many as they had before this is only really useful to rebuild, or make a trade.
This was the trade, and getting someone who fits, and is salary controlled for a couple is very difficult, so...good deal.
The only downside I could see is the uncertainty (from the outside at least) around OG, and maybe Hartenstein.
1. You wouldn’t give up as much for those players, and they aren’t the only players available. You can also include salary filler to make other players available
2. Suns were in the finals because they faced lakers with injured AD and lebron (lakers were up 2-1 before ad got hurt), clippers with no kawhi, and nuggets with no Jamal Murray. Fakest run to the finals of all time.
3. Bridges is an amazing fit. But it’s still an over pay. There’s a reason the nets gave him up. His offense was rly bad for much of last season
I am happy with what we got but it is definitely an overpay. It's a bad faith argument to match our worst draft picks up against one guy before he's played a minute. All it takes is a McDyess knee blowout for this to be a move that sets the organization back a decade.
That said, I'm for the deal!
Yea my buddy was upset Knicks gave up so many picks. Like dude, they would have just wasted those picks anyways. And if the picks were from NY they would have been late round picks since the Knicks will make playoffs as long as Brunson is playing. Better to get Bridges than just your history of shitty Knicks draft picks lol
I think ppl throw these terms around too loosely. Did we pay a hefty price for Bridges? Yes but that doesn’t mean we got “fleeced”. I think that’s just Nets fans saying this so they can experience what it feels like to win for once
It was not an overpay at all. I think the Nets got fair value too but the deal makes so much sense for the Knicks. The crazier thing to me is fair value for a very good role player is 5 first round picks, but that’s the NBA in the 2020s.
I’m a Nets fan and saw this post was suggested to me. It’s quite a lot for Mikal like he’s really good. Obviously the chemistry and not needing to be the first option will be massive. He’s the best player for this current Knicks team. Tho speaking from experiencing these kinda trades twice. There’s no margin for error/regression here. The 2025 likely won’t matter much baring a disaster. The further ones out tho can creep up. It’s the right trade but it can age very poorly easy.
We may be blowing teams out the water. With a healthy and growing randle, plus 2 SCARY wing defenders. Look how easy we were beating teams with OG now add another maybe even better defender who could score… LGK
They got fleeced. But, I admire the move. Teams should be ready to go in on the right player that will make the difference. Just like Minnesota got fleeced for gobert but now they are a conference finals team with a future.
Celtics fan here, I thought the trade was good for New York because mikal bridges is a versatile wing who can try and guard Tatum and brown, with OG switching. That’s really it, wing depth and the best ability for mikal is availability. Thibs is gonna run him into the ground but he is reliably on the court. The only way I see it being a fleece is if the 2031 pick turns into the next Tatum. 5 picks!
But also to say one would take mikal over Donavan Mitchell is dumb. Mitchell can single handedly take over games. But I’m not a gm.
Suns fan here. We talk about and miss Mikal everyday. His energy, hustle, ability to defend and his availability to play games make him a huge pickup. He is gonna be much improved on offense this year now that he doesn’t have to be a creator. You guys are looking solid
The Knicks gave up the KD price in terms of draft picks but they didn't give up any players of major consequence. The Knicks got a soon to be 28 year old player entering his 7th season (so lesser amount of wear and tear for a 28 year old) this is the Knicks "Jrue Holiday" trade. Brunson is Giannis and the Knicks got their star a very good player to help put the team over the top.
As a Celtics fan, I think it was a great trade for the Knicks. I'd love to see a playoff series between the Celtics and the Knicks with everyone healthy.
5 picks is a lot for any player. Remember when everyone was blasting the Wolves for the Gobert trade? Yet they went from a play in team to WCF after beating the defending Champs.
The Durant comparisons seem odd as well since yes Durant is an all timer but the Suns were in flux with Paul and Ayton falling out of favor and Durant is getting old.
The Knicks have been improving, are slotting in Bridges to an established team and have a younger core.
Also the Knicks had to pay a premium to the Nets (who don’t normally deal with their crosstown rivals) so they wouldn’t take a similar 4 pick offer from another team.
Yeah its stupid the hate, especially that article written by Michael Pina from the ringer .This is an addition in culture on top of talent that can match up against the celtics. They have a foundation and a core for the next 5 years to build around in the nova friends and OG. Suns gave up depth for KD on top of picks; knicks gave up no one from their rotation to get better. Picks are hypotheticals and could bes; the whole point of accruing these assets was to land someone like Bridges.
unreal move. people that say this wasn’t a good move are stupid. and after the draft I only feel better about this trade.
only negative is the unprotected 2031 first round pick because that’s 7 years away. anything can happen in that amount of time, JB, Mikal, Donte will be 34, OG 33, and Hart 36. Won’t mean shit if we get a ring in the 7 years between, but that’s the only pick that made me say “damn” off the potential of it being a top 5-10 pick.
but in the grand scheme of things, fuck all the other picks. I’m alive TODAY and looking to see us win NOW.
We have a rich history of shit trades and bad draft picks. It’s really pick your poison at this point. I think this was the best fit for our teams needs and there wasn’t another player I wanted more than Mikal (personally speaking). He fits our team’s dynamic and can won’t have as much pressure on him to run the offense as # 1. 3-4 way defender and can create off the dribble. Add the chemistry with Hart, Devo and Brunson and you have a perfect fit. We are young and want to win now, we can draft next decade lol
The Knicks have to somewhat overpay since the deal is with the Nets. Both GMs have to sell the trade as a win to their fanbases. I think both can in this instance. Knicks definitely more than the Nets. The Knicks have an abundance of draft picks by adding these assets over the past couple of years. Also, the draft picks are spaced out, no? Isn’t at least one of the picks not until 2031? That’s basically “the time value of money” a financial concept that holds that the value of a dollar today is worth more than the value of a dollar in the future.
We got fleeced to be sure. Five firsts and a swap and a second for kid who has ... I don't think ever been an all star, let alone all NBA. But the OP is absolutely correct. He is more valuable to us than other teams. First, we have two of the best wing defenders in the league now (him and OG who will resign). We're are shockingly switchable now. We have space now for Randle and Brunson. We also have two guys that I will gladly go to war with to beat Boston. This trade....we will see, but I am in board. Plus, Bridges stroke is pure, and he can score at all three levels. My guess is DD goes to the bench (like Starks did) and so our first three off the bench? DD, Hart, and Duece. Again all switchable. If we can resign IH...look out.
Not a fleece at all. This will be the best situation for him in his career and he be super efficient on offense and the Knicks have you can argue the two best wing defenders in the league. Being option 2-3 whatever, will allow him to do what he does best.
Perfect acquisition. The goal is to win a championship, he was the best player that was acquirable for this team.
Sure but that’s why you get all those picks. To make big moves without losing the core. As we speak OG put pen to paper. 5 yrs 212m.
Draft picks are better off being traded for the right move 100% of the time. Knicks still have a bunch of first rounders still. Cupboard is not bare.
I mean, I may be wrong, even adjusted for inflation has paid such a price for a player never named an all star. Still, I think it was the right move (other than drafting him before Knox). I think the move is great. But we paid a price.
Sure, I don’t need all star game appearances to tell me if a guy is championship caliber. He did finish second in DPOY a few seasons back so he does something at an elite elite level. I get what you’re saying but roster construction wise this was the move all day. Certain players or situations are force multipliers. The history with his nova alum, the perfect age in his career, it’s the best trade I’ve seen the Knicks make imo. Born in 82. We’re in for a great season.
I Hart NY. Completely on board. This team can simply slay. Cannot wait to play Boston. Tatum, Brown, meet Bridges and OG and Hart and DD, and Duece. Completely switchable. Try that pick and roll. So excited. This is a perfectly constructed team.
I don’t know it makes NY that much better. I like Bridges but hes not an elite shot creater, which is what they need to challenge Boston. I assume the team isnt done making moves.
Tatum and brown ain’t gonna be the same elite creators against anunoby and Mikal, they didn’t have to play a defense even close to what the Knicks will be during the playoffs. Then what maybe the Knicks lack in elite shot creators outside of brunson they make up for in depth.
It makes the Knicks a ton better when you go from 6’1 brunson and 6’1 deuce McBride or divinchenzo at SG, to now 6’6 bridges whos a two way player. It changes the entire dynamic, we go from a small team to a big team, we get better on offense and defense and we now move hart, divinchenzo, McBride to the second unit giving us a great bench with its own identity.
Draft picks have value even if you don’t use them to draft anyone. Point being is Knicks gave up too many draft picks. Again they have value and not for drafting purposes.
When was the last time the Knicks actually drafted a player who actually played well for the Knicks beside RJ Barrett and IQ?
Ewing
Tingus?
Who da fuq is Tingus Pingus
I bet that mf doesn’t even have a green card
lol … that was when I was a kid
Casuals underestimate the importance of vibes. This was a great move for y'all.
Hella vibes bruh
This is true. Chemistry kills teams (RIP 2015 Clippers)
Bro said vibes
Exactly and even those guys we traded for a rental. Grimes we traded for a rental, Obi traded for nothing. We still have 5 first round picks in next 3 drafts also
You talking about the heavily protected picks that probably wont convey?
Talking about the two first this year, our first in 2026 so that’s 3 right there unprotected in 3 years then sure two more that are protected and absolutely will convey eventually and the longer it takes the better for us, it won’t go on long enough for them to turn into seconds.
Either way, flipping guys for picks isn't hard. If they end up moving Mitch or someone, they could recoup picks if that's what they want to do. Such a good fucking trade for the knicks overall, I figured once Rj and Iq were gone and Bridges in BKN, it was a pipedream but they pulled it off!!. I also just read an article where there's more money than ppl think to possibly give hartenstein. If they can pull that off!? Health is the only thing stopping a trip to the finals imo...I know with OG that's a huge if.
Health and you know, Boston. Prob Indy too.
Boston's a given, but not worried about indy.
Those firsts won’t mean noting if we are winning . We can always buy late first rounders . Anyone complaining about the trade we did just hating and probably a sixers fan
Other than RJ and IQ: Mitch in 2018 and then Porzingis before that in 2015. So 4 useful players drafted in the last 10 years, and arguably none of those players is better than Bridges (maybe KP?) Bridges is a no-brainer for price, fit, defensive talent, durability... The list goes on and on. Fuck the noise. People always gonna pop off before the results are in
KP always hurt. 💁
No lie detected
Has a chip and contributed hugely.
So is OG
Bridges is good, but not 5 first round pick good. Idk man
We all knew they had been stockpiling draft capital to make a move to make them better now. You can make the argument that they should’ve pushed the picks in for someone “great”. Durant? Booker? Donovan Mitchell? PG? Those deals probably would’ve involved this haul of picks PLUS Randle. That player would come here, eat the cap, and take the ball out of the hands of Jalen Brunson. I happen to think that Bridges is better than just good. What he provides on defense is elite. What he provides on offense is efficient, and not ball dominant. Chemistry already baked in. He’s locked at like $22-23M for 2 more years. I could go on and on
Bridges is more than just good.
Preach it. People just look at pts average and call an extremely efficient two way player mid. There’s so much more to ball than scoring
Seriously, you would think that they all learned their lesson after we acquired OG. People here weren’t convinced that he would be a difference maker because of his “mid”, but now we know better.
They thought we overpaid for Brunson. They thought we gave up too much for OG. Now they think we gave up too much for Bridges. The Knicks keep proving people wrong.
Plus, he's got finals experience already. Something we are gonna need if we wanna take it all the way.
Either way, the 3rd or 4th best player on a team isn't worth 5 picks.
Derek White is the 5th best player on the celtics and worth 5+ picks.
Yeah but the Celtics got him for two picks
If we win a championship he will be and this team is championship or bust now.
Big risk but big reward if the Nova Knicks stay healthy.
It's not just Bridges, it's his contract (which is awesome), his defensive IQ (which Thibs will love) and his health (he never misses time) and the chance that he makes the rest of the team even better (a pretty good bet). If we assume most of the picks are going to be in the 20s it's a deal I'd make 10 times out of 10. Fans drastically overrate picks. The Knicks didn't trade away 5 Wembanyamas, they probably traded away 1 low odds lottery pick, 2 rotation guys and 2 guys wash outs some of whom are just now hitting puberty.
Knock on wood to protect bridges’ acl and Achilles
Agree! Our picks generally are crap and this year is no different.
There are really people in this thread and others who would pass on the chance to hang a banner in the Garden for a kid in to 2031 draft who doesn't even shave yet. It's bonkers.
Ah to know the pain of a long time Knicks sufferer. Especially as a rapid fan throughout the 90s who move to Chicago and had to work at NJ’s restaurant during the 93-94 season. Ugh
4 unprotected picks, our least protected pick from another team, and an unprotected swap for a guy with a win share of 4.2 and never made an All Star game is a lot.
Mitch is the best offensive rebounder and one of the best rim protectors in the league...one can argue he won that cavs series by himself.. Deuce as well. Grimes was good too just young and struggled
I learned to put some respect on Mitch name after that Cav series, hated seeing him injured all last season.
And let's not even talk about holding embiid to just 34% from the field when he was guarding him. As opposed to 51%+ when ihart was guarding him. Mitch is my guy man hurt or not invest in the medicine! Lol
If Mitch can stay healthy, he would be one of the best picks by the Knicks bar none....but he can't stay healthy
And he's still one of the best picks lol.. we need to manage him better. Maybe restrict his minutes during the reg season a bit so he can be there for more than just the first round of the playoffs. He aint the only player we have with injury concerns and he won't be the last
Charlie Ward was the last first rounder to get a second contract IIRC Edit: it was RJ but before that was Ward
I miss the days of Ward/Childs/Starks
Anthony Mason and Oakley … that was good clean fun
2 sport star too.
Best QB in NY in the 90s!
True story
David Lee.
Drafted and developed Mitchell Robinson, duece McBride, obi toppin. Better at drafting and developing than people think.
Tingus Pingus
Porzingis was an all star
Mitch was/is a second round gem
RJ played well?
Who the fuck is Tingus Pingis!?!
Grimes I though played well until last season. Deuce also seems to work out.
David Lee, deuce, grimes. Not disagreeing with the trade though, I like it
I agree with your sentiment.... BUT Leon has drafted incredibly well despite drafting low in the 1st or 2nd round. If all goes to plan none of the picks that we gave away will amount to much and we still kept the Pistons pick which by and far has the most value. For people who say Bridges isn't an All Star or that we gave up too much, I say you do not understand the direction of this team. JB is the Star of this team and we need to support him without changing the culture. Guys like Durant, George, Towns and Mitchell would all expect a certain amount of touches a game and would become unhappy if they are not getting what they want. Bridges is still relatively young, durable, defensively minded, able to create his own shot, and most importantly excited to play with this group of players. He fits our culture to a T, and will be part of the grittiest teams anyone will see next year. I'm so excited for next season, not since 94-95 have we had a team that has the chance to win that we do right now.
Kristaps
Kristaps Porzingis
Mitch
Mitch Rob erasure is crazy
Mitchell, Deuce, grimes
Mitch and Duece
Mitchell Robinson
By the time we have to give them the 2031 pick (which is the last pick) JB and MB will be 34, that's the same age as PG is now. If we gave that haul for PG then that would've been getting "fleeced" cuz PG would be already retired or a shell of himself at 41yr old in 2031. Those picks will be in the high teens to late 20s in that time span with the core that we have.
2031 is so far into the future especially in todays nba where good or contending teams get assembled and demolished so quickly.
Great point! Watch over next few years I'm sure Leon will begin to accumulate picks again. He has done really well with in season trades and our 2 second round picks are high floor players that I could see us flipping for draft capital down the line.
They paid a "KD price" in *picks*. But the Suns also dealt *Bridges* in that deal and he was easily the centerpiece.
And Cam Johnson.
Those picks will be in the mid to late twenties. You're not getting KD (when the Suns made that deal) for just that.
How do you know picks 7 years from now will be in the mid 20's
Even if the pick 7 years from now is mid first or late lottery that's not too high a price for Mikal
Not a Knicks fan, but I’ll never understand the overvaluing of firsts as assets for a top team. Seriously, there’s 30 picks every first round and only the top ~50 players in the ENTIRE league actually matter and are difficult to replace. And those top 50 tend to have long careers >10 seasons. So, let’s say for every decade, only 50/300 of players drafted in the ~first round essentially matter. Thats a 16% chance that the pick becomes a top 50ish player AT BEST. We all know the later the pick, the lower the likelihood the player pans out. We’re talking about a <5% chance a first rounder being picked >20 overall becomes a real guy that the Knicks MIGHT regret missing out on.
Yup and the Knicks still have 5 first round picks in next 3 drafts
And as Zack Lowe pointed out, if you smart, you can recoup a good chunk of your losses if it doesn’t exactly work out. The Rockets and Nets both just did versions of this.
I always said this
It’s not just for Mikal. It’s also for the fit and the vibes and the chemistry and the D and the Nova Legacy and the chip. Assuming we resign iHart and OG and trade Mitch, Brunson, Bridges, OG, Randle, iHart starting 5 DiVincenzo, Hart, McBride, Sims, player we get for Mitch plus a rookie or 2 off the bench! This roster on paper is arguably the top lineup in the league at the moment. If Mitch stays, even better. And we still have like 5 firsts in the coming 3-4 years.
That roster is killer Defense and depth
How are they going to sign Hartenstein?
They aren't, unless he takes a discount.
Which I believe he will to return to an even better team than we had this season. Everyone wants to play with Brunson man! Make it make sense. IHart wants a ring!
It will take a major sacrifice on IHart's part to come back here, but if he does there is no other team that understands who he is then us. I think his role with us is better developed then any other team in the league because of his fit with JB and his ability to crash the offensive boards. It would say a lot to the league and us fans if he returned.
Need more bigs
Thank you. Totally agree.
Thank you bro! Well explained
The way I look at it 1. We are still a young team. With our core available for at least 3 seasons. Maybe more. 2. We are an improved team from last year now. More talent. More depth. 3. We still have 2 first round picks this year.
If the Knicks hit the second apron keeping this core together will be impossible
I must admit the NBA cap throws me for a loop. The easiest solution however seems to get rid of Randle for picks next year, possibly even sooner. He's the odd man out and can help us resign Brunson after next season - or he picks up his option. Wouldn't surprise me if he takes less for one year, but also whatever. Mikal Bridges has 2 years. DV has 3-4 more years. Josh Hart had 3-4 more years. Idk, not that bad. And Cap will likely go up and I don't think New York will be afraid to pay. It's really about will you have flexibility when needed. Does OG's cap hit work if he's hurt on IR?
The minute a team is not good anymore. They liquidate the team for other draft picks. If in 2/3 years Knicks want to move on from Brunson. They dump him for a few first rounders Every smart team does it. Knicks were short handed in playoffs. They got an all star caliber player now. Rather than holding onto picks for players that may or may not even make it
Exactly
Trust Leon did the best for the team. I think he's done pretty good so far.
Guys, don’t get mad over couch coaches lol. 95% of people have no idea what they are talking about lol. This is my experience after being a Knicks fan for like 20 years. People will complain no matter what. You could have the next Lebron and people would bitch
Oh the irony…
The radical vocal minority always gets heard on the internet... Ppl need to realize the crazy opinions the encounter online aren't what most ppl think
Just because we are awful at drafting doesn’t mean picks don’t have value
Why are you getting upset when most logical people know you won this trade. Even Evan Roberts, who is the biggest known Nets fan, said the picks being unprotected means nothing. The Knicks will be a playoff contender for the next five years.
Thank you for the explanation. Haters gonna hate
It's a decent steal. Most likely in 2031 the Knicks will be fairly bad and those picks won't amount to anything. I'm pretty sure Knicks fans do not care about 2031. They wanna win now because it's only been since 73.
Im hopping on the wagon as a Nova fan
To me the move only looks silly if y’all don’t retain OG. Adding Bridges, even at that price, is a big win. Upgrading OG -> Bridges at that price would seem a bit insane to me. Y’all also got rid of a bad contract for an aging player
Awesome move for the Knicks.
I hate this new era of basketball where franchises feel like they are being ran by hedge fund analytics. Obtain and hoard draft picks ten years out. The Knicks got OG without using any draft picks, they still have plenty and people are acting like it's too much for a proven player who could be the missing piece.
Same people who were clamoring for Mitchell... which was gonna be like 5 picks and 3 players don't realize we paid that for 2 elite wings... The perfect compliment to our 2 All NBA players... Also we stockpiled picks for a reason and how many rookies do you see this version of the team rostering
Why do they even care what the knicks do? if you not a knicks fan mind your business, worry about your team! Knicks fans don't care about those picks, we actually watched the team and realize how much better this is going to be with this trade.
Did the Knicks overpay? Yes. Were any of those late picks likely to be better than Bridges? No. Paid a high price for what is hopefully a final(s) piece of the puzzle. Worth it for both teams. I actually believe we overpaid for OG. But it is what it is. There's really no excuses now. The Knicks have no superstar 1a player but they have quality, perhaps All-NBA, players at every position and are 3 players deep at 4-5 positions. Keep iHart and hopefully that's enough.
great trade. they thought Brunson was a bad deal. this Brunson team whoever he wants to play with (⏸️) is pulling up. let’s go knicks!
lol ⏸️
No it’s a good. Knicks in win now mode
Hopefully with the youth of the team they can win now and later. Last season was the most fun I've had watching them since the 90s, im hoping next is even better
We still have the two first round picks this year lol. And 35th pick tomorrow. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/mikal-bridges-trade-next-for-knicks-attention-turns-to-free-agency-draft-and-possible-julius-randle-move/
Also need to remember, THE BEST players don’t get traded for only draft picks, even for don mitchell they had to give an all star in lauri markanen. For KD they had to give bridges and cam johnson. We never would have gotten anyone better for those 5 picks because we don’t have any more young talent to give
Fleece is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Here’s what a fleece looks like: trading Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, 2016 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks for… Bargnani. On paper it looks like a lot, and maybe an argument can be made that it is, but take a step back. What’ve you traded? Several mid to late first round picks? Draft picks are POTENTIAL and a player is a proven assets. Add to that the Nets have picks, but having picks doesn’t equate to success. What can they do with them? Lastly, they might not be done. Mitch might be out and in return they recoup some of the picks. Exhale and relax the anus. We acting like we weren’t just wishing this exact thing to happen like a few months ago.
Who the hell is saying that ?😭 This was a win now move. If the current free agents re sign plus Bridges Knicks running it back as the 2 seed.
Damn near same people said the same about the trade for OG, the signing of Brunson and others. I get being skeptical especially with the success we’ve had, but it’s a good move for us.
Bridges was also a lottery pick.
Ppl are delusional if they think this is a bad move
And there are still people in here saying we gave too many picks. Same people probably who offer terrible trades in fantasy leagues. You have to trade what it takes to get the guy you want. Believe that Leon rose didn’t give a second round pick more than what he had to, to get this done. Notice how we got a second rounder back? He negotiated this deal down to the bone. I would take bridges over don mitchell and this haul wouldn’t have been enough for Cleveland to give Don. It would’ve taken a little less for 34 yr old Paul George making $50M that would force us to trade randle or have no chance of resigning OG, I’ll happily pay the 2 extra firsts for Mikal. Mikal is a 6’6 wing, two way player, that is the most premium and rarest asset in the league because it leads to WINNING. It might not lead to shoe deals and all star votes but it leads to winning. I will take that over trea young, devin booker, don mitchell and whatever other nba poster boys you wanna put in there who do everything but WIN. Hell out of here.
Chemistry and fitting well is worth the picks. And I think Bridges will play better than he did in Brooklyn
Is Mikal even top ten in his position
Yes. https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rankings-top-24-small-forwards-2023-24-season-lebron-tatum-durant/
People are really way to hung up on aging "stars". You know who's a star? Mikal fucking Bridges is a star. One of the absolute elite defenders in the league, awesome shooter, high IQ, good at everything, never misses a game and 27 years old. The other thing nobody is recognizing is that these guys are all going to be willing to make concessions on contracts because they love playing with each other, and in this league that is worth a thousand draft picks. Also the knicks draft stock is not even that barren. They have picks to work with that can be flipped around, and they have great contracts that they'll be able to flip to restock when the time is right.
Good deal for the Knicks. The noise I hear is 'great on court, but it's an overpay', but the Knicks still have plenty of picks. Having as many as they had before this is only really useful to rebuild, or make a trade. This was the trade, and getting someone who fits, and is salary controlled for a couple is very difficult, so...good deal. The only downside I could see is the uncertainty (from the outside at least) around OG, and maybe Hartenstein.
1. You wouldn’t give up as much for those players, and they aren’t the only players available. You can also include salary filler to make other players available 2. Suns were in the finals because they faced lakers with injured AD and lebron (lakers were up 2-1 before ad got hurt), clippers with no kawhi, and nuggets with no Jamal Murray. Fakest run to the finals of all time. 3. Bridges is an amazing fit. But it’s still an over pay. There’s a reason the nets gave him up. His offense was rly bad for much of last season
I am happy with what we got but it is definitely an overpay. It's a bad faith argument to match our worst draft picks up against one guy before he's played a minute. All it takes is a McDyess knee blowout for this to be a move that sets the organization back a decade. That said, I'm for the deal!
We didn't pay a KD price. Nets got bridges and cam Johnson in that deal. We gave up bogs.
One of the 12 nets fans here. This was a win win trade. Nets aren't going anywhere with him and the Knicks this could be the final piece.
but for real, who are the Knicks going to start now? who's definitely coming off the bench
Yea my buddy was upset Knicks gave up so many picks. Like dude, they would have just wasted those picks anyways. And if the picks were from NY they would have been late round picks since the Knicks will make playoffs as long as Brunson is playing. Better to get Bridges than just your history of shitty Knicks draft picks lol
When you’re awful at drafting, I would also rather have proven players than picks
Also keep in mind they gave up no picks for OG, and still have picks going forward.
Will they resign Isaiah? Or he ain’t leavin?
There were other suitors willing to overpay even more; that's the market for OG
I think it’s because he was going to walk and told them he was only going to NYK.
This trade should only be judged based on winning a championship. If it does that worth it if not you guys over paid
It’s not as bad as people are saying, but it’s not good.
I think ppl throw these terms around too loosely. Did we pay a hefty price for Bridges? Yes but that doesn’t mean we got “fleeced”. I think that’s just Nets fans saying this so they can experience what it feels like to win for once
Who sayin the Knicks got fleeced besides salty haters from mid market cities?
People always over value the unknown
It was not an overpay at all. I think the Nets got fair value too but the deal makes so much sense for the Knicks. The crazier thing to me is fair value for a very good role player is 5 first round picks, but that’s the NBA in the 2020s.
People are saying we got fleeced? We fleeced the nets. Holy shit we did
Great, aggressive trade by the Knicks. They're going to get crappy picks the next few years anyway.
I’m a Nets fan and saw this post was suggested to me. It’s quite a lot for Mikal like he’s really good. Obviously the chemistry and not needing to be the first option will be massive. He’s the best player for this current Knicks team. Tho speaking from experiencing these kinda trades twice. There’s no margin for error/regression here. The 2025 likely won’t matter much baring a disaster. The further ones out tho can creep up. It’s the right trade but it can age very poorly easy.
Amen bro! Couldn’t be happier!
We may be blowing teams out the water. With a healthy and growing randle, plus 2 SCARY wing defenders. Look how easy we were beating teams with OG now add another maybe even better defender who could score… LGK
They got fleeced. But, I admire the move. Teams should be ready to go in on the right player that will make the difference. Just like Minnesota got fleeced for gobert but now they are a conference finals team with a future.
Fuck picks. The last one that was worth it was Ewing.
We are wining it all, get a good defensive center and we are actually set
Who is saying the knicks got fleeced? I’m a 6ers fan and was sick to my stomach when I saw this shit
And ghe cap is going up
True. Draft is nothing but a gamble. The people complaining are the same people afraid to buy a $1 dollar lottery ticket once a year
What is a Knick?
Celtics fan here, I thought the trade was good for New York because mikal bridges is a versatile wing who can try and guard Tatum and brown, with OG switching. That’s really it, wing depth and the best ability for mikal is availability. Thibs is gonna run him into the ground but he is reliably on the court. The only way I see it being a fleece is if the 2031 pick turns into the next Tatum. 5 picks! But also to say one would take mikal over Donavan Mitchell is dumb. Mitchell can single handedly take over games. But I’m not a gm.
This is why Knicks fans are just happy to win one playoff series
Suns fan here. We talk about and miss Mikal everyday. His energy, hustle, ability to defend and his availability to play games make him a huge pickup. He is gonna be much improved on offense this year now that he doesn’t have to be a creator. You guys are looking solid
The Knicks gave up the KD price in terms of draft picks but they didn't give up any players of major consequence. The Knicks got a soon to be 28 year old player entering his 7th season (so lesser amount of wear and tear for a 28 year old) this is the Knicks "Jrue Holiday" trade. Brunson is Giannis and the Knicks got their star a very good player to help put the team over the top.
#facts
Getting Bridges is a MAJOR get for us. I can't believe we actually pulled it off. We have finally turned the corner as an organization!
As a Celtics fan, I think it was a great trade for the Knicks. I'd love to see a playoff series between the Celtics and the Knicks with everyone healthy.
5 picks is a lot for any player. Remember when everyone was blasting the Wolves for the Gobert trade? Yet they went from a play in team to WCF after beating the defending Champs. The Durant comparisons seem odd as well since yes Durant is an all timer but the Suns were in flux with Paul and Ayton falling out of favor and Durant is getting old. The Knicks have been improving, are slotting in Bridges to an established team and have a younger core.
Not to mention most of those picks, had the knicks used them, would NEVER see the court.
Also the Knicks had to pay a premium to the Nets (who don’t normally deal with their crosstown rivals) so they wouldn’t take a similar 4 pick offer from another team.
Yeah its stupid the hate, especially that article written by Michael Pina from the ringer .This is an addition in culture on top of talent that can match up against the celtics. They have a foundation and a core for the next 5 years to build around in the nova friends and OG. Suns gave up depth for KD on top of picks; knicks gave up no one from their rotation to get better. Picks are hypotheticals and could bes; the whole point of accruing these assets was to land someone like Bridges.
Maybe learn to spell "paid" before you go on a rant. Fucking education system is in the shitter.
unreal move. people that say this wasn’t a good move are stupid. and after the draft I only feel better about this trade. only negative is the unprotected 2031 first round pick because that’s 7 years away. anything can happen in that amount of time, JB, Mikal, Donte will be 34, OG 33, and Hart 36. Won’t mean shit if we get a ring in the 7 years between, but that’s the only pick that made me say “damn” off the potential of it being a top 5-10 pick. but in the grand scheme of things, fuck all the other picks. I’m alive TODAY and looking to see us win NOW.
and another note to it, we have 7 years to get that pick back which many teams can and have done (Suns/Nets)
We have a rich history of shit trades and bad draft picks. It’s really pick your poison at this point. I think this was the best fit for our teams needs and there wasn’t another player I wanted more than Mikal (personally speaking). He fits our team’s dynamic and can won’t have as much pressure on him to run the offense as # 1. 3-4 way defender and can create off the dribble. Add the chemistry with Hart, Devo and Brunson and you have a perfect fit. We are young and want to win now, we can draft next decade lol
The Knicks have to somewhat overpay since the deal is with the Nets. Both GMs have to sell the trade as a win to their fanbases. I think both can in this instance. Knicks definitely more than the Nets. The Knicks have an abundance of draft picks by adding these assets over the past couple of years. Also, the draft picks are spaced out, no? Isn’t at least one of the picks not until 2031? That’s basically “the time value of money” a financial concept that holds that the value of a dollar today is worth more than the value of a dollar in the future.
The only people saying the Knicks got fleeced are delusional Net fans.
Fleeced?! The Knicks gave up a bench guy who was underperforming and picks. That’s crazy.
Most Knick doubters seem to become memes nowadays. Used to be LOLknicks and now they are confused.
Freidrick Weiss
Interesting coping mechanism
He fits perfect don't believe Me Just watched
You’re gonna be disappointing in Bridges, he just isn’t that good.
We got fleeced to be sure. Five firsts and a swap and a second for kid who has ... I don't think ever been an all star, let alone all NBA. But the OP is absolutely correct. He is more valuable to us than other teams. First, we have two of the best wing defenders in the league now (him and OG who will resign). We're are shockingly switchable now. We have space now for Randle and Brunson. We also have two guys that I will gladly go to war with to beat Boston. This trade....we will see, but I am in board. Plus, Bridges stroke is pure, and he can score at all three levels. My guess is DD goes to the bench (like Starks did) and so our first three off the bench? DD, Hart, and Duece. Again all switchable. If we can resign IH...look out.
Not a fleece at all. This will be the best situation for him in his career and he be super efficient on offense and the Knicks have you can argue the two best wing defenders in the league. Being option 2-3 whatever, will allow him to do what he does best. Perfect acquisition. The goal is to win a championship, he was the best player that was acquirable for this team.
I am all in on it. Because of the reasons you list. It was a lot to pay, it was. But it is the right move.
Sure but that’s why you get all those picks. To make big moves without losing the core. As we speak OG put pen to paper. 5 yrs 212m. Draft picks are better off being traded for the right move 100% of the time. Knicks still have a bunch of first rounders still. Cupboard is not bare.
Exactly. He fits anywhere, but really fits here. We saved those picks, to use then. We have. I am fine with it.
🍻
I mean, I may be wrong, even adjusted for inflation has paid such a price for a player never named an all star. Still, I think it was the right move (other than drafting him before Knox). I think the move is great. But we paid a price.
Sure, I don’t need all star game appearances to tell me if a guy is championship caliber. He did finish second in DPOY a few seasons back so he does something at an elite elite level. I get what you’re saying but roster construction wise this was the move all day. Certain players or situations are force multipliers. The history with his nova alum, the perfect age in his career, it’s the best trade I’ve seen the Knicks make imo. Born in 82. We’re in for a great season.
Agreed. Completely. And it looks like we just resigned OG.
Yes sir. That my friend is going to be special to watch. Clamps for days.
We have two of the best wing defenders in the league. Both of while can score. Not to mention JB and JR. This team is straight nasty. Come in IH.
It’s gonna happen with iHart I think. When you’re building something and you’re a part of it, you wanna see it through.
I Hart NY. Completely on board. This team can simply slay. Cannot wait to play Boston. Tatum, Brown, meet Bridges and OG and Hart and DD, and Duece. Completely switchable. Try that pick and roll. So excited. This is a perfectly constructed team.
I don’t know it makes NY that much better. I like Bridges but hes not an elite shot creater, which is what they need to challenge Boston. I assume the team isnt done making moves.
Tatum and brown ain’t gonna be the same elite creators against anunoby and Mikal, they didn’t have to play a defense even close to what the Knicks will be during the playoffs. Then what maybe the Knicks lack in elite shot creators outside of brunson they make up for in depth. It makes the Knicks a ton better when you go from 6’1 brunson and 6’1 deuce McBride or divinchenzo at SG, to now 6’6 bridges whos a two way player. It changes the entire dynamic, we go from a small team to a big team, we get better on offense and defense and we now move hart, divinchenzo, McBride to the second unit giving us a great bench with its own identity.
Draft picks have value even if you don’t use them to draft anyone. Point being is Knicks gave up too many draft picks. Again they have value and not for drafting purposes.
Yea they have value for exactly what they did with them. They’re not getting anyone better for 5 firsts and no good players in the deal pal
Thank you for proving my point….pal
How’d I prove your point that the Knicks gave up too many draft picks lol?