What The Knicks' Mikal Bridges Trade Means For The Cavaliers

The Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Nets on Tuesday night, but what does it mean for the Cavaliers moving forward?

Mar 21, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles against Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers saw the New York Knicks complete what one may consider a blockbuster trade on Tuesday night, as they acquired forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Bojan Bogdanvoic and a glut of draft picks.

The Nets landed a massive haul for Bridges, recouping four unprotected first-round selections, a protected first-rounder (via the Milwaukee Bucks), an unprotected pick swap and a second-rounder.

That is certainly a whole lot of draft capital for a good—not great—player, but the Knicks are in win-now mode, so you have to respect it.

But what does this mean for the Cavaliers?

Well, prior to this deal, the Boston Celtics were the only Eastern Conference squad Cleveland couldn't measure up to. That isn't to say that the Cavs were the second-best team in the East, but that there wasn't much of a gap between them and any of the other top clubs in the conference—New York included.

Now, however, the Knicks may have put some serious distance between themselves and the Cavaliers the night before the NBA Draft.

At least that's what it looks like.

There are some important factors to consider here.

Bridges has two years and a tick over $48 million left on his deal. Definitely not a bad contract, but it does make things complicated for New York. While it probably won't prevent the Knicks from retaining OG Anunoby, it means that Isaiah Hartenstein—who was a revelation for New York this year, especially defensively—is likely a goner in free agency.

NYK free agent C Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to be a top target for several opposing teams in free agency. With the offers that Hartenstein is expected to command on open market, it’s become increasingly unlikely that NYK will be able to retain Hartenstein, per SNY sources

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 26, 2024

Considering that the Knicks' success during the 2023-24 campaign was largely based on their stingy defense, losing one of their defensive anchors will hurt.

It also makes you wonder if this will push New York to move Julius Randle, who has one year remaining on his contract before his player option for 2025-26. Randle is eligible for a max extension that would pay him in the neighborhood of $45 million annually over four seasons. The Knicks haven't seemed all that eager to trade Randle, and that probably hasn't changed. It's certainly something to monitor in the coming weeks, however.

And what version of Bridges are the Knicks getting? Will they be receiving the insanely efficient scorer from his Phoenix Suns days? Or will they continue to see him post a pedestrian true-shooting percentage of 56 percent like did with the Nets this past season?

Let's be honest, though: on paper, this looks like a striking acquisition for the Knicks. Bridges will be reuniting with three of his Villanova teammates in Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, so there is already chemistry within that group. Plus, New York didn't have to surrender a key role player like Miles McBride in the package. The Knicks were awfully tough in the playoffs earlier this spring, and that was with injuries up and down the roster.

It's hard to truly determine how a trade will affect the league landscape this early in the offseason, particularly when it's not for a superstar. Plus, we really don't know how Bridges will actually mesh with his new squad until we see him on the court (even though having the trio of his Villanova buddies on the roster should certainly help make the transition easier for him).

But realistically speaking, things did just get a bit tougher for the Cavaliers. They lost in the first round to the Knicks a year ago, and New York is significantly better now than it was then (even before the Bridges trade). They needed seven games to beat the upstart Orlando Magic this past postseason. They have been wildly inconsistent the past couple of seasons, especially in 2023-24.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks will be back for vengeance. I doubt Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to allow his team to fade into obscurity. The young Indiana Pacers—who probably played the Celtics tougher than anyone—should be better. Heck, the Magic were essentially on par with Cleveland this year, and the Philadelphia 76ers have a ton of cap space to bolster their roster.

It really is Boston and then everyone else in the East, but the question is, who will be that second team? The Cavs appeared to have a real shot of being that squad next October. But the Knicks just threw a wrench into those plans.

It's the Cavaliers' move now.