Analyst Sees Rough Outcome for Knicks Newest Star

The New York Knicks have set Mikal Bridges up for failure.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 1, 2024

Nov 30, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) warms up before a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks traded a king's ransom for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets this offseason.

In the deal, the Knicks sent Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2025, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2027, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2029, an unprotected 1st-round pick in 2031, an unprotected pick swap in 2028, a top-four protected 2025 1st-round pick via Bucks and a 2nd round pick in 2025 for Bridges and Keita Bates-Diop.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley looks into the crystal ball to see how Bridges could do if he doesn't meet the high expectations placed upon him.

"The Knicks might have too many scorers for Bridges' point production to take off, but they may not have the creators needed to boost his efficiency. If he's a mid-to-high-teens scorer with non-elite shooting rates, then he isn't a star. He also probably isn't moving the needle to the point New York might need to crash the championship race," Buckley writes. "If he's a support player on a second-tier (at best) contender, the Knicks could get skewered for sacrificing that many assets to get a 27-year-old non-star."

The Knicks were the No. 2 seed last season and won 50 games, so they already had a high level of success before Bridges arrived. Adding him may not be enough to get the team to No. 1 and among the true contenders in the NBA.

By adding Bridges, who is the third-best player on the roster at best, the Knicks have expectations to be in the Eastern Conference Finals at worst, and he may not have the kind of impact necessary to be able to get New York to level up in the standings.

There's a chance he may be just what the Knicks needed, but if you're going to trade what you did for Bridges, a championship has to come with it in order for it to be worth it.

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Published Sep 1, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.