Analyst Slams Knicks Blockbuster Trade
The NBA world is reacting to the New York Knicks making a massive trade to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
Bridges was dealt to the Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic and a heap of future draft capital, including five first-round picks.
While the trade has been met with overwhelming praise, there are some people who weren't so fond of the move.
"He is not the missing piece to win a championship," ESPN analyst Chris "Mad Dog" Russo said on First Take. "Does he make the Knicks marginally better? Absolutely! Are the Knicks a team right now that can win 53, 54 games? Absolutely! Does [Tom] Thibodeau have any problem with the Villanova guys to coach? No way! ... They got marginally better. He's a nice player."
Russo argues that the Knicks won't advance much further than where they currently are. The injury-ridden Knicks were one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they are still not on the same level as the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Adding Bridges helps and solidifies the Knicks' championship window for the foreseeable future, but it remains to be seen whether this is the move that finally brings the Larry O'Brien trophy back to New York.
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.