The Brooklyn Nets are trading star forward Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in a huge trade package, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Knicks are sending the Nets unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031, the Bucks’ protected 2025 first-round pick, an unprotected 2028 first-round pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick, according to Wojnarowski. Bojan Bogdanovic is also being traded for the same salary.
As a secondary transaction to this deal, the Nets also agreed to a trade with the Houston Rockets in which the Nets would exchange a 2026 first-round draft pick for a 2027 first-round draft pick originally owned by the Phoenix Suns, according to Wojnarowski. The Rockets also received the right to exchange either their own or Oklahoma City’s first-round draft pick in 2025 for a Phoenix first-round draft pick owned by the Nets. In exchange, Houston waived the right to trade Brooklyn’s first-round draft pick in 2025, allowing the Nets to keep the pick for the next two years. Wojnarowski said the Rockets have been trying to use the Suns’ pick to acquire Kevin Durant, but Phoenix has so far resisted.
The addition of Bridges rounds out New York’s roster of former Villanova University stars. The Knicks already have Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart from Villanova’s two championship-winning teams in the second half of the decade. Now they add Bridges, a star defender and shooter who has recently improved significantly as a shot creator. With Julius Randle still on the team and the possibility that New York could re-sign OG Anunoby, the Knicks look to be one of the favorites to win the championship in 2025. SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Anunoby remains the team’s “top priority.”
Begley also reported that the deal was quickly finalized after Bridges told the Nets he wanted to join the Knicks and was prepared to use his leverage to prevent a trade. Bridges has long been a rumored Knicks target due to his ties to Villanova University, and now he joins his former teammates.
“This is crazy lol,” Bridges tweeted late Tuesday after the news broke.
The Knicks have created salary problems by making this trade now. They received more than they paid, so they are under a tight cap at the first apron, projected to be $178.7 million. This will make it difficult to re-sign Anunoby and Hartenstein, but it’s possible the Knicks could save money elsewhere to re-sign him. Mitchell Robinson, for example, has been in trade rumors recently, but if the Knicks can find someone willing to take on his salary, they could redirect that money to free agency. But according to Begley, Hartenstein’s early signing rights limit the Knicks to an offer of around $72.5 million, making it “increasingly unlikely” they’ll be able to re-sign Hartenstein. Other teams could offer Hartenstein more, and he’s expected to be a top target on the center market.
Meanwhile, the Nets are beginning one of the richest rebuilds in NBA history. After not having their own picks for the past few years, the pick they just got back from Houston gives them a two-year drought. They also own New York’s draft rights for the time being, and still have a pick from the Suns. The Nets’ overall strength is bolstered by picks from Dallas and Philadelphia, giving them a very deep portfolio. Currently, only the Thunder can match them in terms of picks from other teams.
But the story of the night is that not only have the Knicks reassembled all of their former Villanova University stars, but they are also poised to become a major rival to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference. Injuries prevented New York from challenging Boston in the playoffs, but the Knicks and Celtics are expected to be the two favorites to win the Eastern Conference next season.
