The New York Knicks trading for Mikal Bridges
After running out of gas and firepower in the Eastern Conference semifinals at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 on their home floor, the New York Knicks entered the offseason in hopes of landing the final pieces of their championship puzzle. The Knicks were aggressive in their pursuits and there was none more than the deal they made for Mikal Bridges. As a player who seemingly fit perfectly on the team, the Knicks went all-in for Bridges. New York traded a total of five future first-round picks (and other pieces) to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Bridges.
Even though it was considered a lot of compensation for a fringe-star player, the belief was that because he was considered the final move of a championship build, it would be worth the gamble in the long run. While he's had his bright spots several times so far this season, Bridges has been too inconsistent on both ends of the floor for the Knicks this year. With what the team had to give up to acquire him, you can't help but wonder if there's at least some regret on the side of New York considering how this season has played out so far.
Why there may be regret
The Knicks entered this season with sky-high expectations. So far, the Knicks have been wildly inconsistent and aren't even ranked in the top 3 of the Eastern Conference standings. The hope is that the Knicks will continue to improve over the course of the season as they get more and more comfortable with each other but it's safe to say that this year has not gone as planned for the team - especially after the big moves that they made during the offseason. In fact, the argument could be made that Bridges hasn't even been the best offseason move that New York made this past summer.
At least for now, the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns has been a saving grace for the Knicks. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure where the Knicks would be if it wasn't for the trade of KAT just before the start of training camp. Because of what the Knicks gave up in the deal for Bridges, he's almost in a no-win situation. But if the Knicks aren't at least able to make it to the NBA Finals in the next 2-3 years, history won't be kind to the move for Bridges.