Mikal could cross bridges if Knicks make run at him
The Nets and Knicks appear to be two NBA franchises heading in opposite directions, with one already eliminated from postseason contention and the other trying to lock in a top four seed in the Eastern Conference with the regular season winding down.
Brooklyn is 0-3 against the Knicks this season with their final meeting set for Friday at Madison Square Garden. Bleacher Report’s Andrew Bailey, for one, believes that Nets star forward Mikal Bridges could use a fresh start. And if Bridges cannot beat the Knicks, he might be better off joining them this offseason.
In a recent story breaking down different trade scenarios, Bailey suggested that the Knicks have the assets to add a legitimate second or third option to the roster this summer and believes Bridges, who will soon complete his first full season in Brooklyn, would be a natural fit with the Knicks. And it is not just because Bridges already has built-in chemistry with guys such as Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo dating back to their college days together at Villanova.
“Adding his outside shooting to Donte DiVincenzo’s would give Brunson plenty of spacing for drives,” Bailey wrote. “And his multi positional defense would make him an instant favorite of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.”
Houston reportedly offered the Nets Jalen Green and multiple first-round picks for Bridges ahead of the trade deadline, but Brooklyn rejected the offer. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that multiple teams around the league showed interest in the forward, but the Nets were intent on keeping him and adding talent around him in future seasons.
But things have changed a lot since the trade deadline. Brooklyn continued to tumble down the Eastern Conference standings and Bridges has not been the all-around threat he was earlier in the season. The 27-year-old has averaged 16.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting just 40.2% from the field and 37.6% from deep since the All-Star break.
Bridges has yet to score more than 20 points in a game in April. He had just six attempts in Sunday’s 107-77 loss to Sacramento, finishing with eight points in just over 24 minutes.
Bridges was a borderline AllStar candidate who averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists ahead of the break. He was asked about his declining production after Sunday’s loss at Barclays Center.
“I’m not sure on that,” Bridges said. “I think Cam [Thomas] has been aggressive and then Dennis [Schroder] being more aggressive, it’s kinda just that work point, being that middleman. But [I’m] just trying to find it, you know, throughout. When guys have it, it’s just trying to find it whenever.”
That declining production is part of why Bailey believes Bridges could be had by the Knicks at a much cheaper price compared to potential offseason targets like Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell or Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bridges still has two years left on his four-year, $91 million contract.
“Bridges also isn’t likely to cost as much as Mitchell or Giannis,” Bailey wrote. “Bojan Bogdanovi and a big chunk of the Knicks’ trove of draft assets might get it done. That could make it feasible to pass on re-signing OG Anunoby in free agency if the front office is concerned with his lack of durability.”