Mikal Bridges’ rough start has sparked a familiar kind of Knicks chatter: if he’s not helping enough now, why not move him and use the money elsewhere? It’s the sort of idea that starts humming louder when a player keeps ending up on the bench in the fourth quarter, and when the rest of the starting lineup is heading toward new contracts.
But the logic behind trading Bridges falls apart pretty quickly.
Yes, his $36.1 million salary would make the Knicks cheaper in 2027-28. That much is obvious.
It would also give them more room to re-sign or extend Karl-Anthony Towns, whose player option looms, and Josh Hart, who has a team option. It could help them keep Deuce McBride, and it would leave them with access to the mini mid-level exception.
The catch is that New York may already be able to do most of that without moving Bridges at all. The Knicks have already drawn a line on what they’re willing to pay Towns, and recent market trends suggest they may end up getting the number they want. If that happens, they’d still be positioned to keep Hart and at least re-sign McBride or use the mini MLE.
Trading Bridges would make it easier to pay Towns somewhere in the $45 million to $50 million range annually. But giving up a starter and one of the team’s most important defenders just to pay a center in his 30s more than the front office is comfortable with doesn’t make much basketball sense.
And even if the goal is to dodge second-apron trouble later, Bridges doesn’t solve that problem either.
By 2028-29, the Knicks would still be staring at major money if Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are on new extensions. If Brunson is on a max deal starting at $63.9 million, Anunoby is around his player option at $48.9 million, Towns is at $50 million, and Hart is making about $20 million, New York would already have $182.8 million committed to four players. The projected second apron that season is $248.3 million, leaving $65.5 million of room - but that still has to cover 10 roster spots.
If Landry Shamet ($6.2 million), Jose Alvarado ($5.2 million), and Mohamed Diawara ($2.9 million) are still on the books, the cushion shrinks to $51.2 million, with seven roster spots left to fill. That’s not much breathing room when you’re trying to build a contender. At an average of $7.3 million per roster spot, the math gets tight fast.
That’s the bigger point here: moving Bridges doesn’t actually clear the path people think it does. Another core piece would likely have to go anyway.
There’s also the basketball side of it, and that part makes a trade even harder to justify. If the Knicks are considering dealing Bridges because of how he’s played lately, they’d be betting that this stretch is the new normal. His history says otherwise.
Even if you buy the slump, the market still matters. Other teams can see what New York sees, and they’re not likely to hand over a strong package of draft picks and rotation players for a player the Knicks would be selling at his lowest point.
Then there’s the defense, where Bridges still matters a great deal. His 10 highest-volume assignments this season include Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs, LeBron James, Derrick White, Norman Powell, Franz Wagner, Michael Porter Jr..
Anthony Black, and VJ Edgecombe. Shamet and McBride can’t cover that kind of range.
The Knicks are going to face major roster changes no later than 2028-29 no matter what happens this season. A Bridges trade only makes sense if it improves their chances to win now or next year.
It doesn’t. So there’s no real reason to do it.
In Other News...
Mike Brown Is Sending An Early Message With Knicks Rookie Tyler Kolek
The Knicks win over the Nets at Madison Square Garden offered another small but telling glimpse into how Mike Brown is approaching his rotation early in the season. With New York now 3-4, Brown gave rookie point guard Tyler Kolek a short run and showed enough trust to keep him in the mix, even as the game leaned on more established contributors to steady things.
Landry Shamet led the scoring with 22 points, while Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby helped carry the load as the Knicks continue sorting out their depth. Jose Alvarado also returned and logged nine minutes, adding a block in his first action back, but the bigger takeaway was Browns willingness to give Kolek a real look as New York keeps shaping its backcourt picture. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Be Reaching A Breaking Point With Mikal Bridges
The Knicks got the win over Brooklyn, but Mikal Bridges night was a reminder that not everything is clicking in New York just yet. Bridges managed only six points on 1-of-7 shooting and was limited to 16 minutes, an outing that fit the broader concern around his early-season form. Head coach Mike Brown acknowledged the slump and said Bridges needs to lean into the parts of his game that have made him valuable.
What makes the stretch more notable is how far Bridges current production has dipped from what he delivered last season, which has naturally raised questions about his role and fit. For a Knicks team trying to build consistency, getting him back on track matters beyond one box score. The hope is still there that he can rediscover his rhythm, but the margin for patience is getting thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Hart Sees One Early Knicks Strength That Could Matter Most
The Knicks left Barclays Center with a 103-90 win over the Nets, and the most encouraging part for Josh Hart was not the final score so much as where the help came from. With the starters going through a rough shooting night, New York leaned on its second unit, and Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek were among the reserves who helped steady the game and keep the offense moving.
Hart pointed to that depth as an early strength that could matter as the season wears on. For a team that expects its top group to carry a heavy load, getting a real lift from the bench in a game like this is the kind of sign that can change how the Knicks navigate tougher stretches ahead. [Read more 🡒]