The Knicks are aiming to do something no team has managed since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018: win back-to-back championships. That kind of run doesn’t happen by accident, and it won’t happen if New York burns out its best players before the games get serious.
That’s where Mikal Bridges comes in. Early next season, he could give Jalen Brunson exactly the kind of support the Knicks need.
Bridges has already shown he can put the ball in the basket. Back with the Brooklyn Nets, he looked like a fringe All-Star and handled a much bigger scoring load. If New York wants to ease Brunson’s workload early in the year, there’s a clear path: let Bridges take on more offensive creation again.
That would help Brunson stay fresher in the short term, but it could do more than that. It could also give the Knicks another player they can lean on when the offense needs a different look.
Bridges hasn’t been the most reliable offensive option during his Knicks tenure. There have even been stretches when Mike Brown kept him off the floor. In the NBA Finals, Brown went with Jose Alvarado to close a game instead of Bridges because of those struggles.
So yes, the inconsistency is real. But so is the upside.
Bridges has already proven he can be a primary scorer, even if that came on a bad team. In New York, the setup around him would be far stronger.
The idea isn’t to make him the Knicks’ top offensive option for the whole season. It’s to give him a bigger role early, when it could matter most.
If Bridges can rediscover some of what made him so effective in Brooklyn, Brunson won’t have to carry quite as much of the offense before the playoffs arrive. And by then, Bridges might be more comfortable operating in that role if the Knicks need him.
For New York, giving Bridges more chances to run the offense early looks like a smart move.
In Other News...
Knicks Just Set Up A Sneaky Camp Battle For One Roster Spot
The Knicks kept their late-summer roster churn moving by adding center Drew Eubanks on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract and big man Liam Robbins on an Exhibit 10 deal. Eubanks gives New York another experienced frontcourt body heading into camp, while Robbins gets a longer look after landing in an arrangement that can funnel players toward the Westchester Knicks if they spend time with the G League club.
New York also signed six more players - Jaden Akins, Nick Jourdain, Mitch Mascari, Toby Okani, Igor Milicic and Paul Zilinskas - to Exhibit 10 contracts before waiving them, a common setup that keeps the pipeline active around camp and Westchester. The bigger intrigue now is how the Knicks sort out the final end-of-roster competition and which of the newcomers can turn a temporary invitation into something more lasting once practices and preseason games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Quietly Important Depth Decision Behind Towns And Drummond
With 13 roster spots already spoken for, the Knicks are still sorting through how to round out the back end of the roster, and the search has leaned toward defense and experience. Among the names they have looked at are veteran free agents Drew Eubanks and John Konchar, a sign that New York is trying to keep the final pieces of the group functional rather than flashy as it builds around its core.
Eubanks is the more interesting fit because of the position he can play in the shadow of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. The Knicks could use a dependable third center who can absorb regular-season minutes without forcing a bigger structural change, and Eubanks has been part of that conversation as he works his way back from thumb surgery. For a team trying to preserve its frontcourt depth over a long season, the last open spot may matter more than it usually does. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face One Big Hurdle In Veteran Wing Pursuit
John Konchars market is starting to take shape after Minnesota waived him following the trade from Utah, and the veteran wing is suddenly looking like one of the more interesting free-agent names still out there. Miami, Orlando, Toronto and the Knicks have all been linked to him, which makes sense for teams still hunting for reliable wing depth without overcommitting resources this late in the offseason.
For New York, the appeal is obvious, but so is the challenge. The Knicks have been combing the market for ways to add another capable perimeter piece, yet their roster and financial wiggle room are tight enough that any move has to be carefully measured. That leaves Konchar in an awkward spot for the moment: a useful fit for a contender, but one whose next landing place may come down to which interested team can create the cleanest path. [Read more 🡒]