Mikal Bridges debut season with the New York Knicks left a lot to be desired. The versatile forward struggled to find his footing in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation. Furthermore, his fit within the system was unclear, thus leaving lingering questions over his actual role.
On Wednesday, June 25, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that Bridges is now eligible for a contract extension. The maximum he could sign for is $156 million over four years.
According to Frank Isola of Sirius XM NBA Radio, a key reason why Bridges has emerged in potential trade talks is due to that extension eligibility.
“One of the reasons Mikal Bridges’ name has surfaced in trade discussions, according to several team executives,” Isola posted via X. “Mitchell Robinson is another player being discussed.”
During the playoffs, Bridges had two strong series against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. However, he slipped back into anonymity when faced with the Indiana Pacers and their up-tempo offensive style. Bridges was supposed to be the Knicks’ best defender, capable of tying everything else together.
Still, if the Knicks do trade Bridges, they must claw back some of the draft capital they parted with to bring him to Madison Square Garden. Otherwise, the Knicks would have mortgaged some of their future for no reason.
Knicks Could Also Shop Josh Hart
If the Knicks do choose to make some changes within the roster, there are multiple candidates to float in trade talks. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes that Josh Hart would be the most likely makeweight in a potential deal.
“If the New York Knicks are going to do anything substantial this offseason, it will require parting with one of their top six players,” Favale wrote. “Process of elimination narrows it down to Josh Hart or Mitchell Robinson…Hart wins out over Robinson because he’s making $6.5 million more ($19.5 million versus $13 million), but also because he’s less of an anomaly. Nobody else on the roster brings Robinson’s combination of size, interior deterrence, offensive rebounding and (when healthy) mobility.”
In his 77 games this past season, Hart averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists. He shot 52.5% from the field and 33.3% from deep.
Knicks Have Discussed James Borrego
Before any decisions can be made on potential trades and changes to the rotation, the front office must hire a replacement for Thibodeau.
According to a report from James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego is among the names being considered.
“Jenkins and Brown appear to be the front-runners as of now. However, New York has tossed around the idea of speaking with James Borrego for its vacancy, per league sources,” Edwards reported. “Borrego, a CAA client, is known around the league for his offensive creativity and analytics-forward approach.”
Borrego is a highly talented offensive coach. He would be the complete opposite of what Knicks fans became accustomed to under Thibodeau. Nevertheless, he would instantly get more out of the current roster in terms of offensive production. However, the Knicks would likely need to hire a defensive-minded assistant.
The Knicks are currently casting a wide net. However, they must begin narrowing their pool of candidates in the near future. It’s hard for the front office to make roster decisions without a head coach implementing a system. Therefore, the Knicks are likely to stand pat until a new coach is sitting in the hot seat.
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