Mikal Bridges Prediction Spells Bad News for New York Knicks originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The New York Knicks have gone all-in on their current roster, with the most extreme example of that coming in the form of the trade the franchise made with the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges in July 2024.
New York sacrificed four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031), a top-four protected first-round selection via the Milwaukee Bucks (2025), an unprotected pick swap (2028), a second-round pick (2025) and players Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite and Shake Milton to reunite Bridges with his former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
Along with Bridges, the Knicks got back a 2026 second-round pick, Keita Bates-Diop and the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet, per NBA.com.
Bridges’ first season in the Big Apple was up and down. He struggled mightily offensively to begin the campaign, and his offense was also frequently suspect during the Knicks’ postseason run, which nevertheless ended just two wins shy of an NBA Finals appearance.
Bridges turns just 29 years old in August and remains among the league’s elite 3-and-D wings. He has also shown the ability to create offensively beyond just functioning as a catch-and-shoot floor spacer.
The Knicks are well positioned in an Eastern Conference ravaged by injury, with Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks all potentially out for the entire 2025-26 season with Achilles injuries they suffered during the most recent iteration of the playoffs.
Bridges will be back in New York for the upcoming campaign no matter what and will be a key contributor to a Finals run, should the Knicks actually make one.
However, his future beyond next year is murky, and Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report predicted bad news for New York on Sunday, June 29 — projecting that Bridges won’t sign a contract extension this offseason, despite being eligible to do so.
“Mikal Bridges has the option to extend his contract this summer for up to four years and $156 million, but the riches that could await a year from now (and the sheer number of additional suitors who could drive up Bridges’ price), will be too tantalizing to resist,” Hughes wrote. “In 2026, Bridges could earn $296 million on a new max deal. … Loyalty and sacrifice are great, but the NBA is still a business — even if you’ve got Wildcat ties. Bridges is going to treat it like one.”
Related: Knicks Have 2 Players Coming Up in Trade Talks During Offseason
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.