Mikal Bridges' 'crazy' reaction to shocking Knicks-Nets trade
06/26/2024 01:22 AM
New York Knicks fans had quite the shock on Tuesday, when it was announced that Mikal Bridges would be the newest name on the roster. The Brooklyn Nets recently agreed to send the wingman to the Knicks in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic, five first-round picks, a second-round pick, and a pick swap. Even the 27-year-old himself seemed surprised. Once the trade was made public, Bridges immediately took to X and shared his thoughts with a four-word post.
“This is crazy lol,” the wingman wrote.
A Villanova reunion
It is quite a startling development, and also one that undoubtedly put smiles on the faces of Villanova basketball fans. Bridges playing for the other Big Apple team only means one thing: he’ll be reunited with his collegiate teammates.
Back during his days with the Wildcats, the wingman shared the floor with the likes of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. All four were part of Villanova’s 2016 NCAA championship while Bridges, Brunson and DiVincenzo won another title in 2018.
During Villanova’s 2017-18 campaign, Bridges averaged 17.7 and 5.3 rebounds in 40 games. He won the 2018 Big East Tournament MVP and was named to the 2018 AP All-American Third Team.
More on Mikal Bridges
Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, Bridges was immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he spent nearly five seasons. He saw action in the 2021 NBA Finals, where the Suns would fall to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Regardless, Bridges was a key starter in Phoenix’s 2020-21 campaign, averaging 13.5 points and 4.3 per game.
The following season, Bridges was named to the All-Defensive First Team while taking second place in the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year voting.
He was eventually shipped to the Brooklyn Nets in 2023, where his full potential was put on display. Bridges put up 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games during his first campaign with Brooklyn. His averages dropped this past season, but Bridges still finished as the Nets’ second-highest scorer.
Bridges’ durability will be of great assistance
Besides his two-way play, one thing that Bridges brings to the table is durability. The wingman has not missed a single game in his NBA career, seeing action in a total of 474 outings. And to be blunt, durability is something that the Knicks have been struggling with as of late.
The team had a strong showing in the recent playoffs, but they were plagued by multiple injuries. Specifically, their frontline was depleted for most of the secound round. Entering the postseason, the Knicks were already without Julius Randle. Bogdanovic was the next to go down in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers. Against the Indiana Pacers, New York then lost Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby in the early stages of the series.
Bridges is expected to take on a major role once again. He’ll likely start at the three, in light of Anunoby’s decision to become a free agent. With another Nova boy in the mix, the Knicks are poised to be contenders in the East once more.
The post Mikal Bridges’ ‘crazy’ reaction to shocking Knicks-Nets trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.
