Knicks Would Threaten Title Hopes if Mikal Bridges is Traded Amid NBA Rumors

The New York Knicks did not advance to the Eastern Conference Finals this past season, a disappointment given the team it put together last offseason, including a trade that brought Mikal Bridges to the Big Apple.

Bridges had an up-and-down season, with occasional spotty and inconsistent play defining his game. Still, he shot 50 percent from the field, averaged 17.6 per game, and added 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Those numbers, coupled with flashes of excellence from the Villanova product, make him a player worth keeping around.

That is why the report form Sirius XM NBA Radio's Frank Isola, that Bridges' name has been at the center of trade discussions, is surprising.

Yes, he is eligible for a contract extension that could net him four years and $156 million, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, a price tag that may be too lofty based on his production a season ago.

Still, Bridges showed that he could be a factor in the Knicks' success, dialing up his physicality and on-court aggression en route to the Eastern Finals. While he lacked that fire in the finals against Indiana, and at times during the regular season, that consistency can be developed, inspired, and taught via the right coaching.

Continuing to shuffle the roster around will only mess with the team's chemistry at a time when the conference is theirs to win. Injuries to Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Halliburton have created real questions bout the Bucks, Celtics, and Pacers for the 2025-26 season.

The Knicks looked like the best team in the East at times this year, and if they can keep most of the roster together, there is no reason to believe they cannot compete for a No. 1 seed in the conference next season.

Firing head coach Tom Thibodeau already created some (arguably unnecessary) upheaval. Trading Bridges away would only add to it, threatening the team's championship aspirations and inflicting self-made drama on a solid core roster.

At the very least, Bridges is under contract for one more season at $24.9 million, per Spotrac. The Knicks can afford to let the early part of the season play out, determine if he is worth the extension, and make an educated decision from there.

Either he is and becomes the fourth Knick to earn a $100 million contract, or he is not, and the team can trade him before the deadline, thus eliminating the risk that he walks away as an unrestricted free agent after the season, receiving nothing in return.

Regardless, the Knicks owe it to team chemistry to stick with Bridges and see what he brings to the table in his second season with the team.