The New York Knicks won’t take no for an answer, and maybe it’s for good reason. A pair of recent developments have the Knicks’ position at forward in a state of limbo.
OG Anunoby has officially opted out of his contract and entered free agency. Meanwhile, the Knicks pulled off a blockbuster trade to land star forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
Mikal Bridges could be New York’s star of the future
SNY’s Ian Begley reports that, despite acquiring Bridges, the Knicks are still intent on retaining Anunoby. However, if Anunoby does depart, Bridges could be the soundest option for the Knicks to replace Anunoby.
Bridges had a good showing in 2023-24. The NBA’s Iron Man averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season. His numbers took a bit of a downturn compared to the torrid close to his 2022-23 campaign. After getting dealt to Brooklyn, Bridges looked like a legitimate All-Star with 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals on 47.5 percent shooting from the floor.
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Bridges has the upside to help lead the Knicks to a championship
That output in particular, as well as what he put on display most recently, should gift the Knicks with a special two-way talent that could become one of the best No. 3 options on a championship team, and even a No. 2, in the league. In the deal to land Bridges, the Knicks moved off of Bojan Bogdanovic’s $19 million contract for next season. They also have their All-Star Julius Randle’s name floating on the trade rumor mill and recent developments have suggested that everyone not named Jalen Brunson on their roster could be moved this summer.
Outside of Randle, all of the Knicks’ role players would be worth exploring in any potential deals that will allow New York to add more talent or free up more cap space for Anunoby. Meanwhile, Bridges’ tangible production and selfless play style could do wonders for a Knicks team that appears committed to building around Brunson for the future.