The Villanova Knicks are lastly assembled.
New York has reportedly agreed on a deal to amass Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in alternate for Bojan Bogdanovic, 5 first-round picks, a decide swap and a second-rounder, in accordance with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday.
Bridges, 27, is coming off his seventh season within the NBA. The 2021-22 All-Defence member averaged 19.6 factors, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and one steal by way of 82 video games.
The previous tenth general decide spent a season-and-a-half with the Nets after being traded to the workforce in 2023 from Phoenix as a part of the Suns buying Kevin Durant.
Bridges was seen across the league as a gettable asset — with groups like Houston inquiring about his availability earlier within the week — and as soon as Bridges made it identified he’d be prepared to signal with New York in 2027 as a free agent, per Ian Begley, Brooklyn put a plan in movement.
In whole, the Knicks are reportedly sending 4 unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031), a protected first-round decide (by way of Milwaukee), a 2028 unprotected decide swap and a 2025 second-round decide.
A steep value to pay to reunite Bridges with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The Wildcats received a nationwide title in 2018 centred across the foursome.
Information of the deal comes a day after OG Anunoby formally declined his participant possibility, coming into unrestricted free company. New York acquired the 26-year-old from the Toronto Raptors for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett again in December.
Many consider the 3-and-D specialist might garner upwards of $30 million per season within the open market — probably a value larger than New York is prepared to go.
Regardless of these issues, nevertheless, the Knicks’ entrance workplace apparently stays dedicated to bringing Anunoby again.
In the meantime, the Nets replenish a barren warfare chest. Brooklyn had given up virtually all of its future capital to amass Kevin Durant and James Harden, to pair with Kyrie Irving. And when all three requested trades having performed simply 16 video games collectively, the Nets have been left empty-handed.
Now, Brooklyn can be loaded with an abundance of draft picks and cap area as they possible embark on their rebuild.
The Nets weren’t finished there, nevertheless, as minutes after agreeing to ship Bridges off to the rival Knicks, the workforce reportedly made a take care of the Rockets, per Wojnarowski.
Houston will return Brooklyn’s 2026 first-round decide (acquired within the Harden deal) in alternate for a 2027 first-round decide by way of Phoenix. The Rockets will even purchase swap rights in 2025 for Houston/Oklahoma Metropolis’s first-round decide for the Suns’ 2025 first-rounder.
Wojnarowski later reported that Houston would additionally purchase the extra beneficial of Dallas and Phoenix’s first-round picks in 2029 and the correct to swap their first-round decide for the least beneficial of the 2 picks.
Why did all this occur?
For the Rockets, who’re on the cusp of being aggressive for the primary time in 4 years, it’s a method to leverage what may very well be a shortly diffusing scenario with the Suns, with a purpose to get a “win now” participant. Phoenix has gone all in on the trio of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, however ought to issues go south, these draft picks now in possession of Houston could be all of the extra useful in a commerce.
For Brooklyn, it goes again to re-stocking on future capital and gaining the management they misplaced when forming the Large 3 of Durant, Irving and Harden. Within the deal reported Tuesday, the Rockets relinquished the correct to swap their first-round decide in 2025 for Brooklyn’s choice.
