A new report from a New York Knicks insider suggests that the team giving Mikal Bridges an extension doesn't mean he will be on the roster next year. His new contract actually makes the chance of a trade next season easier.
Last week, the Knicks locked up guard Mikal Bridges to an extension that will keep him in New York through the 2030-31 season. The contract came after speculation that the organization was holding off on a deal in case Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo requested a trade this summer. With a new deal signed, it would seem like Bridges will be in NYC for the long run.
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Well, not necessarily. In a new Q&A column, The Athletic's Knicks insider James L. Edwards III was asked about the correlation between Bridges' new contract and the team's long-rumored interest in two-time NBA MVP. In response, he explained that the franchise is still hunting for a superstar addition despite having a roster of guys, mostly in their prime, who just reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
"It is my understanding that Leon Rose and company have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo 's situation in Milwaukee very closely. Even before the offseason started," Edwards III wrote . "Many around the league believe the Knicks are interested in star hunting. And while that opportunity hasn't popped up yet, I certainly believe it's in the cards if the right situation presents itself."
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The insider claimed that those he has spoken with fully expect Antetokounmpo to be in Milwaukee to start next season. However, it doesn't mean he will stick around for the entire campaign. And he explained why the Knicks extending Bridges when they did sets up a blockbuster trade for Antetokounmpo, or another superstar early next year.
"I also don't think it's a coincidence that the Knicks signed Bridges to an extension before Aug. 6," he wrote. "A player who signs an extension can't be traded for six months. If Bridges signed his extension on Aug. 6 or later, he wouldn't be eligible to get moved until next summer, as six months from Aug. 6 would take us past the expected February trade deadline.
"The fact that Bridges signed before then makes him eligible to be traded, if the Knicks choose to do that, before the deadline… I believe Rose and company did this to give themselves some flexibility in the event something — like Giannis wanting out — becomes a possibility."
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