Mikal Bridges’ first season reunited with his Villanova crew in New York didn’t live up to the steep five first-round picks price paid for him, although Bridges started to find his footing and had some critical defensive moments in the playoffs.
That, along with his potential fit in new coach Mike Brown’s system, had the Knicks and Bridges agreeing to a four-year, $150 million contract extension, something first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and since confirmed by multiple other reports.
That is slightly less than the $156 million max he could have gotten this summer, Charania notes. While it may not seem like much, the giveback should give the Knicks more financial flexibility and help them avoid the dreaded second luxury tax apron in future seasons. Bridges also could have waited a year, become a free agent and gotten a larger five-year contract (near $300 million max) but took this deal instead, and it was intentional according to reports — he was willing to sacrifice a little to help the Knicks build out a championship-level roster.
This deal locks up the Knicks’ core — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Bridges and Miles “Deuce” McBride — for two more seasons, which becomes three years if KAT and Hart pick up their player options. Bridges’ $37.5 million average salary on this contract is the fourth highest on the team (behind Towns, Anunoby and Brunson). That the Knicks were willing to pay Bridges that much now suggests they think Giannis Antetokounmpo is not going to be available this coming season.
Bridges had an up-and-down first season in New York, averaging 17.6 points a game and shooting 35.4% from 3, his lowest percentage since his rookie season. However, he seemed more comfortable in Tom Thibodeau’s system — and as the team’s lead point-of-attack defender, a new role for him — as the season wore on. He had some critical defensive plays in the playoffs, helping the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
Bridges is considered one of the players most likely to benefit from the up-tempo, more ball movement system new coach Mike Brown is expected to bring to Madison Square Garden next season.