Mikal Bridges is officially a new player for the New York Knicks for at least the next two seasons. The Villanova-trained forward arrives from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade with his teammate Keita Bates-Diop.
Bridges, who will be eligible to negotiate an extension to his contract in October, will receive a salary of $23.3 million and in the next 2025-26 season he will earn $24.90 million.
“We are excited to add a player of Mikal’s caliber to the Knicks family. His ability to score, defend and shoot out wide will allow our team to continue to grow,” said Leon Rose.
“We are also very excited to welcome Keita Bates-Diop. We also thank Bojan (Bogdanovic), Mamadi (Diakite) and Shake (Milton) for their contributions on the court and we wish them all the best,” he added.
Mikal Bridges came to the NBA with the 10th pick in the 2018 Draft, being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers, but immediately transferred to the Phoenix Suns.
More NBAKevin Durant leaves for the Warriors
He was in Arizona from 2018 until his transfer in 2023 to the Brooklyn Nets in the Kevin Durant deal. His league averages have been 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 474 official games played (407 as a starter).
Extension announced
Other news confirmed by the Knicks is the contract extension of British player OG Anunoby for the next 4 seasons and a guaranteed salary of 212.5 million dollars, with the fifth year being optional for the player.
Here is how his salary would be distributed, according to Fred Katz:
- 2024-25: $36.6 million
- 2025-26: $39.6 million
- 2026-27: $42.5 million
- 2027-28: $45.4 million
- 2028-29: $48.4 million (player option)
“Since arriving in New York, OG has been the perfect example for the team and the entire city,” said Leon Rose. “His presence both defensively and offensively has been incredible and he was a big part of the success we had last year. We are excited to see what OG can continue to bring to the team and continue to build a culture that our fans can be proud of.”
Anunoby landed in the winter market in the operation for youngsters RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Injuries hampered a season that promised to be exciting, arriving at the playoffs with quite a few physical problems.
As a Knick, he was only able to play in 23 official games due to an elbow injury that required surgery. His numbers were 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists with 39% on three-pointers in 34.9 minutes per night.
More NBACurry snatches another 3-point record… from himself
(Cover photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
2024-07-07 11:30:00
#Mikal #Bridges #officially #Knicks #player
