Breaking down a potential Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges

The Knicks are one Boston Celtics win away from the official start of their offseason. This year, teams can talk to their own free agents on the day after the NBA Finals ends. So if the Celtics sweep the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks can start negotiations with OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Precious Achiuwa, and their other free agents on Saturday. They can also start to negotiate extensions with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle after the Finals ends.

Once again, New York enters the offseason well-positioned for a significant trade. The club has three picks in the top 38 of the 2024 NBA Draft, all of its future first-round picks, and the rights to three additional first-rounders.

If the Knicks want to upgrade their roster this offseason or down the line (they do), a trade is the most likely option. With that in mind, we took a look at the math behind a Mikal Bridges trade below (as unlikely as it is) and put together a few packages that would work under NBA trade guidelines with the help of Yossi Gozlan, who has a remarkably informative YouTube page if you want to learn more about teams’ cap implications.

WOULD THE NETS EVER TRADE BRIDGES?

The short answer, in my opinion, is no. I think the answer will remain a “no” for as long as Sean Marks is Brooklyn’s top basketball decision-maker.

Recent history tells you Bridges will remain in Brooklyn for the foreseeable future: the Nets have consistently rebuffed teams interested in trading for Bridges. They’ve rejected offers with significant draft compensation (more than four first-round picks in at least one instance, per league sources). To be fair, we don’t know the value of those first-round picks (i.e.: protections on the picks, projections, etc.).

But the Nets have consistently rejected these offers, which is clear evidence that they want to build with Bridges. Also, why would Marks trade the best player he received in the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving trades?

A Bridges trade likely means another big rebuild. Would Marks at this point have the runway to execute a full-scale rebuild? I don’t see it. The Nets, who still prioritize re-signing free agent Nic…