The Villanova Knicks are finally assembled.
New York has reportedly agreed on a deal to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic, five first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-rounder, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday.
Bridges, 27, is coming off his seventh season in the NBA. The 2021-22 All-Defence member averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and one steal through 82 games.
The former 10th overall pick spent a season-and-a-half with the Nets after being traded to the team in 2023 from Phoenix as part of the Suns acquiring Kevin Durant.
Bridges was viewed around the league as a gettable asset — with teams like Houston inquiring about his availability earlier in the week — and once Bridges made it known he’d be willing to sign with New York in 2027 as a free agent, per Ian Begley, Brooklyn put a plan in motion.
In total, the Knicks are reportedly sending four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031), a protected first-round pick (via Milwaukee), a 2028 unprotected pick swap and a 2025 second-round pick.
A steep price to pay to reunite Bridges with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The Wildcats won a national title in 2018 centred around the foursome.
News of the deal comes a day after OG Anunoby officially declined his player option, entering unrestricted free agency. New York acquired the 26-year-old from the Toronto Raptors for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett back in December.
Many believe the 3-and-D specialist could garner upwards of $30 million per season in the open market — possibly a price higher than New York is willing to go.
Despite those concerns, however, the Knicks’ front office apparently remains committed to bringing Anunoby back.
Meanwhile, the Nets replenish a barren war chest. Brooklyn had given up practically all of its future capital to acquire Kevin Durant and James Harden, to pair with Kyrie Irving. And when all three requested trades having played just 16 games together, the Nets were left empty-handed.
Now, Brooklyn will be loaded with an abundance of draft picks and cap space as they likely embark on their rebuild.
The Nets weren’t done there, however, as minutes after agreeing to send Bridges off to the rival Knicks, the team reportedly made a deal with the Rockets, per Wojnarowski.
Houston will return Brooklyn’s 2026 first-round pick (acquired in the Harden deal) in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick via Phoenix. The Rockets will also acquire swap rights in 2025 for Houston/Oklahoma City’s first-round pick for the Suns’ 2025 first-rounder.
Wojnarowski later reported that Houston would also acquire the more favourable of Dallas and Phoenix’s first-round picks in 2029 and the right to swap their first-round pick for the least favourable of the two picks.
Why did all this happen?
For the Rockets, who are on the cusp of being competitive for the first time in four years, it’s a way to leverage what could be a quickly diffusing situation with the Suns, in order to get a “win now” player. Phoenix has gone all in on the trio of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but should things go south, those draft picks now in possession of Houston would be all the more valuable in a trade.
For Brooklyn, it goes back to re-stocking on future capital and gaining the control they lost when forming the Big 3 of Durant, Irving and Harden. In the deal reported Tuesday, the Rockets relinquished the right to swap their first-round pick in 2025 for Brooklyn’s selection.