The New York Knicks threw caution to the wind when they executed trades for OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. They gave up two homegrown talents in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley in the move for Anunoby, and controversially parted with five first-round picks and a pick swap for Bridges.
For as polarizing as the Knicks' roster-building strategy has been, it's those very trades that give New York the advantage it needs to be the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
The Knicks will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in an Eastern Conference Finals matchup that Anunoby and Bridges will go a long way toward deciding. Both teams are equipped with superstar guards, as Jalen Brunson will go up against Donovan Mitchell and, whether in name or brief peaks, a 36-year-old James Harden.
Cleveland and New York are also equipped with All-Star bigs in the Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and the Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns.
The one area in which the two sides don't seem to be quite as evenly matched, however, is along the wings. While the Cavaliers have spent the entire 2025-26 season searching for answers at the 3-spot, the Knicks have three high-level starters in Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart.
If the series ultimately comes down to which team can exploit the other's weaknesses, it's the very trades critics love to hate that will give the Knicks their edge.
Knicks' key advantage over Cavaliers: OG Anunoby & Mikal Bridges
Anunoby is a 6'7" and 240-pound forward in the midst of the best postseason of his career. He's averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting at a mind-blowing clip of .619/.538/.811.
Considering the only two wings on the Cavaliers' roster who are taller than 6'5", Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Jaylon Tyson, are averaging a combined 15.1 minutes per game this postseason, Anunoby is the epitome of a mismatch.
What makes the Knicks so dangerous in this series, however, is that they don't need to rely on Anunoby exclusively to exploit the opening. Bridges is a 6'6" wing who has scored at least 17 points in four of his past five outings. He tallied 12 points and six assists in 28 minutes during the lone exception.
Throw in Hart's uncanny ability to do a little bit of everything in an unorthodox way, and the Knicks' trio of wings who could start on 30 NBA teams could directly decide this series.
What makes them even more dangerous is that they don't even need to be going off on offense to have a great game. Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart are three of the best wing defenders in the NBA, combining positional versatility with the ability to thrive both on and away from the ball.
With the Cavaliers lacking consistency along the wings and the duo of Brunson and Towns matching their best guards and bigs, the Knicks have a chance to win this series through their polarizing trades.
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