Latest intel gives Knicks fans an unexpected reason to be thankful for Bridges trade

The New York Knicks front office knew they wanted to cash in their assets during the 2024 offseason. The Mikal Bridges trade happened before the NBA draft, but he isn't the only player New York had its eye on.

SNY's Ian Begley listed Jimmy Butler as a potential offseason Knicks trade target in mid-June. It turns out that the front office reached out to Miami about the star forward. On Monday, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that the Knicks contacted the Heat about Butler, but talks weren't serious.

"Across town, the New York Knicks expressed interest in Butler this past summer, sources said. However, talks didn’t go far beyond exploratory interest before the Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Nets, who were much more willing to make a trade than the Heat at the time."

Imagine what the reaction would've been had New York traded for Butler. He's an aging star (35) with a concerning injury history, and his production isn't what it used to be. He would've cost less than Bridges, but the Heat would've put a higher price tag on Butler if they knew the Knicks were seriously interested.

Knicks reportedly expressed interest in Jimmy Butler over the summer

Bridges has gotten off to a rocky start in New York, although he's coming off a season-high 31-point performance. He's averaging 16.3 points per game on 33.1% shooting from three, which certainly isn't what the Knicks envisioned when they traded for him. We're only a fourth of the way through the season, though. There's still plenty of time for Bridges to turn things around.

Butler isn't having a stellar season, either. He's averaging 18.9 points per game on 33.3% shooting from deep. Last season, he shot 41.4% from three on nearly an average of an attempt more per game. Butler is notorious for not taking the regular season seriously, but there seems to be more to his lackluster performance than that.

There is a lot of speculation about Butler's future in Miami, with the trade deadline just over two months away. His trade value has dipped significantly, and it doesn't help he's making $48.8 million and will make $52.4 million next season. The collective bargaining agreement complicates a potential trade.

New York's trade for Bridges will likely always be a hot topic of debate, as Brooklyn got a superstar haul for a player who has never been named an All-Star. However, trading for Butler could've turned out to be a worse decision. He's at the end of his career, and Bridges is 28. Butler's hit his peak, but Bridges hasn't.