Though most may be frustrated by Mikal Bridges' abysmal start to the 2026-27 NBA season, ironically, the New York Knicks may actually find it rather convenient.
Obviously, the best-case scenario would have been for the wing to come out of the gate swinging and continue the momentum he built up during the club's NBA Championship run last season, where he was dropping 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals on 37.0 percent shooting from deep from the semifinals on.
Instead, he's become a shell of this version of himself, as he's posting career-worst averages of 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds on a truly putrid 32.9 percent shooting from the floor and 26.5 percent shooting from deep while frequently being sent to the pine in late-game situations.
With every bad game Bridges has, he arguably becomes all the more expendable for the Knicks, which, considering their rising payroll and self-imposed second apron hard cap, isn't the worst thing for the team in the long run.
Make no mistake about it, moving on from his $150 million contract would be a major luxury for the organization, especially when considering the fact that they're likely scrambling to figure out ways to create the cap space necessary to re-sign the likes of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby over the next few years.
Each game that Bridges falls flat makes the club's willingness to move on from him all the more obvious.
Moving Mikal Bridges amid rough start to season may be hard for Knicks
Mikal Bridges' rut may make the Knicks more inclined to move on from him as soon as possible, but it also makes his market of interested clubs all the more barren.
Right now, the 30-year-old is viewed as a bad contract.
Yes, ball clubs are often willing to absorb players of such status, though lucrative draft capital is generally attached to them in the process to make such a move more enticing for the buyer.
Ironically, the Knicks don't have such assets because of the trade that landed them Bridges in the first place.
All things considered, the optics for New York pulling off an in-season Bridges trade don't seem great.
However, come the offseason, with just three years left on his deal rather than four and the allure of a potential bounce-back in a new environment, there's reason to believe the iron man 3&D wing with championship experience on his resume could draw enough interest to make something happen.
Sadly, until then, the Knicks may need to accept the idea of holding onto his net negative services for the entirety of this year's campaign.
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