Grade the Trade: Knicks acquire beloved Villanova piece in three-team proposal

Since signing Jalen Brunson in 2022 free agency, the New York Knicks have evolved into Villanova's professional team. They traded for Josh Hart before the 2023 deadline and added Donte DiVincenzo in 2023 free agency. Entering the 2024 offseason, there's another former Wildcats fans are dreaming of.

Mikal Bridges has been in Brooklyn for the past year and a half. He was part of the surprise Kevin Durant 2023 trade. To end the 2022-23 season, Bridges averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 47.5% from the field and 37.6% from three. Nets fans were thrilled with Bridges' production and had high hopes for him in 2024-25. He fell back to Earth this past season, averaging 19.6 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field and 37.2% from deep.

Brooklyn finished with a 32-50 record, out of reach of the Play-In Tournament. After a disappointing season, there are a few different directions the Nets could go in this summer.

Would the Nets trade Mikal Bridges to the Knicks?

Bridges has two full seasons left on his contract until he'll become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Depending on how the start of the offseason plays out, Brooklyn could decide to trade Bridges this summer. While that isn't out of the realm of possibility, the Nets trading the forward to the Knicks is.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons predicted New York will overpay for Bridges this offseason. While anything can happen in the NBA, it isn't likely that the Nets will want to do business with their most hated rival. There's a reason the two teams never discussed a trade during Bobby Marks' 20 years with the Nets.

Still, with fans and the media pulling for a trade, it's worth looking at what a trade could look like, no matter how unlikely it may be.