Grade the trade pitch: Knicks mortgage their future for Villanova connection

The Trade

The New York Knicks trading for Mikal Bridges is a captivating development. Bridges has earned a reputation as one of the most intriguing two-way players in the NBA, shooting efficiently from beyond the arc and earning All-Defense honors in 2021-22.

In the executed trade, the cost of acquiring the 3-and-D specialist was Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round draft picks, a protected future first, an unprotected pick swap, and a second-round pick.

That's quite a price to pay, but it's the cost of doing business with the Brooklyn Nets.

Bogdanovic arrived in New York with hype and intrigue, but an injury-plagued season quickly derailed his momentum. Parting ways with him before the Knicks can see what he's capable of providing when healthy is tough to stomach, but Bridges projects to be a better two-way fit overall.

As a plus defender who also specializes as a productive shooter, Bridges replacing Bogdanovic can be categorized as a positive.

Surprisingly, the Knicks managed to get the job done without having to give up additional players. The loss of so many draft picks is shocking to see, but the organization is still in a solid position as far as having future first-round selections is concerned.

All in all, this was a massive investment—but that doesn't make it a bad decision.