Knicks' surprise trade nobody saw coming labeled as offseason's biggest overpay

Nobody saw it coming. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski's tweet stunned the NBA world, especially New York Knicks and Nets fans. Leon Rose pulled it off. New York and Brooklyn agreed to a trade that sent Mikal Bridges across the river.

Even Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo were stunned. Bridges didn't know a trade was coming, either. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't ask for nor demand a trade.

The Knicks entered the summer with their first 50-win season in over a decade. They were one game short of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, and if they were fully healthy, there's a good chance New York would've played Boston.

The front office already made a surprise trade by sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors for OG Anunoby, and they had another unexpected move up their sleeves.

After months of speculation about Bridges playing for the Knicks (a possibility that seemed unlikely until it happened), New York sent four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, an unprotected first-round pick swap, a second-round pick, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Shake Milton to Brooklyn.

Because of that, The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry (who covers the Bulls) labeled the move as the NBA offseason's biggest overpay (subscription required).

Will Knicks' mega trade for Mikal Bridges pay off?

To be clear, Mayberry didn't clown the Knicks for trading for Bridges. He said the forward "might just be the missing link who brings the Knicks their first championship since 1973" and that he's "never mad at any management regime that pushes the limits in pursuit of a title."

However, because of the haul that New York sent Brooklyn, Mayberry said the trade was "the definition of a franchise mortgaging its future."

Nobody predicted that the Knicks would trade for Bridges, much less send the Nets that much for the 27-year-old. He isn't the star that everyone thought New York would get. Does that mean the Knicks were wrong to make the trade? No. He fits in perfectly with the team's culture and has established chemistry with his former Villanova teammates. Look at how well that's worked out for New York already.

By definition, the trade is the offseason's biggest overpay, but will it stay that way? The Athletic's Kelly Iko labeled OG Anunoby's five-year deal as an overpay, but with the new TV deal looming, the value of his contract will look a lot different in the near future. Iko acknowledged that.

If the Knicks win a championship, nobody will critique the front office for trading for Bridges or re-signing Anunoby. Instead, Leon Rose will get a statue.