Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension with the New York Knicks. The deal, reported Thursday by ESPN, has seemingly been within the works for greater than a 12 months after the Knicks acquired Bridges final offseason in a blockbuster commerce with the Brooklyn Nets.
Quickly after buying Bridges, the Knicks agreed to a long-term contract extension with cornerstone level guard Jalen Brunson, a team-friendly deal that got here in properly under market worth. The expectation ever since was that Bridges, a Brunson teammate at Villanova, would comply with go well with — all in an effort to assist preserve collectively for the lengthy haul a championship-contending roster New York has constructed during the last couple seasons.
With Bridges locked up, all 5 of the Knicks’ regular-season starters from a 12 months in the past — after they superior to their first Japanese Convention Finals in 25 years — are locked up for at the least the following two seasons (with another choice 12 months on prime of that).
Whereas the price of securing these gamers has been steep, Bridges and the Knicks made significant concessions to get this deal throughout the end line. So, what does the Bridges extension imply for New York each within the quick and long run?
Right here comes the second apron …
The Knicks have managed their funds about as deliberately as any workforce in basketball. They’ve deftly managed to duck the second apron for the second straight season. Nevertheless, the best way their contracts had been structured, it was at all times possible that New York would discover the second apron for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 campaigns — assuming the entrance workplace decides to maintain the workforce collectively.
Relying the place the Knicks draft and whether or not Guerschon Yabusele picks up his participant choice, New York was taking a look at someplace between $45 million to $55 million in room beneath the second apron. If Bridges begins his new deal on the highest potential wage, he’ll value round $33.5 million for the 2026-27 season. Nevertheless, the Knicks will solely have 9 gamers below contract, eight if Yabusele opts out. Mitchell Robinson is just not amongst them. if Robinson is re-signed and the roster is stuffed out, New York ought to bolt far above the second apron.
This was at all times the plan, for which New York has been properly ready. With a core in place, the roster-building restrictions created by the second apron will not have an effect on them as a lot as a workforce that’s nonetheless constructing. The harshest penalty the second apron can impose is dropping a future first-round decide right down to No. 30. That occurs when a workforce has spent three years above the second apron throughout a five-year span. Nevertheless, given the best way New York’s books are arrange, the franchise is ready as much as primarily reset its roster after the 2027-28 season when Karl-Anthony Towns‘ contract expires.
The possible plan is to go all-in on profitable a championship over the following three seasons earlier than ducking again down under the second apron afterward. Brides’ new contract contract units the Knicks as much as do precisely that. As New York has but to conform to a brand new cope with Robinson, it would have an out (if one is in the end deemed essential). Ought to Robinson’s well being proves untenable long run, the Knicks might let him go subsequent summer time to be able to keep under the second apron, giving them further flexibility to enhance. (At that time, their 2033 first-round decide would change into obtainable for commerce as long as they continue to be under the second apron.)
Both means, the Knicks are kind of set, roster-wise, within the foreseeable future. In the event that they consider they’ve constructed a championship roster, they will go entire hog with it for the following three seasons. If not, they’re nonetheless set as much as retain some extent of flexibility. Few groups handle their books in addition to the Knick, and this contract matches proper into their supposed construction.
Bridges took lower than the max
Whereas Bridges doesn’t have practically the worth Brunson would demand on an open market, their selections had been related from a monetary standpoint. Each Brunson and Bridges wee initially on contracts that paid them properly under market worth and solely eligible for 40% raises within the first season of a brand new deal, as veteran extension limitations are primarily based on prior wage. Extending early would have meant limiting their upside. If Brunson had waited till 2025 free company, he virtually actually would have signed a five-year most contract beginning at 30% of the wage cap. As a substitute, he took much less. It is extremely unlikely Bridges would have commanded a 30% max as a 2026 free agent. Now, we’ll by no means know. He adopted go well with by extending early, doing so inside that 40% elevate parameter.
Besides Bridges did not even take probably the most he was eligible for in an extension. If Bridges had prolonged at 40% with 8% annual raises baked in every ensuing 12 months, as he was eligible to do, his extension would have totaled roughly $156.1 million. Taking $150 million is just not practically the low cost that Brunson gave the Knicks, but it surely’s nonetheless useful. Each greenback counts in apron world.
The low cost wasn’t the one favor Bridges did the Knicks. He additionally offered them with a timing benefit. When a participant will get a first-year elevate of at the least 20% or annual raises greater than 5%, as Bridges did on this extension, he’s ineligible to be traded for six months. Huge-name gamers will typically deliberately wait till deep into the summer time after they prolong below these phrases particularly to stop a commerce. Lauri Markkanen did this final offseason, extending on Aug. 7, 2024, as a result of the commerce deadline was Feb. 6, 2025.
Bridges selected to not wait. He was eligible to increase as early as July 6. If he had waited till Aug. 6, he would have primarily created a one-year no-trade clause, because the forthcoming commerce deadline is Feb. 5 2026. By signing on July 31, he’ll change into commerce eligible on the finish of January, giving New York a number of days earlier than the deadline to maneuver him if it so chooses.
Given the Knicks’ long-standing curiosity in Giannis Antetokounmpo, these days might change into vital. If New York need to pursue him through the season utilizing Bridges as a commerce chip, now it will likely be ready to take action.
The Knicks gave huge concessions, too
A part of the rationale Bridges was prepared to supply the Knicks these few days of commerce flexibility was that New York factored in a commerce kicker. Whereas the Knicks will be capable of commerce Bridges nearer to the deadline, in alternate for that privilege, they’ve agreed to pay him a large bonus if he will get traded at any level throughout his contract. That is smart in Bridges’ state of affairs. He wished to play for the Knicks, particularly, ever since he was in Brooklyn. He was prepared to provide them a little bit of a reduction, but when they ship him off to an undesirable workforce, he desires to recoup the cash he left on the desk. With the commerce kicker, he’ll.
That wasn’t the one significant concession Bridges acquired out of the Knicks, nevertheless. He additionally locked up a participant choice for the 2029-30 season. New York has change into a bit extra prepared handy out participant choices currently, but it surely traditionally has not been the franchise’s choice.
Brunson has one as a result of he not solely took a steep low cost however is clearly the franchise participant; the Knicks actually did not have leverage to not give him one. OG Anunoby and Guerschon Yabusele have participant choices, too, however they each had leverage signing as free brokers. Usually, the Knicks go the opposite means. Few groups handle to persuade as many gamers to signal offers with workforce choices or non-guarantees as New York. Josh Hart has one on the top of his present deal.
That participant choice could also be enormously precious for Bridges. If he is nonetheless an efficient participant in 2029, going into his age-33 season, he’ll be capable of search one final, huge payday a 12 months early with out worry of declining by 2030. It is unattainable to know know what the market will seem like 4 summers from now, however given the league’s determined want for wings and the rising cap surroundings that presently exists, as long as Bridges stays wholesome (he is actually by no means missed an NBA sport), he ought to be capable of money in when that point arrives.
The Knicks and Bridges every made actual sacrifices to get this deal executed. Given the season that they had collectively, that call is smart from either side.
Although New York reached the Japanese Convention Finals, Bridges was a slight disappointment individually If he had carried out as anticipated, he possible might have commanded that full $156.1 million max and signed it later into August, which might have protected him from a midseason commerce. Given his up-and-down season, a contract like that is an acceptable center floor. Maybe the Knicks might have gotten him to surrender a bit more cash if that they had delayed the signing. Maybe Bridges might have gotten the total max with out the participant choice. As a substitute, the settlement is mainly the dictionary definition of a compromise.