The New York Knicks see an opportunity to win the Eastern Conference.
They have reached a deal with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire forward Mikal Bridges for Bojan Bodganovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a 2025 protected first-round pick, a pick swap and two second-round picks, a person familiar with the trade confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the deal is announced.
The Nets get the Knicks’ first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031.
Bridges is one of the game’s top two-way players and one of the most reliable. He averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals and shot 43.6% from the field, 37.2% on 3-pointers and 81.4% on free throws for the Nets in 2023-24.
The 27-year-old Bridges has played in every game possible in his six-year career, and even played in 83 games in 2022-23 after being traded to the Nets by Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade.
Bridges has two seasons and $48.2 million left on his contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.
The Knicks lost to Indiana in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals but were hampered by injuries to key players including Julius Randle, Bogdanovic, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. Star Jalen Brunson was even knocked out of the Game 7 defeat with a fractured hand.
The Knicks also continue to assemble former Villanova players. With the addition of Bridges, the Knicks will have four players…
