If you were to list the Knicks’ biggest gamble in the Mikal Bridges trade, it would be hard to put it in first or second place without mentioning their bet on Jalen Brunson.
For much of the last year, maybe two years, there was a fierce debate about whether Brunson was a player on the path to superstardom. Many agreed, but most said no. Some said he was too small, too unathletic. Brunson put up Michael Jordan-like numbers in the playoffs and converted some of the non-believers.
But it was hard to ascertain where the team stood in its search for a trade partner for its draft picks. Tuesday night’s trade provided the answer.
Bridges, unlike some of the other players recently rumored to be moving to the Knicks (Donovan Mitchell, Joel Embiid, etc.), is a complement to Brunson, not a replacement. He covers Brunson’s defensive weaknesses on the perimeter, but he’s not going to take the ball out of Brunson’s hands. Brunson was a closer before the trade, and he’s a closer after the Knicks sent a ton of picks to the Nets.
This was a big trade for Leon Rose. Of course, there will be more additions before the season starts, and perhaps enough value will be added to the roster in the future to complete another big trade. But Tuesday was the day Rose emptied his treasure trove of assets. He gave up five first-round picks over the next seven years. This is a one-and-done gambit. Forget about the dreams of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Devin Booker.
So what about the Knicks? Brunson, who finished fifth in the 2024 MVP voting, is the No. 1 choice. Julius Randle, who is expected to recover from shoulder surgery, is the No. 2 choice. Top wing defenders Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are the No. 3 and No. 4 choices, respectively.
To be clear, Bridges isn’t just a role player. He’s an elite role player. He was a championship-contending role player in Phoenix. He can create his own opportunities as his turn comes up in half-court sets, but Bridges won’t be prioritized over Brunson.
As the Knicks make their bets, the big bet is whether Brunson can at least match and hopefully surpass last season’s exploits. If the past year and a half has been a fluke, the Knicks are done.
Brunson has already won over notorious skeptic Kenny Smith, the TNT analyst who downplayed the point guard’s star potential before last season but admitted this week he was wrong.
“Jalen has pushed himself to heights we never imagined. … Could we have predicted that? I don’t think so,” Smith told the Post. “I never thought Jalen Brunson would be a 40-point player. Now he can score 40 in his sleep.”
As the trade made clear, the Knicks have faith in Brunson. He’s a core player, and that comes with perks. For one, Brunson is the first player to come out of Villanova. There are currently four Wildcats on the roster. Depending on what happens with Ryan Arcidicacono, there could be five for the Nova Knicks.
crazy.
The point guard was put in a position he felt comfortable in, one he could thrive in. By adding Bridges, the Knicks continued to build their team around Brunson, rather than making him the centerpiece.
But it comes with something else: pressure. The Knicks can no longer play themselves in feel-good underdog movies. Neither can Brunson. Teams are putting their faith in the idea that their point guard is a Class A star and risking draft picks on him.
Now Brunson must beat the Celtics.
