The New York Knicks have completed the trifecta this offseason by trading for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.
Bridges now gets to team up with his former collegiate teammate Jalen Brunson and three-time All-Star Julius Randle with the Knicks.
Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale ranked the top 10 trios in the NBA and placed the Knicks at No. 9 on the list.
“New York’s Big Three features more bankable shot creation than some others. Brunson has graduated to the top-10-player discussion precisely because of his on-ball lethality. And for as divisive as Randle remains, he has the strength, speed, footwork and handle to reach his preferred spots, and his ability to knock down tough jumpers is an asset even if he could stand to scale back on said looks,” Favale writes. “Bridges’ universal scalability nudges up the ceiling. He is about to settle into his perfect role, as a No. 3 option who can redouble his focus and energy expenditure on the defensive end.”
Teams higher on the list than the Knicks were the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
The Knicks never got the chance to see Brunson and Randle in action together in the playoffs after the latter underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in the middle of the season. But now, the Knicks are trying to elevate their ceiling by adding Bridges to the mix, giving him a role that mixes what he did with the Suns and the Nets.
Bridges was a role player with the Suns on a team headlined by Devin Booker and Chris Paul while he took the reins as the star of the Nets. By having both of those experiences, Bridges should be well-prepared to slide into the Knicks and do a little bit of everything.
Some may argue that OG Anunoby should be in this trio, especially considering he is the highest-paid player currently on the roster. That being said, Anunoby’s presence on the team alongside the talented trio makes the Knicks one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference and the NBA.
