Prior to the start of last night’s NBA Draft, the team inked former champion and All-NBA defender OG Anunoby to a massive five-year deal worth $212.5 million.
But even before that move, the team traded for dangerous shooter and talented defender Mikal Bridges, who was just across the river playing for the Brooklyn Nets last year.
These two moves allow the Knicks to both retain and obtain two All-NBA defenders.
In a conference that has been dominated by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are starting to inch closer to them.
Fox Sports’s Jason McIntyre believes the Knicks can now hang with Boston.
“The Knicks are built now to battle Boston,” McIntyre recently said on The Herd.
"The Knicks are built now to battle Boston."
— @jasonrmcintyre on NYK landing Mikal Bridges pic.twitter.com/dtWTVzjKlE
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 27, 2024
Like he also stated in the video, the Knicks have a bunch of old Villanova teammates now in the fold.
The All-Star guard in Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and now Bridges will all be playing together for the first time since they were national champions in college.
With other key players like All-Star forward Julius Randle, the steals leader in Anunoby and big man Mitchell Robinson, this team can compete with a talented offensive team such as their rivals in the Boston Celtics.
The 2024-25 season and future seasons with this group all have the potential to be pretty special in the Big Apple.
