Mikal Bridges' Knicks contract extension timeline gets critical update
The New York Knicks have Mikal Bridges under contract for the next two seasons after acquiring him in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, and he reportedly is going to wait until the next offseason to work out an extension with his new team, according to Marc Stein.
"The Knicks' Mikal Bridges is waiting until after the season to hammer out a contract extension with his new team, league sources tell The Stein Line," Marc Stein wrote in his Substack newsletter.
By waiting until next offseason, Bridges will get a more lucrative deal, and will be more comfortable after getting a season in with the Knicks . Stein went into exactly what an extension could look like for Bridges next summer.
"By waiting until after the season, Bridges would be eligible for a more appealing four-year deal worth an estimated $157 million," Stein wrote."
The yearly salary at that number would be just under $40 million. Bridges' current contract has him at just under $23 million a year, and is one of the best value contracts in the NBA, which is a big reason why it cost the Knicks five unprotected first-round picks to acquire him from the Nets. There is little question about Bridges' fit with the Knicks, given his history with Jalen Brunson at Villanova, as well as just the fact that the type of player Bridges is would fit with pretty much any team. But after this season, we will have a clear picture as far as the value Bridges brings to the Knicks, which will be important next summer for contract negotiations.
Knicks firmly in contention window
The Knicks undoubtedly view themselves as a team that can contend to win an NBA Championship after the acquisitions of Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason. New York has star player Jalen Brunson locked into a very good contract that saves money long-term, while Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby are under contract for the next few years as well. Bridges will likely join that group.
The four of Brunson, Bridges, Towns and Anunoby compliment each other, because they are all good shooters, so the spacing on the floor will open up plenty of opportunities to score for pretty much everyone on the team. It will be interesting to see how that group fares this year. The expectation will be to make a deep run in the playoffs and perhaps be competitive with the Boston Celtics if they cross paths.
