The New York Knicks have announced they have signed Mikal Bridges on a 4-year contract extension. The extension keeps Bridges in New York until 2028/29, with an additional one-year player option. The deal is thought to be worth $150m, and it is seen as a huge coup to sign the player for less than he could have earned. Bridges has played every game for the Knicks since they gave five first-round picks to Brooklyn to secure his services.
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Although fans were left disheartened by their performance and eventual exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, they reached their first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years after a shock 4-2 defeat of defending champions the Boston Celtics. Importantly, they improved on the season before, when they suffered a seven-game loss in the semis, albeit to the same foes, Indianapolis.
That result saw Tom Thibodeau fired at the start of June. While the move got the support of some Knicks fans, there are still those who question the logic of firing a coach who drove them to their best finish in 25 years. Regardless, a month later, New York turned to two-time NVA Coach of the Year, Mike Brown, who was installed at the beginning of July.
Brown and President Leon Rose have made securing reliable Mikal Bridges one of their first orders of business. The Knicks acquired Bridges in 2024 when they sacrificed Bojan Bogdanovic and five of their first-round drafts to Brooklyn to reunite Bridges with his former Villanova teammates. It was the first time the rivals had traded since 1983.
Bridges had an OK season, although he did deliver some huge defensive plays in the victory over the Boston Celtics. And, there is nobody more reliable when it comes to game time in the whole of the NBA. Bridges played every game for the Knicks last season. In fact, he has played in every game since he was drafted in 2018. Even before that, he didn’t miss a game in college or high school.
President Leon Rose said, “We are pleased to sign Mikal to a long-term contract extension and for his commitment to what we are building in New York. Since Mikal’s arrival with us a little over a year ago, he has shown his professionalism and winning pedigree on and off the court on a daily basis.”
He has also proven reliable in the off-season. Bridges could have waited until his contract expired next season and undoubtedly increased the size of his contract. Instead, his early agreement has enabled the Knicks to press on and build a team.
