Knicks’ Mikal Bridges trade kicker offsets extension loss

Aug 6, 2025 9:25 PM

Although Mikal Bridges accepted a contract extension that pays him slightly less than what he might have otherwise commanded on the open market, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $150 million, the New York Knicks still appear poised to remain a second-tier salary cap team next season – assuming they can re-sign key center Mitchell Robinson.

This assessment comes from Yossi Gozlan, who provides an in-depth analysis of the Knicks’ salary cap situation in his newsletter, The Third Apron (Substack link).

Gozlan points out an unusual feature of Bridges’ contract: a trade kicker set at 5.69%. This clause entitles the player to a significant bonus if he is traded, which could amount to roughly $6.17 million during the 2026 offseason.

This bonus is notable because it almost perfectly offsets the amount Bridges effectively gave up by accepting his current extension instead of holding out for his maximum potential contract, which would have been close to $156.17 million.

In other words, while Bridges agreed to slightly less money upfront, the trade kicker provision protects him in the event of a future trade, providing a sizable financial incentive.

From a team-building perspective, the Knicks’ cap space and salary commitments suggest they will likely operate under the “second apron” threshold – a more restrictive salary cap level that limits the team’s ability to add additional players via certain types of exceptions – if they retain Robinson.

This creates challenges for the Knicks’ front office as they try to balance maintaining their core roster while also remaining flexible enough to improve the team.