Draymond Green criticizes the Knicks’ trade for Mikal Bridges on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” arguing they gave up too much and are not better than the reigning champion Boston Celtics. He compared the situation to the Houston Rockets’ failed attempt to compete against his Warriors, predicting that if the Knicks’ move doesn’t work out within a couple of years, it will lead to a rebuild. Green stated, “The Knicks are in a space where they’re going for it, and I respect it, but if this doesn’t work in two to three years, the Knicks will be rebuilding again because they traded all their picks away.”
The Knicks hope Bridges will help them contend with top Eastern Conference teams like the Celtics, Bucks, and 76ers. Bridges, known for his defensive prowess, is one of the best small forwards capable of guarding stars like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Despite the injury challenges last season, Bridges’ durability and energy make him a valuable asset.
Offensively, he averages 20 points per game and is an efficient three-point shooter, potentially serving as a strong No. 2 option for the Knicks.
Historically, teams have won championships with secondary options scoring just over 20 points per game. Bridges has the potential to join the ranks of greats like Scottie Pippen and Tony Parker if he continues to excel both offensively and defensively. The Knicks have a versatile player in Bridges who can facilitate his own offense while maintaining elite defensive capabilities.
Bridges needs to deliver on these expectations in the 2024-25 season. As a solid No. 3 option, the Knicks might still need to address the Julius Randle situation to avoid the potential rebuild Green warned about. Despite the cost of seven future draft picks, the Knicks are in win-now mode, and if the experiment fails, they can trade one of their talents to recover some of those picks. Green acknowledges that the risk might be worth it for the Knicks, who are eager to end their long championship drought.
