The New York Knicks’ dream of winning the NBA title this season is over. New York was eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games within the Eastern Conference Finals, ending the playoff run they were on.
As New York enters the offseason, the team has multiple questions to answer. There have been reports about the front office potentially looking to move on from Karl-Anthony Towns or other key players.
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But another big storyline from the offseason is what the team will do with forward Mikal Bridges. Bridges will be eligible for a four-year, $156 million extension before next season.
New York paid a heavy price to land Bridges last offseason, and could be motivated by that to get a deal done. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has predicted that the Knicks will indeed extend Bridges to a massive deal.
“After his star turn with the Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges needed time to adjust to being a role player again on the Knicks. He’s become a vital cog for them on both sides of the ball in the playoffs, though. New York is all-in with its core, and Bridges has just one year left in the deal. This offseason, the Knicks figure to do what they can to sign him to an extension.”
For the season, Bridges averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. Bridges gave this team another wing forward to use, but there were times when he lacked the physicality needed to win games.
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Due to the heavy financial strain on the Knicks’ salary cap, it could see the team potentially move on from one of the stars. Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Towns, and Bridges would all have massive contracts on the books.
With the new CBA in place, that could drastically impact how New York builds a contending team around the stars. But if the team were to move off one of those contracts, assuming they do extend Bridges, the Knicks could split that money up to build strong depth.
The biggest weakness on the Knicks’ roster this season was depth, and it showed in the postseason. Indiana was able to wear out New York throughout the series, so this will likely be a priority as the offseason unfolds.
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