New York's Championship Odds Move With Mikal Bridges Acquisition

Nets Trade Mikal Bridges To The Knicks

The night before the 2024 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets made headlines by trading star player Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks.

In exchange, Brooklyn received Bojan Bogdanović and four first-round picks from the Knicks, along with a top-four protected pick in 2025 from Milwaukee, a second-round pick next year, and pick swaps with the Rockets.

The move reunites Bridges with his former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart, all of whom were part of Nova's 2016 National Championship team.

This trade signifies that the Nets are entering a rebuilding era, while the Knicks are making a strong effort to compete with the 2023-24 NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

Betting Market Moves with Mikal

The Knicks were +1600 at BetMGM to win the NBA Finals before Bridges was traded. They now sit at +900 and have the third shortest odds behind the Celtics (+300) and Nuggets (+750). They also moved from +750 to win the East to +450.

The shift in odds isn't shocking considering Bridges is one of the best two-way players in the league and will significantly impact the Knicks in various areas. He immediately bolsters New York's defense with his ability to guard positions 2-4. Assuming the Knicks make it a top priority to re-sign OG Anunoby in free agency, the two will make up one of the better defensive duos in the league.

Bridges also averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in Brooklyn last year and will provide another strong scoring option for the Knicks, joining Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Julius Randle in the starting lineup.

The move can also be seen as an attempt to compete with Boston's lineup of two-way wings, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, which was clearly a winning recipe for the Celtics this season.

Betting On The Knicks In 2023-24

Acquiring Bridges doesn't come without cap implications that could result in more roster changes. According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, "New York is now hard-capped at the first apron unless it can send out more salary in the deal." This likely means center Isaiah Hartenstein will depart in free agency as the Knicks prioritize keeping Anunoby.

Bridges makes New York better than they were last year, which was already impressive considering they lost to the Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, diving fully into the futures market right now would be a bit negligent given the potential for significant roster changes in free agency.