Nova Knicks projected 2024-25 starting lineup, depth chart after Mikal Bridges trade
By Lior Lampert
On Tuesday night, the New York Knicks acquired star two-way wing Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster trade with their crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets.
The swap reunites Bridges with his former college teammates -- Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. New York has fully leaned into the "Nova Knicks" moniker.
More importantly, it is an all-in move that signals the Knicks want to contend for a championship. Conversely, it officially marks the beginning of what may be a lengthy rebuild in Brooklyn.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks sent out veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-rounder (via the Milwaukee Bucks), an unprotected pick swap and a second-round selection.
One of the premier 3-and-D swingmen that teams across the NBA so highly covet, Bridges is a massive addition to the Knicks. He averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game this season while shooting 37.2 percent from three on 7.2 nightly attempts.
We know Brunson will join Bridges in the starting lineup. But who will round out the first five for the Knicks? New York has uncertainty surrounding noteworthy players like OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson and potentially All-Star big man Julius Randle (albeit to a lesser degree).
Nevertheless, the Knicks only surrendered one rotational player from the 2023-24 roster in their exchange for Bridges with the Nets. So, here is how we project the starting lineup and depth chart to shake out following the deal.
Projecting the Nova Knicks 2024-25 starting lineup, depth chart after Mikal Bridges trade
PG: Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride
SG: Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo
SF: OG Anunoby*, Josh Hart
PF: Julius Randle, Precious Achiuwa*, Mamadi Diakite
C: Isaiah Hartestein*, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims*
Bolded players are projected starters and those with asterisks are free agents.
Anunoby and Hartenstein are both unrestricted free agents after the former declined his $19.9 million player option for next season. Meanwhile, Robinson's name has recently come up in trade talks. Moreover, Randle is extension-eligible in August, though questions about his future in New York could surface if the two sides cannot agree on terms. In other words, the Knicks could have many moving parts this offseason.
However, we can definitively say the Nova Knicks are here to stay. Brunson, Bridges, Hart and DiVincenzo hope to emulate their success from their collegiate days when they won a national championship together.
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