"Y'all was tampering" - Bam Adebayo accuses Knicks stars after Mikal Bridges joins his fellow Wildcats in New York

The New York Knicks significantly improved their 2025 championship prospects through a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. They acquired Mikal Bridges in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic, unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031), a protected 2025 first-round pick, and an unprotected 2028 pick swap. Moreover, this move reunites Bridges with his former Villanova Wildcats teammates - Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. The quartet even celebrated the moment on a video call.

However, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo expressed disapproval of the situation, accusing Brunson and Hart of ‘tampering’ in the process of bringing their former collegiate teammate to New York.

NBA takes tampering very seriously

Even in the past, Hart has playfully joked about Bridges joining forces with them. However, if Adebayo’s accusations were to catch the attention of the NBA authorities or Commissioner Adam Silver, a stern investigation could be made in such a scenario.

Notable examples include a $500,000 fine imposed on the LA Lakers when their Vice President approached Paul George’s agent while PG13 was under contract with the Indiana Pacers. Similarly, Daryl Morey’s tweet to Stephen Curry to ‘Join ‘Em’ resulted in a $75,000 fine for his team. In 2021, the Chicago Bulls lost a draft pick due to early communication with Lonzo Ball, underscoring the NBA’s zero-tolerance policy on tampering.

Interestingly, Hart isn’t alone in making public overtures. Joel Embiid, during his studio appearance in the 2024 NBA Finals, openly discussed acquiring a wing player like George. Recognizing this, Trae Young joked about the 2023 MVP’s effort in luring PG13 to join him in Philly.

While these instances were more out in the open, the case of Mikal might not constitute tampering. The four Villanova alumni have shared a close bond even after entering the NBA, suggesting that they were merely embracing the news together. More importantly, since the Knicks already had three former Wildcats, acquiring Bridges made sense, even fit-wise.

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Bridges is a better fit alongside Hart and Brunson

Even though the Knicks had the 7th best offensive rating last season, their field goal efficiency was among the bottom 11, showing how reliant they’ve been on 3-point shooting for success. Mikal, who shot 44.7% from the field during his two years with the Brooklyn Nets as their lone and most consistent scoring threat, could be a huge boost for Coach Tom Thibodeau’s offensive structure.

Additionally, considering that Bridges has featured in all 82 games four times in his NBA career, he is definitely a player to be relied upon.

Lastly, with his tough perimeter defense, having been selected for the All-Defensive First Team (in 2022) and averaging 1.2 steals per game - the newest Knicks forward is undoubtedly a valuable asset on both ends of the court. That being said, Adebayo recognizes the Heat potentially falling behind in the Eastern Conference, after their counterparts have made a bold move in the right direction.

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