New York Knicks Mikal Bridges Expected to Take Pay Cut

One of the biggest moves of the 2024 NBA offseason was the New York Knicks acquiring Mikal Bridges. It was costly, as they sent five first-round picks and a pick swap to the Brooklyn Nets to get the job done.

However, it was a deal that the team felt was well worth the price. With Mikal Bridges joining OG Anunoby on the wings, the Knicks have the kind of wing depth needed to contend with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

The defending champions have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way on the perimeter. New York now has the firepower to stack up against them, with Julius Randle in the starting lineup alongside them and Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo providing help off the bench.

The Nova Knicks are taking the NBA by storm, as this is the first time in the modern era that collegiate champions have teamed up again in the pros. Will they be able to replicate the success from 2016?

Having this group together is certainly a great start. And if NBA rumors come to fruition, the Knicks will have the flexibility that other contenders will be envious of.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Mikal Bridges is expected to take a pay cut when his contract is up. Entering Year 3 of a four-year, $90 million bargain, he is set to cash in as a free agent in 2026.

While he will receive a raise, he isn’t gunning for a max extension. Instead, he will sign a team-friendly deal, following in the footsteps of Jalen Brunson.

“League sources say that the expectation now, furthermore, is that Bridges is likely to follow Brunson’s lead and sign a team-friendly deal of his own when it’s his turn to negotiate an extension (he’s eligible for a shorter and less attractive deal as soon as Oct. 1 or a four-year extension if he waits until after the season) that cements himself at MSG alongside his fellow former Villanova teammates Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo,” Stein wrote on his Substack.

Brunson made an unprecedented move when he agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million deal. He left a lot of money on the table, as he could have become a free agent in 2025 and signed a five-year, $269.1 million deal.

He opted against that, knowing it would handcuff the front office when attempting to make moves. From the sounds of these NBA Rumors, Mikal Bridges is ready to do the same thing.

Players sacrificing money when already making hundreds of millions of dollars doesn’t seem like a big deal. But with the new CBA having aprons and hard caps, it will greatly benefit the Knicks.

As other contenders around the NBA lose piece after piece every offseason, New York will maintain flexibility to keep their core together for years to come.

Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.

Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.