Scalabrine: Knicks a ‘Formidable Foe’ for Celtics After Bridges Trade

The New York Knicks are making serious moves after narrowly missing an Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics.

Following a seven-game defeat to the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals, the Knicks have traded veteran Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-rounder via the Milwaukee Bucks, an unprotected pick swap, and a second-rounder to the Brooklyn Nets for star wing Mikal Bridges.

On paper, the Knicks look even stronger after concluding the 2023-24 season with a 50-32 record, securing the second seed in the East. NBC Sports Boston’s Brian Scalabrine believes that with Bridges on board, New York could become a formidable opponent for the reigning NBA champions.

“I like it for the Knicks,” Scalabrine commented on the trade during Wednesday’s Early Edition. “They’re adding a 27-year-old player with a very favorable contract. He’s only making $22 million this year, so they avoid going into the second apron and avoid future complications. They still have the flexibility to make additional trades involving Julius Randle.

“Some think it was too much to give up for a non-All-Star player. I think it’s a perfect fit. I’m not one to overreact to the Villanova Knicks narrative, but I see this as a good trade for New York.

A key part of their offseason will also be re-signing Isaiah Hartenstein. With these moves, we now have a formidable foe in the East, which makes the conference and the playoffs much more interesting compared to this year, where we dominated our first three opponents.”