Mikal Bridges, Knicks trade has Bam Adebayo calling 'tampering' police
06/26/2024 12:45 AM
It finally happened. The championship-winning Villanova Wildcats have reunited within the New York Knicks system. There were a lot of subtle hints that Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart made before Mikal Bridges finally caved in. Eventually, the Brooklyn Nets also wanted assets in return so they made the move. While a lot of fans are ecstatic with the move, a certain someone from the Miami Heat is not so pleased — Bam Adebayo.
If you’re late to the news, Mikal Bridges has been traded from the Nets to the Knicks. Understandably, some did not bat an eye because it is a Villanova Wildcats after all. But, Bam Adebayo suspected that something was fishy with the trade.
“@jalenbrunson1 (Jalen Brunson) @joshhart (Josh Hart)y'all was tampering !” was all that the Heat All-Star could say after the Bridges trade was announced.
The last big tampering case in the NBA involved the Phoenix Suns. Apparently, they committed during their pursuit of Drew Eubanks. Adam Silver and the rest of the league officials caught wind of it which led to an investigation. Eventually, the Suns lost a second-round pick because of it.
Joel Embiid was also trying to tamper as the Philadelphia 76ers tried to notch Paul George. The 2023 Most Valuable Player of the Year made some very big comments about trying to acquire a wing during his segment in the 2024 NBA Finals. Trae Young saw this and even made fun of the big man for his solid attempt at bringing another star talent to play alongside him and Tyrese Maxey.
There may not be any case of tampering in this case because these men are very close. They shared a bond within the Villanova baseball program and underwent adversities with one another. Since the Knicks already had Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo, Bridges was the only one missing from that core anyway. It is a rare opportunity to get this type of chemistry that started over a decade ago. So, the Knicks could not have passed up on the opportunity.
What does Mikal Bridges give the Knicks?
An elite wing is the short answer. To break it down more, Bridges has shown some great ability to play multiple schemes in the Suns and Nets system. He thrives whether the set involves a five-out philosophy or requires him to bang bodies on the inside. His production, more than anything, proves that he can be versatile within the Knicks system.
He shot at an efficient 43.6% clip from all three levels of scoring which netted him 19.6 points a night. His all-around work also saw him 4.5 rebounds alongside 3.6 assists. Not to mention, Bridges has been very good at guarding passing lanes and studying the patterns of opposing ballhandlers. This got him a steal per game in his last year with the Nets.
The vibes are about to be immaculate in the Knicks system. Not only are fans going to see a healthy squad but they will also be treated with insane team chemistry that’s been brewing for nearly a decade now.
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