From the moment it first went down, the New York Knicks’ trade for Mikal Bridges was a major swing. And the more time passes, the more it feels like the team may have paid that premium price of five first-round picks for a player who is never going to be the one to take them over the top. That is not to say Bridges isn't an impact guy in the right role, but if this front office thought they were acquiring a star, they were simply mistaken.
The challenge with the Bridges deal has always been the same: he's a high-level role player who gets talked about like a star because of his defensive effort, impressive ironman streak and occasional red-hot scoring stretches.