On Thursday, the New York Knicks and Mikal Bridges agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension, per ESPN senior insider Shams Charania.
Knicks, Mikal Bridges Agree To Contract Extension
The 28-year-old wing took “a slight discount from his max extension number ($156M) in order to help the Knicks have flexibility,” Charania adds. In 2024, New York acquired Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, surrendering a hoard of draft picks in the trade.
BREAKING: New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension with the franchise, agents Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. The new deal includes a player option for 2029-30 and a trade kicker. pic.twitter.com/xuiYvzykqJ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 31, 2025
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“He wants to be here and wants to win here,” SNY’s Ian Begley would report regarding Bridges’s decision, citing Knicks sources. “If he’d waited until free agency, Bridges could have signed a deal for as long as five years and significantly more money.”
In 2024-25, Bridges averaged 17.6 points, 3.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Though he had solid production and shot 50.0 percent from the field, he wasn’t his usual self beyond the arc, shooting 35.4 percent from 3. In a vacuum, that number could be far worse. Nevertheless, it’s still the second-lowest figure of his career.
With that being said, Bridges performed admirably, particularly at the defensive end. Playing for the Knicks and their ravenous fan base comes with uniquely high standards. The intrigue surrounding the young prospects New York could have hypothetically drafted instead of trading for him adds another layer to the expectations.
However, Bridges could’ve played far worse and has shown that he can look even better.
Jalen Brunson Influence?
This likely sounds familiar to Knicks fans. If so, it’s because his approach is similar to that of teammate Jalen Brunson, who signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension with New York last July. Had he waited until 2025, Brunson would have been eligible for a five-year, $269 million contract extension.
To be fair, he can recoup the nearly $113 million that he left on the negotiating table. The fourth year of his contract contains a player option. If declines it, he’ll be eligible to sign a four-year, $323 million extension in 2028. If he picks it up, he can sign a five-year, $418 million contract in 2029.
With that in mind, it’s possible that Brunson set a precedent for his teammates, if not players around the league.
In this era of NBA business, franchises are more hesitant and handicapped when they have extremely high payrolls. Easing the restrictions their team faces by taking a pay cut isn’t cosplaying as Robin Hood, as it benefits everyone. At the end of the day, the league likes winners. The easiest way to win in the NBA is to have not just high-end players but quality depth.
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